Audacity takes long time to start (six seconds)

I run Audacity 3.1.2 on Windows 10. I recently switched to a new computer and I noticed Audacity seems slower to start on my newer computer (compared to the older computer) which is strange.

I did file checking of what happens when Audacity starts and as you can see it takes a full six seconds to start (on a decent, recent piece of hardware) and it looks like most of those six seconds Audacity is creating/renaming/deleting the audicity.cfg file.

This doesn’t look like normal behavior, I think and this might explain why it takes six seconds to start?

Why is this happening, how can I fix this maybe my config file is broken or something?

Dec 1 15:08 54  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  >       audacity.cfg    7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 54  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 54  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 54  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  >       audacity.cfg    7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 54  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 54  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 54  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       audacity.cfg    7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       audacity.cfg    7.72 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved 320 KB  C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-wal     576 KB  C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-wal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 53  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-wal     576 KB  C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-wal
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-shm     32.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-shm
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-shm     -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-shm
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-wal     -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-wal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Delete -        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved 64.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal 64.5 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Delete -        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved 64.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 15:08 53  >       New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal 512 B   C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 15:08 53  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 15-08-53 N-1.aup3unsaved -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 15:08 50  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 50  >       audacity.cfg    7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 50  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 50  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 50  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 50  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       pluginregistry.cfg      39.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Create +        pluginregistry.cfg      -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Delete -        pluginregistry.cfg      -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       audacity.cfg    7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       audacity.cfg    7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  >       audacity.cfg    7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        7.59 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 15:08 48  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg

Can you please try the new 3.1.3 beta? https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.1.3-beta-1

It should be much faster, especially when loading projects.

Launching 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 Beta-1 both take around 6-6 seconds on my SSD laptop HP Envy Windows-10


You should try launching iTunes - that takes 17-20 seconds on my PC :confused:

And Adobe Photoshop takes an astonishing 40 seconds to launch :astonished:

So 5-6 seconds for Audacity launch in contrast doesn’t seem too bad to me …

Peter

I tried the newest beta, reset the preferences. It takes a second longer!
Note: this is just starting from scratch, not even opening an existing project.

Dec 1 17:09 33  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg    3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg    3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg    3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg    3.61 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved 320 KB  C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 17:09 33  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 33  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-wal     576 KB  C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-wal
Dec 1 17:09 33  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-shm     32.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-shm
Dec 1 17:09 33  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-shm     -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-shm
Dec 1 17:09 32  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-wal     -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-wal
Dec 1 17:09 32  Delete -        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved 64.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 17:09 32  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal 64.5 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  Delete -        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved 64.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 17:09 32  >       New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal 512 B   C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved-journal -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved-journal
Dec 1 17:09 32  Create +        New Project 2021-12-01 17-09-32 N-1.aup3unsaved -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Local\Audacity\SessionData    .aup3unsaved
Dec 1 17:09 28  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 28  >       audacity.cfg    3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 28  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 28  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 28  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 28  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       pluginregistry.cfg      39.0 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Create +        pluginregistry.cfg      -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Delete -        pluginregistry.cfg      -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg    3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg    3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg    3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Delete -        audacity.cfg.bkp        -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  >       audacity.cfg    3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Create +        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename +        audacity.cfg.bkp        3.48 KB C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .bkp
Dec 1 17:09 26  Rename -        audacity.cfg    -       C:\Users\REDACTED\AppData\Roaming\audacity      .cfg

I agree other apps take even longer to start, but two things:

  1. I am pretty sure Audacity started faster on my other machine (else: I wouldn’t have started poking around).

  2. The multiple Delete/Create/Rename actions seem to be superfluous? Once should be enough I think and this would take a couple of seconds of the boot time.

Could it be this while loop, does extra / unnecessary things:

https://github.com/audacity/audacity/blob/2ae8405032da58f5b4b6e0820ee8377326da3638/libraries/lib-preferences/FileConfig.cpp#L150

I wouldn’t expect it to even go into that loop on a normal clean launch.

What concerns me a lot more is the time it can spend compacting a project when I exit Audacity.

I just had a 40 second compaction on exit.

  1. Open a single stereo track 2h 15m project that I had recorded on Monday with Timer Record
  2. Trim off first 5 minutes
  3. trim off last 10 minutes
  4. Amplify to -2db
  5. Exit Audacity
  6. Observe: 20 seconds of compaction

Peter

It can be a lot longer than that on big projects - I’ve been testing a new plug-in on projects that are several hours long, and sometimes have to wait several minutes for Audacity to quit, even when not saving (i7 laptop with SSD).

For now I opened a GitHub issue (https://github.com/audacity/audacity/issues/2213)

Upvotes welcome.