# Installing and updating Audacity on Windows

From Audacity Development Manual

This page provides instructions for installing and updating Audacity on Windows computer platforms.

- The LAME library is now included as part of Audacity, this is encoding software to enable MP3 exports.
- You may wish to download the optional FFmpeg library which allows Audacity to import and export a much larger range of audio formats including M4A (AAC), AC3, AMR (narrow band) and WMA and also to import audio from most video files.

Because of software patents, Audacity cannot include FFmpeg encoding software or distribute such software from its own websites. Instead, use the instructions below to download and install the free and recommended third-party library for FFmpeg.

| Note carefully that simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins. To do this simply use Tools > Reset Configuration

## Contents

1. Installing Audacity on Windows
2. Updating Audacity on Windows
   - Check for Updates
3. FFmpeg Import-Export library
4. Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library on Windows
5. Reset Audacity Settings
6. Project compatibility

## Installing Audacity on Windows

Go to the Windows Download page of the Audacity site and follow the instructions there.

If you prefer not to use the installer (or security restrictions prevent installing applications), left-click the link for the "zip" file instead. Then click on the downloaded file to open it in Windows Explorer and choose the option Compressed Folder Tools and Extract all to extract the contents. You can also use 7-Zip or other extraction utilities.

### System Requirements

For detailed system requirements for a Windows installation see this page on the Audacity Website

## Updating Audacity on Windows

| If you are updating from Audacity 2.x or earlier please read Updating from Audacity 2.x to Audacity 3.x as there was a major change to the project file structure when Audacity 3.0.0 was introduced.

If you install a new Audacity version after installing a previous one, the installer will offer to install to the same directory as the previous installation.

- The installation directory is normally Program File\Audacity on 64-bit Windows.
- As long as you do not change the installation directory, Audacity will install over the previous version, and any extra plug-ins you added to the "Plug-Ins" folder will still be available.
- There is no need to uninstall a previous version before updating, unless updating from Audacity 1.3.x or earlier.

| If updating from Audacity 2.0.5 or earlier, you must update to the latest FFmpeg library if you require import and export of M4A (AAC), Opus, AC3, AMR (narrow band) and WMA.

### Check for Updates

You can check to see if you have the latest version of Audacity by using Help > Check for Updates....

This takes you to the Windows Download page of the Audacity website where you can check what the latest release version of Audacity is.

You can then compare the latest release with the version you have now as shown by using Help > About Audacity....

## Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library on Windows

The optional FFmpeg library allows Audacity to import and export a much larger range of audio formats including M4A (AAC), AC3, AMR (narrow band) and WMA and also to import audio from most video files.

Because of software patents, Audacity cannot include the FFmpeg software or distribute it from its own websites. Instead, use the following instructions to download and install the free and recommended FFmpeg third-party library.

For full instructions please see Installing FFmpeg for Windows.

| Advanced usage: If you already have Audacity-compatible FFmpeg 2.2.x or 2.3.x shared libraries in the system PATH, Audacity will use those as long as you do not install FFmpeg from the links above and as long as you do not specify the FFmpeg you want Audacity to use in Libraries Preferences.

## Reset Audacity Settings on Windows

As stated in the introduction on this page, simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins.

| The easiest way to do this is simply to use Tools > Reset Configuration

### The location of Audacity settings

The data for these are stored in a folder called audacity in the >Appdata>Roaming folder in your user directory.

On Windows the full pathname is: C:\Users\<your username>\Appdata\Roaming\audacity

### To completely reset your Audacity settings

First you will need to quit Audacity.

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the entire contents. Then restart Audacity.

### To reset just your Audacity preferences

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the audacity.cfg file. Then restart Audacity.

### To reset just your plug-ins

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the:

- pluginregistry.cfg file
- pluginsettings.cfg file
- Plug-Ins folder

Then restart Audacity

## Projects saved by old versions of Audacity

Current Audacity can open project files saved by versions of Audacity 1.2.x and later, including 2.x.x.

These will be converted to the 3.x AUP3 single file format. See Managing Audacity Projects for more details.

## Links

> Installing Effect, Generator and Analyzer plug-ins on Windows