Audacity Forum

Hi all; Lloyd Here, using 2.1.3 on a fairly new Windows 10, HP Laptop:
Since installing 2.1.3 I have noticed the following oddity: Whenever I finish recording and break to playback to hear the latest or the selected chunk of recording, a small vertical bar appears over the playback icon and then it slowly fades to permit the icon to be activated. I've never seen this before except when I am using the top keys to control the sound (F6, F7, and F8 key) in other programss. I can't understand why that vertical bar should appear unless it's a Windows function. Do you think it is being activated by Windows or by Audacity. If by Audacity, it's slowing me down --- how do I get rid of it?
Thanks for all your continued assistance. Your prior response on using Soft Limiting was excellent.
Happy and Safe Holidays.
Lloyd.

Lloyd wrote:... a small vertical bar appears over the playback icon ...
I can't understand why that vertical bar should appear unless it's a Windows function.

It does occur normally in Audacity if you press the "Ctrl" key ...
I've never seen the bar "slowly fade" though: for me it disappears instantly.

You could have (inadvertently) activated an accessibility setting on Windows such as "sticky keys" which could introduce a delay.