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Spotify is already running, but not responding. Please close it and try again.

I keep getting this "already running" message when I try to open spotify.  It is listed as a process in Windows Task Manager, but it won't close when I try to force end the process.  I've been having this same issue many times over the past month.

 

Any ideas how to actually end the process, or better yet, keep it from doing this altogether?

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@lhebas wrote:

+1, Same problems on Windows 8, I can't kill spotify.exe process or process tree and it doesn't want to start and says it's already launched....

Spotify is out of order until I reboot the system...

Help, we're paying for a service and the problem was first encountered for 1 year by users over here and on others communities...


Have you tried disabling Internet Connection Sharing? 

I would suggest the other fixes and work arounds in this topic too.

 

Peter

Peter
Spotify Community Mentor and Troubleshooter

Spotify Last.FM Twitter LinkedIn Meet Peter Rock Star Jam 2014


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If you are running Spotify on any flavour of Windows you need to check and ensure none of yout network interfaces have Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) enabled. This is regardless of whether the interface is currently being used or not. To disable ICS:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-vista/disable-ics-internet-connection-sharing

 

Spotify, for whatever reason, gets into a real spin if any of your network interface cards (NIC) has ICS enabled.

 

In my experience, I had ICS enabled on a NIC hat I hadn't used for years. Spotify ignored this setting on this disused NIC, until I applied a driver update for the NIC. All of a sudden Spotify went into a spin. Not quitting properly, even when trying to kill the process in task manager, with elevated privileges! Being unresponsive and hanging.

 

After disabling ICS on the NIC I haven't had any further problems.

 

Why Spotify should take exception to ISC on an unused adapter beats me. That's one of the propeller heads in Spotify...

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Okay that is my bad! Reading back yes this does appear to be on going issue from Windows 7, today has been a slow morning ignore me 😉 

 

I will see if I can find those results, although I am currently away from uni where my testing PCs for this are, so I will have a quick dig through the community instead and see if I can find it. 

 

I will also drop a escalation to the Spotify staff about this to see if they can give anymore details (as a super user not an employee there is only so much I can do!). 

 

Peter

Peter
Spotify Community Mentor and Troubleshooter

Spotify Last.FM Twitter LinkedIn Meet Peter Rock Star Jam 2014


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FIX-you need to go to task manager and scroll down untill you see spotify right click it and end the task and you can use spotify now

 

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141 Replies

You could try ending the whole process tree? That sometimes forces processes to close when the normal "end process" function doesn't work. But failing that wouldn't a reboot stop it executing or does it automatically open when you log on?

--
First was the record, then the cassette, the CD, then came along Spotify... that really did change everything!

Ending the process tree doesn't work.  Rebooting works, but it happens almost every time I use spotify, and I'd rather not be stuck rebooting all the time.  I'm really surprised this problem isn't really common - I wonder if it's a conflict with specific software or something.

I'm having the exact same problem! Haven't found the solution yet. I recommend we all contact Spotify support in hopes of getting an answer, since my post on these boards didn't help. 

https://www.spotify.com/us/about-us/contact/contact-spotify-support/?contact

 

Yeah, I'm gonna contact them.  This is ridiculous, especially since I'm paying.  I'm paying so I can listen on my phone while I run, but I just assumed being able to use it reliably on the desktop was a given.  I can only use it for a few minutes before it crashes and starts doing this, and I need to restart my computer - making it basically unusable.

Just to add to the record, this problem is happening to me too!

Having the same problem. Receiving horrible support.

 

Bye bye spotify.

I have the same problem since 2 week. Could it be an update the problem??
After a few songs in the middle of one, it stop. I try to change song or pause but it seems freeze. When i try to close it I have to wait a few minutes, and when it finally disapear from desktop & task bar, it continue existing on system process list and i cant start a new instance of the spotify. I cant kill it with system tools, and the only way to start is reboot the system. But a few minutes later it come to block again...

 

Intel core i3 2,4Ghz  4GB RAM

Windows7 SP1 (64bits)

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge

Same problem for me. Crashes while playing, and cann't end process OR process tree. Already rebooted once, not going to do it again. I guess i'm switching from spotify to something else.

 

Running Dell laptop, Win 7. don't think this is hardware issue, should be software/API or driver related.

 

 

 

I haven't had this issue in a while.  One thing I started doing is closing the program using the File > Exit menu option rather than what I used to do (right click on icon in taskbar > Quit Spotify).

 

It's also possible that some update to my computer changed the way processes are handled of course, but it seemed to stop right when I started using the menu to exit.

same problem here. this sucks! epecially when you are paying!

I have this problem even in the latest spotify. I think it has something to do with how it resumes my last played track. I cannot kill the process for the life of me. I even tried pskill, but the process persists no matter what I do. I've never seen anything like it.

I'm having the same problem, tried pskill also but it won't work. I'm paying for the service so I hope Spotify Developers will do something, at least say that they know the problem and trying to fix it because it's really annoying.

 

 

Hi everyone - As a first port of call, can you all confirm what version of Spotify you've got installed?

 

It's always worth trying a clean reinstallation to make sure your app is up-to-date. You can find reinstall instructions right here

 

Once we can confirm you're on our latest version we can take it from there--thanks. 

Thank you for the reply.

The version I have appears to be 0.8.4.107.g4fa0003f.

 

My version is the same as salierii's.

Have you found a solution yet i got the same problem.

Thanks for confirming your desktop app version--we're still looking into this for you guys. 

 

Two users have said they're on Windows 7? Anyone else on another OS? 

 

For those using Windows 7, the next step to try is disabling hardware accleration. You can find that in your Preferences page via 'Edit' > 'Preferences'. Please give that a try and get back to us right here. 

I'm having this problem too.  Can't even load Spotify to turn off hardware acceleration.  Have tried killing the process/process tree, restarting, reinstalling, deleting/moving the Roaming folder.  None resolved the problem.

 

Description

Get error "Spotify is already running, but not responding.  Please close it and try again."

 

A more detailed description, using numbered steps

1. Clicked Spotify icon

2. Waited in frustration

3. Clicked it again

4. Got error message above for billionth time

5. Threw toys

6. Searched extensively on internet

7. Failed to find solution

8. Wrote this post

  

What I expected to happen

MUSIC!!!!

 

What actually happened

SILENCE!!!! (except for teeth grinding and furious typing noises)

 

My Operating System

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

 

Is your Operating System 32 or 64 bit?

64-bit

 

Do you have a Service Pack installed?

No

 

My Spotify version

0.8.4.124

 

My internet provider and country

Vodafone NZ

 

I have the same problem, but I am using Windows 8 Pro x64 (From MSDNAA so RTM and leagal)

I have never had any problems with Windows 8 before, not with the DP, CP or the RP. Not even the RTM when I had the 90-day trail installed

 

Have tried Compability mode, doesn't help

One thing I have noticed in Windows 8 is that Spotify is mentioned to places on the Task Manager, on time under "Apps" and one time under "Background processes". 
When I exit Spotify, only the process under "Apps" dissapears, but the one under "Background" is still there

 

I dissabled Hardware Acceleration, didn't fix it

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