Get error message when I use save as...

[steve]

hugh: I have many tracks not starting at zero. They do not reset when I perform the work around.

Do you use the Edit > Select > All or [Ctrl A] method before the copy? or copy each track?

If you click on a single track, then select "Mix and Render" from the Tracks menu, any empty space before the audio will be rendered as silence.
Repeat this for each track and you can then Export individual tracks by selecting a single (rendered) track (double click on the track) then select "Export Selection". They will line up correctly when you import them into a new project.
You can also use this technique to transfer tracks between Audacity and other multi-track studio set-ups.

[mahks]

I think Hugh was trying to save a project.

The select all method seems to preserve the project as is, in order to get around the 'save as' bug.

[hughjass]

Sorry for the confusion koz, I was a little tired. The error message now says patience 18. I had just recopied that error message from my earlier post when I was at version 13. My Directory is listed as "C:UsersTomAppDataLocalTempaudacity_1_2_temp". Can you explain more on the dangers of emptying out the folder. I think I know what you mean, but I'm not exactly clear. I know one thing, it scared me last night when I cut and pasted 7 Gigs worth of data, then when it said it was going to take 10 hours (I got a 2.6 gig with 6 Gig ram) I cancelled the process without thinking and saw my original files gone and the new ones looked like they contained no data. I was tired and frustrated and was temporarily freaked out till I realized that I was looking at folders which dont show anything in the "file size" column. It turned out that everything moved over ok.
To answer mahks, I copied each track. Tracks that say started at 2:00 and went to say 2:30, after the copy, went from 0:00 to 0:30. Another issue is that a few tracks start to the left of zero. They are tracks that run the whole song, but I had to timeshift them (left) to line up with the first track I recorded.
Steve, once again thanks for the input. I understand what you mean more when you explained it this time. I wonder if it will also cut off the little extra I have to the left of zero as in the situation I explained above. I will try this tonight when I have more time, but when I get an error message about disk being full and my file not being writeable when I have plenty of disk space and the file is writeable one day and not the next, I am curious as to what is really going on. If it gives any better idea of the issue, when I do a "save as", Audacity goes as far as making a data folder with the file name, but the folder contains no data and no .aup file is created.
I did discover a temporary fix of my own. Before I do any editing or new recording, I do a "save as" (with a new number after the file name) immediately upon opening the project. Then, when I am at a point I want to save before making a major change/add an effect/etc, I just do a regular save, which regardless of the situation has not yet given me a problem.

[mahks]

I have been working with a single audio track with a label track for the past few days and have never had the save as error.

It seems to only happen with multiple audio tracks. Maybe when one starts at less than zero?

Anyway , rather than copying each track when you want to save your latest version, use select all, copy, create new project, paste and then 'save as' works and your project format is preserved. This is similar to your work around, except it does not overwrite your current project (if you change the name/number)

I wonder why we are the only ones seeing this 'save as' error?

[hughjass]

Yeah, I am working with 18 tracks on the project with that is currently having issues, and the other project that was having the same issue had like 14. I don't like mixing tracks together, even if they are five different 10 second guitar fills. Then it becomes more difficult to control the individual levels, cuz its hard to tell how something fits in level wise until all the tracks are done.
I am using Vista, how bout you mahks? Maybe something there.
I also have been having weird results using delay and crossfade in. I'll apply the effect and the track will shift (delay-left, crossfade in-right). Its odd cuz the greyed out area that showed where I selected the track to apply the effect stays put, but the track shifts. So most noticibly the track is now sticking out from behind the grey selection area. Delay moved my track back to zero, and crossfade-in (which just happened last night) shifted it slightly right. I undid the crossfade-in and applied fade-in instead with no problem.
My work around accutually does not overwrite the file. I opened patience18 and immediately saved it as patience19. Did all my work and eventually did a regular save. So patience 18 was still there as well as my new patience19. That way I knock out the "save as" issue right away before I put any work into the project. Like I said, so far (knock on wood), regular save has not been an issue.

[steve]

I wonder if it will also cut off the little extra I have to the left of zero as in the situation I explained above.

Yes, it will cut off everything before time=0.0

use select all, copy, create new project, paste and then 'save as' works and your project format is preserved.

Nice one mahks
I'd not tried that in a while because it did not work on my older version of Audacity.

One small thing with method - if any of the tracks go to the left of time=0.0, then ALL of the data is copied and pasted (including any audio that is hidden behind time=0.0), so the tracks in the new project will all be a little to the right so as to accommodate the "extra" bit of audio. Relative positions of the tracks are maintained, so they can be easily moved back to the left with the time shift tool (they will all move together while all tracks are selected).

A variation of the technique that allows you to trim off any audio before time=0.0 is to press
Ctrl+A (select All)
SHIFT+HOME (select from time=0.0)
Ctrl+C (Copy)

go to the new project and...
Ctrl+V (paste).

[hughjass]

Good tips to know. Thanks guys. BTW, since this is a community where most likely everyone is recording something using a microphone and a computer, is there an appropriate place here or other resources where I can get some reviews/suggestions/feedback on buying a microphone and hooking it up to my computer. I've been playing guitar/piano for 15 years, but just recently got into home recording. I was digging in some old boxes one night and found a karoke machine with a cheapo mic, found a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor in my junk drawer, plugged into my onboard soundcard, found Audacity, and fun ensued. It really got me playing, practicing, and trying my best at singing. But now I am annoyed by the low quality of sound I'm getting and would like to get a better set up. But my budget constricts me to about $100. I got a line on a decent $50 mic, but to get from a xlr to usb, there aren't many options for under $50-70 that don't have shortcomings or bad reviews. Also, I haven't heard many good things about the handful of actual usb condenser mics out there. Anyone have suggestions of where I can get some decent advice? I don't want to turn this into a microphone thread, but I'm guessing people here might know where I can go.

[steve]

USB microphones have certain limitations, (such as you can not listen to what they are recording while they are recording, and you can only use one at a time), but otherwise they can produce very good results for the price. The Samson CO1U and CO3U are popular. There are many other similar mics with similar spec. and price. Personally I would be cautious about Blue Snowball microphones as I've seen very mixed reviews (some excellent, some very bad).

If you would like to discuss microphones further, start a new topic.

[mahks]

Steve: Thanks for the fix for < 0 tracks.

So am I to understand that the 'save as' bug/feature is not an isolated issue? Seems to me to be a major hassle, I like to save often.

Hugh: I'm using XP, so its probably not a o/s problem...

'Save as' issue seems to be completely random, I do an edit and 'save as' works fine, I do a similar edit and it fails!!!

[Gale Andrews]

I have the same issue, the file name is not the problem, save as 'x.aup' generates the error. The work around is to select all of the current project, copy, create new project, paste and save as. This works every time. Save As then works for anywhere from one to many times before the error 'name.aup is not writeable or the disk is full' is generated again and the work around has to be done.

I've seen several reports of this error on Vista when it is said there is plenty of disk space, and for each one I just said they had to ensure the folder is not "read only", and that they had to be logged in as administrator if they wanted to write outside their user space. I heard no more from any of those people.

Next, there are circumstances where this error is perfectly legitimate. Remember if you have 10 x three-minute stereo tracks in Audacity at 32-bit float resolution, that's 600 MB of space used for each and every edit on the whole project (either in the project's _data folder or in the temporary folder if you never saved a project). Make ten of those edits, you have used 6 GB, this space being the price of unlimited stepwise Undo/Redo. For anyone where this is the problem and you no longer have the space to save the project, click View > History and discard all the Undo levels. You can do this at any stage of the project.

That said, if selecting all of the current project and copying/pasting it to a new project allows you to save it when you couldn't before, there must be some Audacity issue, unless you were previously saving to a folder with a space quota on it. All I can suggest is that if anyone has this issue and it's not due to the reasons I've given, please copy and make a zip file of the .aup file and _data folder, upload it to a free file transfer service such as:
http://www.yousendit.com/
http://www.sendspace.com/

then let us know the web address where we can download it. Obviously this may not be practicable unless it happens on a short project or one with few tracks, but you can discard the Undo history as described above to save space before sending the project file and folder. Note: if the project contains imported uncompressed files like WAV or AIFF, we won't be able to open the project properly unless the data for those files is copied into the project. To check if the project depends on other files, click File > Check Dependencies.

If you have never saved a project before the problem occurs, you can send us a copy of the autosave file (in effect a temporary .aup file) and the Audacity temporary folder. There will only be an autosave file if AutoSave is enabled in Preferences (in the Projects tab in Audacity 1.3.8).

The autosave file is in the "AutoSave" folder inside Audacity's data directory:
* Windows (except Vista) : Documents and Settings<user name>Application DataAudacity
* Windows Vista: Users<user name>AppDataRoamingAudacity
* OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/audacity
* Linux: ~/.audacity-data

You can find the location of Audacity's temporary directory on the Directories tab of Preferences.

Please try and be on the watch for all actions you take before the error occurs (note them down if you possibly can). If there really is a scenario such as having multiple tracks or offset tracks that causes the bug, that's exactly what we need to find and fix it.

Thanks

Gale