Audacity Forum

My computer is Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit. I have been using Audacity for some years without trouble. Four weeks ago I downloaded the new version Audacity 2.0.
I keep getting the message The system has detected another copy of Audacity is running.
I have checked Programmes and searched for additional copies without success.
I have deleted Audacity 3 times and re-installed it still with the same problem.
After searching for an answer on the internet and changing Preferences (User/AppData/Roaming/Audacity) and deleting all except
NewPrefsinitiated - 1. I still am no further in solving the problem.I have had four weeks of frustration and spent many hours trying
to sort out the problem.
Can you help?

Please tell me you restarted the computer from a dead stop at least once...

Koz

Koz,
Each time I installed Audacity I restarted the computer. If you mean by a 'Dead Stop' a complete shutdown no, but I have since receiving your post removed Audacity (for the 4th. time), re-installed it and shut down the computer completely.
I have now powered up the computer and the problem is still there.
Brian-W

Just checking.

I see you're using the Roaming install. Audacity used to have a "portable" install, I'm guessin' that's the same thing. Audacity is famous for leaving bits of itself behind when you uninstall it. Our line is you don't reinstall Audacity by reinstalling Audacity. You delete or manage the config file and Audacity follows along like a puppy.

Is this machine an upgrade from Windows XP? Did you ever have Audacity 1.2.x installed? Audacity 1.2.x hid settings in the Dreaded Windows Registry, not in a preferences folder like it does now. It's possible to have two sets of settings and mess everything up.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audacity_Preferences.

I personally would go looking for all the variations of preferences and program files destroying as I went. Are you trying to run Audacity over a network? Again, just checking. Audacity doesn't like that very much.

Why are you installing "portable?" Any specific reason?

Koz

Thanks for your prompt reply.
My Windows 7 was upgraded from Vista.
As I have been using Audacity for some years without any problems I must have had older versions, the latest being Audacity 1.3 Beta.I almost certainly had Audacity 1.2 installed.
I am not running Audacity on a network - just this computer. I don't understand installing "portable". I just try to instal the programme.
If there are old settings in the registry can you advise me how to get rid of them?
I run Glary Utilities every week to correct registry errors, but this doesn't mean it will delete useless Audacity settings.
Brian.

The text needed to reset audacity.cfg is


Audacity will ignore what you say you entered.

You must quit Audacity before editing .cfg. If you have not added a "Portable Settings" folder to the Audacity installation folder then NewPrefsInitialized=1 will give Audacity fresh settings and 1.2 settings are irrelevant.

Do I take it that Audacity doesn't appear when you launch it? Can you see it in Windows Task Manager?

You may possibly have a problem with VST plug-ins. Have you added any of those? You could try exiting Audacity then paste in the attached file (renamed to audacity.cfg) and say "yes" when Windows asks if you want to replace the file.



Gale

Dear Gale,
Got totally confused so once again deleted Audacity and reinstalled it (5th.time!).
I did change Audacity .cfg (found in User/Brian/AppData/Roaming/audacity) to the settings as per your attachment.
There are four VST Plugins in C/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premier Elements 4.0. I have not added any plugins to Audacity.
I have not added a "Portable Settings" folder to the Audacity installation folder as I do not know how to. I would be grateful if you could explain to me how this is done. When I try to launch Audacity it initally doesn't operate at all but eventually the dreaded screen "Audacity already Running etc." appears. Audacity does not appear in Windows Task Manager.
Thank you for your help so far.
Brian.

Brian-W wrote: Got totally confused so once again deleted Audacity and reinstalled it (5th.time!).
I did change Audacity .cfg (found in User/Brian/AppData/Roaming/audacity) to the settings as per your attachment.
There are four VST Plugins in C/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premier Elements 4.0. I have not added any plugins to Audacity.

Audacity won't look in C/Program Files/Adobe/ for VST Plug-ins unless that path has been set as a VST registry key. See: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/VST_P ... T_plug-ins .

Brian-W wrote:I have not added a "Portable Settings" folder to the Audacity installation folder

There is no need to do so.

Brian-W wrote:When I try to launch Audacity it initally doesn't operate at all but eventually the dreaded screen "Audacity already Running etc." appears. Audacity does not appear in Windows Task Manager.

So did this happen the first time you ran 2.0.0 or only a while after? If it's a recent happening, have you considered Windows System Restore?

Also how you are launching Audacity exactly?

If it is not plug-ins that are the trouble, the next problem could be your audio devices. Is it possible to right-click over the speaker icon by the system clock > Playback Devices and take a screen capture (ALT + PrtScr) of the listed devices? Then click the "Recording" tab and do the same. Open Paint, paste each image in turn and save it as a .PNG file. Then use "Upload attachment" underneath where you post Forum messages to upload the image and "place it inline".

You can also use Problem Steps Recorder to take screen prints if you want to take a number of screen prints and make notes. If the file that is produced is larger than the 1 MB Forum limit, you can upload it to any of these free file transfer services:
http://www.sendspace.com
http://minus.com/
https://castle.so/ .




Gale

It is possiable that your uninstall of the original Audacity did not get completley uninstalled, Here is a free program that you can D/L and run and it will USUALY pick up any left over old program, Programs that windows control panel does not always pick up, At l;east it can not hurt to try,


Revo Uninstaller

http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uni ... nload.html

Then run your regestery cleaner

BTW be sure and do a complete shutdown after each procedure

Marty

Gale,
This problem has existed from the very first time I downloaded Audacity 2.0.
I am launching Audacity by clicking on the desktop Icon. (I have also tried clicking on Audacity in All Programmes.
Neither works immediately - but eventually the dreaded screen "Audacity Already Running..." appears.
You may well be onto something with the sound system.
When I Right Click on the speaker icon I get options : Open Volume Mixer;Playback Devices:Recording Devices:Sounds and Volume Control Options.
Only Volume Control Options and Open Volume Mixer work.
I Cannot open Sounds from the Control Panel. That doesn't work at all. (I've spent several hours Googling to try to find a remedy for this but am stumped. So unfortunately I cannot send you a screen shot.
Please do not give up on me - I will keep trying to get this wonderful (when it works!) programme.

Marty,
Thanks for your suggestion. I followed your instructions to the letter. I am quite impressed with the uninstaller programme by the way.
I did pick up some leftovers , but the final outcome is still the same.
Audacity does not work as it should.
Brian.