‘This Device Is Being Used by Another Application’: 10 Fixes for Windows

Here is the consummate error notification that you may be seeing on your Windows 10/11 silver screen — ‘ The machine is being used by another practical software . Please close up any twist that are playing audio to this equipment and then try again . ’ You may also see a partial message like ‘ This gadget Is Being Used by Another app ’ . Usually , this occur when you are play a video or sound recording , and you may be using an HDMI cable to do so . There may be other cause too as I will explain below .

Table of Contents

1. Disconnect A/V Accessories

examine some of these canonical troubleshooting steps before move on to see if it helps sterilize the ‘ This gimmick Is Being Used by Another program ’ erroneous belief . Hopefully , this should do the illusion as it is a pretty common issue .

Remove all audio and television accessories like HDMI line , external monitors , Bluetooth speakers or wired headphones , etc . , and boot your computer once . Then reconnect the supplement , one at a time , starting with the monitoring machine or HDMI cable television first , and tick off again .

2. Pair Sound Input/Output Device Manually

This is why I still fuck and overlook the base and retro 3.5 mm jack . It simply works . Bluetooth , on the other hand , can be a hit - and - miss occasionally . If the sound stripe or audio gimmick is not pairing mechanically , render pairing it manually .

1.Right - press the speaker icon in the Taskbar just before the date and prison term on the right side .

2.Windows Sound preferences screen should spread . snap onAdd devicebutton below a lean of devices that are already connected to the Windows PC .

windows sound settings from taskbar

Note : The step we are following are for sound output devices . However , if you are facing the mistake with a sound input twist , scroll a little in the screenshot above and selectAdd deviceoption underInputheading .

3.In the soda pop - up that follows , choose how you want to connect reckon on the sound gimmick you have . It can be Bluetooth , a wireless video display that you are stress to stream a picture on , or a gaming console table .

4.Now take after the on - screen instructions which will vary depend on the choice you choose and the gadget you require to join .

pair new sound output device to windows settings

Also Read : Top 7 Ways to Fix Realtek Audio Not Working in Windows 11 and Windows 10

3. Set as Default Device

Most of us own multiple audio and video machine like phone , external monitors , tablets , etc . What Windows will do here is assign one equipment as the nonremittal but you could change that . Sometimes , changing the nonpayment twist to the one that you are trying to make oeuvre facilitate and takes a few minute only .

1.PressWindows+Ito loose Windows preferences . Go toSystem > Sound . Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click onMore sound configurations .

2.In the pop - up that follows , mightily - select the sound twist and selectSet as Default gadget option .

add sound device via bluetooth, wireless, etc. on windows

4. Run Audio Troubleshooter

Both Windows 10 and 11 OS come with a tilt of troubleshooters that helps substance abuser find and fix common microcomputer problems . One of them is for audio frequency and video - related errors like the ‘ This equipment Is Being Used by Another diligence ’ one you are facing .

1.PressWindows + Ito open configurations and search forFind and gear up problem with playing soundand click to open up it .

2.This will open a pop - up window . cluck onNextbutton to continue .

more sound settings in windows settings

The above troubleshooter was for audio machine . There is another for when you are trying to play movies or just picture . Might as well run that one in case it is related to that .

4.In theSettings search legal community , hunting forFind and fix problems with act picture , TV shows , or video , and click to open it .

5.Again , you will see a daddy - up . Click onNextand allow the troubleshooter footrace .

set sound device as the default on windows 10 or 11

If not , continue study the scout .

5. Find App Using the Sound Device

What does the ‘ This machine Is Being Used by Another app ’ pop - up mean value ? It simply signify that the healthy gadget , speaker unit , or phone , for model , is being used by another lotion on your Windows 10/11 computer . If we find that app and close or choke it , the pop - up should evaporate .

1.PressWindows+Rto launch the Run prompt and type the program line below . PressEnterto execute it .

2.TheVolume Mixershould spread out now . Scroll sideways to see a list of all the apps that are using the tie heavy gadget . If you see one that you do n’t recognize or require , close that app .

Find and fix problems with playing sound troubleshooter on windows

Note : If you see a ‘ red circle with pipeline ’ icon next to the speaker icon below an app , that means the sound has been disabled for that app . snap on it once to enable reasoned .

3.If you ca n’t conclude the app like you always do , pressCtrl+Shift+Esckeys on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager , right - press the app , and selectEnd taskto force quit the app .

6. Disable Allow Apps to Take Control Setting

Some apps have permission to take mastery over sound mise en scene , override the options that you have selected . That may also lead to the ‘ This gimmick Is Being Used by Another program ’ error . Let ’s relieve it quick .

1.PressWindows+Ito unresolved preferences and go toSystem > Sound .

2.In the Sound configurations pop - up , powerful - tap theSpeakersthat are currently selected as the end product equipment for audio and selectProperties .

running audio troubleshooter on windows

3.In yet another pop - up , under theAdvancedtab , uncheckAllow program to take exclusive control of this deviceoption . Click onOKon all screens to save changes .

Do this for other machine that you call up mayhap taking over ensue in the error .

7. Device Properties

PressWindows+Ito undecided Windows preferences and go toSystem > Sound . Here you will see two alternative . Speakers and whatever machine you have connected to the microcomputer . For me , it is Headphones . select the one that is down for you .

2.Here it should sayDon’t leave . That means it is already allowed . If the button says Allow , then tap it to allow .

The above screenshots are for Windows 11 . In display case you are using Windows 10 , then selectaudio machine from the drop - down bill of fare , tick onDevice dimension , anduncheck the Disable box .

Run Find and fix problems with playing movies, TV shows, or videos troubleshooter on windows

iterate these step for other sound or audio devices too if you have them connect .

8. Restart Audio Service

For passably much every ironware component part , there is an associated service that runs in the background . Sometimes , it may hold on or needs to be restarted to jumpstart thing or troubleshoot .

1.PressWindows+Sto clear Windows Search and character Services and then click onRun as administratorto open up it with admin rights .

2.Under theNamecolumn , FindWindows Audio , justly - flick on it , and selectRestartoption . Wait a few moment before checking again if you still get the ‘ This gimmick Is Being Used by Another software ’ pappa - up while using an audio or telecasting machine .

running video playback troublehooter on windows

3.To ensure you do n’t present ‘ This machine Is Being Used by Another app ’ again , right - click onWindows Audioand this fourth dimension selectProperties . In the pop - up , under theGeneraltab , make certain thatStartup typeis typeset toAutomatic .

notice : If the issue persists , repeat the above cognitive process forWindows Audio Endpoint BuilderandRemote Procedure Call ( RPC)in Services .

9. Update or Roll Back Audio Drivers

On one hand , updating the drivers should make certain that all audio and video twist connected to your Windows computer should run smoothly . On the other deal , you may have to roll back an update to a number one wood because it contain bug . We do n’t live in a perfect Earth .

1.PressWindows+Sto start the Windows Search and incur and open theDevice Managerfrom there .

2.Double - click onAudio inputs and outputsto boom it . Here you will find all your connected speakers and other audio devices and their driveres . Right - tap the one that is not run and selectUpdate driverto update drivers for the same .

open volume mixer from run prompt

take down : If you select Uninstall twist pick here , it will uninstall the drivers for the sound or audio equipment you have connected . That ’s another style to troubleshoot . plainly uninstall the driver and then when you reconnect the intelligent machine again , the number one wood will be installed again automatically . Do hear if updating does n’t go for you . carry on read from whole tone 3 if you are still check the ‘ This machine Is Being Used by Another software ’ dialogue box .

3.In the same context menu , click onProperties . Under theDrivertab , you may further uninstall , rollback , and update the equipment driver . In our vitrine , rollback choice is greyed out because no recent updates were found to be instal . If you do see one , adjudicate it .

Note : Another option you may examine in the above screenshot is theDisable machine . Disable and re - enable once as some user bump that helpful .

volume mixer with apps open and using sound device

10. Run SFC Scan

TheSFC or System File Checker command line toolwill check the integrity of the system single file instal by the OS that are dead critical to the functionality of your computing machine . It will then vivify these files should it detect anything .

1.Open Windows Search again ( closet Windows+S ) and research for CMD . Now open theCommand Promptby snap onRun as executive . cluck onYesif it expect for license .

2.Type or copy - paste thecommandbelow and hitEnterto carry through it .

force quit app from the task manager on windows

Wait for the command to end up running . You will see in genuine - sentence how many percentages it has run and then the results will be display . When done , you could fold the CMD window but never while the command is running .

Device Being Used by Another App

Not being capable to hear sound recording while streaming can be frustrating . The 3.5 millimeter jack can not be used if there is more than one person watching . More often than not , this should get resolved evenhandedly apace . It is mostly a connectivity issue and connecting the gadget from scratch should do the trick .