Audacity Preferences

This page contains specialised tips about using and resetting the Audacity Preferences. For a detailed description of the preferences, see the appropriate section of the current 2.0.x or legacy 1.2.x Manuals.

Accessing Preferences in the program

• Windows and Linux:   Edit > Preferences   Shortcut: CTRL + P
• OS X:   Audacity > Preferences   Shortcut: Command - ,

Preferences persist after uninstallation

Although users normally change preferences in the program itself, the actual settings are stored outside the directory containing the Audacity program, in the locations described below. These settings remain even after uninstalling Audacity. This allows for example a user upgrading from 1.2.x to 1.3.x to retain their 1.2.x preferences, their import and export paths and the path to the LAME MP3 encoder.

Current Audacity

On first run, the current Audacity will use settings for 1.2.x if you have ever run a 1.2.x version on your machine. This makes it possible for example to try current Audacity on the same machine but not have to relocate the LAME MP3 encoder. After exiting a first run of current Audacity, it should then remember any changes you made to preferences which are common to current audacity and 1.2.

Navigating Preferences

Use the up and down arrow on your keyboard to navigate the tabs on the left. Use TAB to move into the fields for the selected tab, then TAB again to move forwards through the fields or SHIFT + TAB to move backwards. When TAB or SHIFT + TAB reaches the last or first field respectively, a further press returns you to the Preferences tabs.

Where are Preferences stored?

In current, Audacity Preferences are stored in a configuration file called audacity.cfg in the Audacity settings folder. The configuration file can be edited with any text editor. The Audacity settings folder is located at:

• Windows 98/ME: Windows\Application Data\Audacity
• Windows 2000/XP: Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Audacity
• Windows Vista and 7: Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Audacity
• OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/audacity
• Linux: ~/.audacity-data

If you create a directory called "Portable Settings" in the same directory as the Audacity executable, "audacity.cfg" will be stored there instead. This makes it easy transfer Audacity to another computer (for example on a USB stick) while retaining your personalised settings.

Resetting Preferences to defaults

Resetting preferences to factory defaults by editing audacity.cfg can sometimes fix freezes, crashes or unexplained behavior.

1. Exit Audacity
2. Open audacity.cfg in a text editor such as Notepad and remove all the content except the line NewPrefsInitialized=1
3. Save the changes to audacity.cfg and restart Audacity

In order to see audacity.cfg on Windows. Linux and OS X 10.7 you must show hidden files and folders. See instructions for Windows 7, Windows versions before 7 and OS X 10.7.

The above three steps will reset 1.3 Preferences in all cases. If you still use (or have ever used) Audacity 1.2, this will not affect your 1.2 Preferences.

Note: Merely exiting Audacity and deleting audacity.cfg will not completely reset 1.3 Preferences if you have ever previously used a 1.2 version. 1.3 preferences which also apply to 1.2 will revert to their current 1.2 settings, which may not solve any problems you were trying to fix.

Another less recommended way to completely reset 1.3 preferences on a machine which has previously run 1.2 is to delete the old 1.2 settings file as well as audacity.cfg. The 1.2 settings are stored in the "audacity" file in your Library (OS X), the file ~/.audacity (Linux) or the Windows registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Audacity\.

Modifying the Windows Registry can be dangerous! Before modifying the Registry, always back it up, or set a System Restore point on XP or later. To access System Restore, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

Legacy Audacity 1.2

Navigating Preferences

Audacity 1.2.5/6 Preferences have eight tabs. If you cannot see all of them, click on the arrows top right of the Preferences window.

Where are Preferences stored?

• Windows: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Audacity\ in the Windows Registry
• OS X: ~/Library/Preferences/audacity Preferences
• Linux: the file ~/.audacity

Resetting Preferences to defaults

Delete the file or registry key above.

More help for Windows:

Modifying the Windows Registry can be dangerous! Before modifying the Registry, always back it up. or set a System Restore point on XP or later. To access System Restore, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

1. Access the Registry by clicking Start > Run
2. Type "regedit" (without quotes)
3. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Audacity\ and delete that key so that no Audacity Preferences are visible in the right-hand window.

As an alternative to editing the registry directly, use this safe solution which resets Audacity to English language, C:\ export, multiple export and open paths, and to the current default Windows playback and recording device:

1. Go here, scroll to the bottom of the page and right-click over "Audacity 1.2.6 reset Preferences .reg file for Windows"
2. Choose "Save link as" or "Save target as"
3. Navigate to the file in Explorer and make sure it is called "audacdef.reg" (if it has been saved as a text file, select the file, right-click over it and rename it to exactly "audacdef.reg")
4. Double-click the saved .reg file and click "Yes" when asked if you want to add the information to the Registry