namespace links in ApplicationSettings.xml - is this causing my weird problem?

[DavidSweeneyBear]

I encountered a bit of a problem with Audition recently. I'll outline what happened:

Having recorded some material, I saved as normal, but got an error about not being able to write xmp (marker info) to the file - which is odd in itself since I had no markers.

After having done some editing, then saved a new version of the file, I found that a whole section of it was corrupted, the audio being replaced by a series of loud "ticks".

I then noticed that, if i have two files open, the cursor position was not remembered when switching from one file to the other, also if I had a section highlighted in one file, switched to the second file, then switched back, the highlighted seciton would be in a different position.

I decided to uninstall/re-install Audition (CC2019). On a fresh install, the problem went away. However, once I had re-impoted my preferences and settings the problem came back.

In the end, I narrowed it down to the ApplicationSettings.xml file being the culprit, so I had a look at the xml data.

What jumped out at me immeditately was a whole long section (over 20 pages) of metadata_path values consisting of "namespace" web addresses. These are contained within the "Metadata" section label.

As far as I can fathom it, these look to be server links for fetching device metadata.

Anyway, I copied the Metadata section from my fresh install (which contains no links) and pasted it over the section in question.

After re-starting audition, my problem is gone!

I've been using Audition for years and never had this problem. I do often us the "save markers and other metadata" option since I do use markers for editing.

I wonder if anyone can suggest what's going on here? 

[DavidSweeneyBear]

Just reporting back after a while of things running OK...

So once again started to get the "cannot save xmp" error when trying to save a file. Then, not straight away, but today I have the same problem: An area selected in middle of one file "moves" itself back to the beginning of the file if I open another file in the files panel and then go back to the original file.

So... I looked at the applicationPrefs file to see if the afore-mentioned namespaces had reappered. No, not this time!

So that wasn't the problem before, just a "fluke" fix.

Today, what worked was to replace my application prefs file with a default version (which i had the presence of mind to save after a clean install).

That did the job, but still has me pondering the root cause of this phenomenon.

A possibly related issue is that I seem to have difficulties with an external drive in that sometimes audition says the location is not accessible (when trying to save to a pre-defined path, i.e. the one from last save), but actually saves fine when i open the browser and point it to that location. 

This seems to only occur when recording new material. Subsequent saves after edits are always fine.

So, from now on I will try saving all newly recorded material to my main C drive and move it later.

I'm only burbling on here in case anyone has similar problems and finds my ramblings somehow useful!

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

Just a note: you don't need to save a default vanilla version of preferences at all - just starting Audition with the Shift key held down will replace your present preferences with a default set. It's more important to save a version of your own preferences that work!

[DavidSweeneyBear]

Handy tip, thanks!