Audacity error while opening sound device when recording

Question

When trying to record in Audacity, you get the error message below.

Error while opening sound device. Please check the input device settings and the project sample rate.

Answer

This issue is caused when there are no recording devices available. For example, if you click Edit, Preferences, and then click the Audio I/O tab under Recording there would be no available devices to click. To fix this error, follow the steps below.

  1. Click Start.
  2. Click on Control Panel.
  3. Click on Hardware and Sound, then click the Sound icon.
  4. Click on the Recording tab.
  5. Right-click anywhere in the box where the devices are listed.
  6. Click on Show Disabled Devices so there is a check mark next to it.
  7. This will display any device that has been disabled on the computer. If no new devices are found it's likely you do not have this issue and we'd suggest reinstalling your sound drivers.
  8. Right-click the new icon(s) found and click Properties.
  9. Beside 'Device usage', there is a dropdown menu. Click on 'Use this device (enable)'.
  10. Click Ok until all other windows are closed and re-start Audacity if it was open.
  11. You should now be able to record without any issues.
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