All Toolbar Buttons Freezing Audacity Help!

[justjslim]

OS - Windows 7 64 Bit Professional SP1
Hardware - Dell Laptop i7
Audacity V 2.0.0

Let me start off by saying - I am by no means a dummy when it comes to computers. I know a fair amount. And the issue I am seeing is so very bizarre.
See Step by Step below:

Open Audacity -> File ->Import -> Audio
Audio shows up as one would expect - fit to window.
Use mouse to click the Zoom In button on the right hand upper toolbar.
Nothing happens.... Try clicking Zoom Out.. Nothing happens. Try to minimize Audacity window.. Nothing happens.

Now hold onto your hats for the strange and unusual - if I move my mouse over to another window or application (I have duel monitors) which basically takes the focus off of Audacity and then come back it is unfrozen, but I still cannot select any of the buttons without the same behavior occurring again.

HOWEVER - if I elect to use any keyboard shortcuts (Spacebar, Ctrl 1 or Ctr l3) those work just dandy!!
I guess I could just use the keyboard shortcuts instead of the actual GUI buttons but I kinda like them. Sometimes I'm lazy.

Please tell me its some random setting somewhere that the folks from Audacity included in the new version and I just haven't been able to find a Forum about it?? I have no problem taking my humility and leaving this forum with a working fix. Pretty please with sugar on top??

[steve]

If you start Audacity (new empty project), then Generate some sound (e.g. Generate menu > Tone), do the buttons work correctly?
How long is the audio that you are importing?
If the audio is an uncompressed format (such as WAV) are you "Make a copy" option or using the faster "Read directly" option?
What settings do you have in: "Edit > Preferences > Directories"?