Use the File Format window to manually specify the format and attributes of the audio in a file that cannot be opened automatically.

Normally GoldWave detects and automatically opens all the types. However, there are several cases where GoldWave may not be able to open a file:

If any of these conditions occur, GoldWave displays the File Format window (shown below) so that you can specify the type and attributes manually. GoldWave lists all the file format plug-ins that support reading raw audio data. If you are working with PCM or uncompressed binary data (like CD audio), select the Raw type. If you are working with Telephony files, select the Dialogic type. Other types may be listed depending on what plug-ins you have installed.

If this window appears when opening MP3 files or iTunes, then the decoders or plug-ins required to open the files are not installed on the computer. GoldWave cannot open the file properly unless those are installed.
File Format

File Format Settings
Setting Description
File Sets the file type or plug-in to use to open the file.
Attributes Specifies the structure, range, and layout of the audio data supported by the file type or plug-in. See the section for details. Common format attributes are listed below.

Format Description and Attributes
PCM Audio is uncompressed 8, 12, 16, or 32 bit data. A Windows system usually creates 8 bit, unsigned or 16 bit, signed, little endian data. A Macintosh system usually creates 8 bit, signed and 16 bit, signed, big endian data. The signed attribute tells GoldWave how the bits should be interpreted. The endian attribute tells GoldWave the byte ordering of the data. Big endian has the most significant byte first. Little endian has the least significant byte first.
Telephony Audio is in a compressed format used in telephone applications. This includes mu-law, A-law, ISDN A-law (inverted A-law), and 4 bit ADPCM VOX Dialogic files.
Floating point Audio is binary IEEE floating point single precision (32 bit) or double precision (64 bit) data. The byte ordering is usually little endian.
Text Audio is a plain text (ASCII) file containing numbers. The float attribute tells GoldWave that the numbers range from -1.0 to 1.0. The integer attribute tells GoldWave that the numbers range from -32768 to 32767.
Encoded Audio is compressed using an encoding algorithm. Such files cannot be opened properly through the File Format window and require a separate plug-in for decoding.
Rate Sets the sampling rate for the audio data. This value does not affect how the data is translated. If the wrong rate is selected, the sound will either play too slow or too fast. Use to change the rate later. A CD audio recording has a sampling rate of 44100Hz. A Dialogic VOX or telephony file usually has a rate of 6000Hz or 8000Hz.
Data Displays data at the beginning of the file in hexadecimal and ASCII form. This is useful only if you need to examine the raw contents of the file to identify its format.

If you do not know the format, experiment with trial-and-error. has more information about sound attributes. Start with an 8 bit or 16 bit PCM attributes, then try the mu-law or A-law formats. Generally, sounds will be noisy if the format or number of bits is incorrect, in which case you will have to close and reopen the sound using a different format. You can leave the sampling rate unchanged since it affects only the playback speed and can be changed later using .If the file is saved later, use a different filename and type using so that GoldWave will be able to open the file next time. Or to make GoldWave assume a format for a particular file type extension, use the Undetectable Types tab in to associate a format with the extension.