Warnings Preferences

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Warnings preferences let you disable or re-enable various advisory prompts or warnings.
Accessed by: Edit > Preferences > Warnings    (on a Mac Audacity > Preferences > Warnings )
Devices PreferencesPlayback PreferencesRecording PreferencesMIDI Devices PreferencesQuality PreferencesInterface PreferencesTracks PreferencesTracks Behaviors PreferencesSpectrograms PreferencesImport/Export PreferencesExtended Import PreferencesLibraries PreferencesDirectories PreferencesWarnings PreferencesEffects PreferencesKeyboard PreferencesMouse PreferencesModules PreferencesClick on this in Audacity to get helpPreferences Warnings.png
Click for details
Click in the left column for other preferences
Warnings Preferences.


Show Warnings/Prompts for

Saving projects

Every time you save a standard Audacity project or a compressed copy of a project, Audacity will warn that this command is only for an Audacity project and that you must use an export command to produce an audio file that you can open in other applications. Once you understand this, you can turn off both these warnings from within either warning dialog.

Warning Save Project W10.png Warning Save Compressed Project.png

Saving empty project

Audacity will warn when you try to save (left-hand image) or close (right-hand image) a project that previously contained tracks but is now empty. This warning can only be turned off in Preferences (not by a checkbox in the warning) because of the risk of accidental data loss if the warning is disabled.

Warning Save Empty Project.png Warning Save Changes empty.png

When mixing down to mono during export

Audacity will warn when a mono audio file will be created as the result of an export operation that involves mixing two tracks or more.

Warning Mix down to one mono file.png

When mixing down to stereo during export

Audacity will warn when a stereo audio file will be created as the result of an export operation that involves mixing two tracks or more. If you normally want to export to stereo audio files you can turn this warning off.

Warning Mix down to one stereo file.png

When mixing with Custom FFmpeg export

Audacity will warn that your export will be to a single file according to your encoder settings.

Warning Mix custom down to one exported file.png

Exporting an audio file with no extension

Audacity will warn when you try to export an audio file with no extension when exporting using {external program).

Warning No File Extension for Export.png


Low disk space at application start up

This warning message can no longer be turned off in Warnings preferences or in the warning dialog itself as it is deemed a critical warning.

Audacity will warn on start up or when using File > New to create a new project if you have 100 MB or less space in the temporary folder for recording or editing.

100MB is approximately 5 minutes of stereo audio or 10 minutes of mono audio at default settings.

Low disk space on startup.png