Go back

[bdriver]

How can I 'go back' without closing the entire program? If I'm finished with the current file and want to open another in the same window I have to 'close' or 'exit' and this closes the whole program. Thanks in anticipation.

[steve]

There's several ways to do that, but probably the easiest is:
File menu > New
Then close the old project window.

[bdriver]

OK. That makes sense. Thanks.

[hedera]

I'm sorry, it doesn't make sense to me. This has been driving me nuts since I began using the beta - it's literally the only program I use where you have to close the program in order to open a new file. At least the 1.3.12 beta now allows you to close the current file without shutting down the program; but when I try to import a new file, the whole window closes. Stevethefiddle's explanation implies that this behavior is expected, but why? (I know that "y is a crooked letter," but sometimes I have to ask anyway.)

[steve]

when I try to import a new file, the whole window closes

That sounds like a fault. You should be able to import multiple files into the same project.

So that we know we're talking about the same thing, could you describe in step-by-step detail how to produce this behaviour.

[hedera]

Sure. I should say I'm not trying to import multiple files at one time, or into the same project. Here's the process:

• Import a .WAV file
• Save the project
• Edit for leading and trailing noise
• Run the file through the Compression Dynamics effect
• Validate the output
• Export the file as MP3

At that point I'm done with that project. After I did that today, I closed the project and tried to open the second .WAV file, which I planned to save as a new project, using the IMPORT > AUDIO tab. At that point the entire window closed.

[kozikowski]

<<<I closed the project>>>

How?

Koz

[steve]

I closed the project

At that point I would expect Audacity to close, and would then right click on the next WAV file and select Open With Audacity, which would start a completely new Audacity project with a nice clean temp folder and nice clean RAM. but you're saying that Audacity doesn't close? and then you import a file and Audacity crashes?

[hedera]

I closed the project by clicking on the CLOSE link in the FILE dropdown menu. The Audacity window remained open. This is new behavior with 1.3.12; in earlier versions when I clicked on FILE > CLOSE the window closed (and, of course, the project). I then chose FILE > IMPORT > AUDIO and when I clicked on AUDIO the Audacity window closed.

[steve]

The Audacity window remained open. This is new behavior with 1.3.12; in earlier versions when I clicked on FILE > CLOSE the window closed (and, of course, the project).

The default behaviour in Audacity 1.3.12 should be the same as in previous versions - File > Close should close Audacity. While this is a bit unusual for Windows applications, it is well suited to this type of application as it means that you are starting Audacity with a clean slate (no stuff left over in RAM or on the hard drive from the previous project).

There is an option in Preferences "Edit menu > Preferences > Interface" that allows you to override the default behaviour and force Audacity to remain open (deselect "Closing last window quits Audacity"). However I would not personally recommend that option - working with audio always involves shifting a lot of data around, so I would generally prefer to shut down Audacity completely between projects so that I'm starting the next project with a nice fresh instance of Audacity. I presume that at some point you have deselected the option for "Closing last window quits Audacity"?

I then chose FILE > IMPORT > AUDIO and when I clicked on AUDIO the Audacity window closed.

That definitely should not be happening. What happens next? Do you re-launch Audacity and import the file?