Audacity is already running error message

[davidpauli]

1.3.13.0 Mac 10.6.8 2.93 ghz

I keep freezing up which isn't fun on Mac. Hard drive isn't full (more on that later). I force quit and Audacity goes away. However, when I go to launch audacity again, I get the message you see above...."Audacity is already running." Sometimes I have to power down entire computer to get going. " The system has detected that another copy of audacity is running.

I can't find any sign that it is running. I can't shut it down if it is? What is happening and how to fix?

I seem to be having more problems since I installed a Lacie external T hard drive and am trying to have my files run on it which I've been told is the best way. Is this causing problems?
Thanks. David

[kozikowski]

Sure, I run one of my advanced Mac operating systems on an external FireWire drive with data on another large FireWire drive. You can't do that with USB, though.

You may not have to power down the Mac, you can Apple (upper left) > Restart.

Have you ever used the Terminal program on any computer?

Koz

[davidpauli]

Hi. I am using Firewire to connect to hard drive. I have the audacity program on the internal hard drive and am trying to use the external as where my files of music are.

Why am I getting message about audacity already running and I can't find it is running anywhere? And I can't open it.

Computer is also having problems as result. Even turning it on this morning it took forever to start up. Something is unhappy.

[davidpauli]

Just repeated the problem. I think it might be after I do Forced Quit because Audacity froze. And then when I go to open Audacity, after Force Quit. It tells me it is already running and I can't open another one. But I can't find it running anywhere. Why is Force Quit not shutting it down completely?

[Gale Andrews]

I would be equally concerned why Audacity is freezing. Does it freeze on launch or only after you import files from the external drive, or after some other action?

Why don't you reboot, then Audacity won't be running as long as you don't have it set to run on login? Then before you start Audacity again, download attached "audacity.txt", rename it as "audacity.cfg" then paste it into ~/Library/Application Support/audacity/ (~ is your HOME folder). Overwrite audacity.cfg if prompted. If VST or Audio Unit effects are part of the problem, that config file will disable them but otherwise set Audacity back to default settings.

If Audacity freezes again, tell us what you did before it froze.


Gale