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

[bendman]

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?

[BobHowdy]

My solution was similar. Basically, I install fresh copy of Windows then install Spotify and nothing else. Finally, Ieave the computer running 24/7 so that Spotify doesn't need to worry about normal everyday activities like sleep/hibernate. I don't know what all these other people are complaining about. The solution is that simple.

[angela29]

Same here and I paid for 5 mo before having to cancel card

[angela29]

That is not really good for ur computer not to mention it doesn't even stay running on all of ours it crashes! Obsurd especially when u pay for it and I loved it! Loved all if bad to offer s

[BobHowdy]

Not that anyone at Spotify actually cares, but I don't believe it's an issue with the sound card. When I resumed from sleep I was able to finish playing the advertisement that was going when I paused and put the computer to sleep. Then as soon as the ad was over, Spotify crashed as usual, and I wasn't able to kill the task as usual.

[clem2707]

Same thing is happening with me! I have tried  re installing, everything. It just freezes up, and then I can no longer log on. Now today, it opens and it looks like it's playing music, but it's not. I have been dealing with this for 2 months. Sadly, I am "done". My son has been telling me to go with a different music player.I will miss my etensive play lists.

[wseward28]

LOL

[s_paradise]

I've been having this same issue for a few months now, running Windows 7 32-bit. I'm gonna have to cancel my premium subscription if I can't even use Spotify on my computer!

[deejerydoo]

Bob,

Please tell me that your last post was tongue-in-cheek!

I can't believe it has been marked as the solution to this thread. To be expected to reinstall the OS and Spotify and nothing else and then leave the system running 24/7 is just so wrong.. It's got to be a bad joke where whoever marked the post as the solution has gone too far with it!

Regards,

David.

[Peter__]

I have unmarked it as solved for you. 

Peter

[deejerydoo]

Thankss for that Peter.

Now, are Spotify going to acknowledge hat there is a problem here, and not just write it off as a Windows 8 issue. A significant number of people have been reporting this issue with Windows 7, which has been officially supported for a number of years.

I am currently uninstalling Spotify, so I can reinstall it afresh. I have jsut realised that uninstalling Spotify removes all of the locally csched music, which in my case is a significant amount of data I am now going to have to re-download!

Guys, your competition is only getting hotter. Now is not a good time to drop the ball. Can we have some definitive response from your developers that they have accepted there is an issue here and they are actively doing something about it.

Regards,

Da5id

[ziing]

It's gotten to the point where I can barely use Spotify on my Windows 7 machine. Even after a fresh restart, when Spotify loads it will be unresponsive, and when closed will leave a zombie spotify.exe process that I am unable to kill.

[dylanguth]

How do I find what version I have?

[Peter__]

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@dylanguth wrote:

How do I find what version I have?

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In the desktop client, go to Help (Windows) / Spotify (Mac) > About

Peter

[deejerydoo · Accepted solution]

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...

[sid9103]

I've been having this same problem on Windows 7, disabling my internet connection sharing seems to have fixed it for the time being. So clearly, judging by the myriad different people in this thread who have had the same problem, Spotify crashes and becomes unkillable when one of two things happens, either the user has internet connection sharing enabled, or the user has brought the computer out of sleep or hibernate. The ball is in your court, Spotify, this problem is real and is easily recreatable in the conditions listed above. I need internet connection sharing and use it almost daily, so disabling it is not a solution I am willing to accept.

Can I get some kind of confirmation that your developers are aware of this problem and are working to fix it? I do plenty of coding and graphic design work on my computer and the zombie spotify process forces me to restart multiple times a day, which is wreaking havoc on my workflow. I have been a subscriber since the service came to the US, and I've been raving about it since before then, but this is really souring my listening experience. An unkillable process should be unheard of in this day and age, and if this problem persists I will be forced to end my premium subscription.

[purplehaze65]

Same here

What bothers me the most is that it seems to be standard operating procedure at Spotify to ignore (negative) feedback by its (paying) users (customers)

This problem has been known about for more than a year already and in my opinion that says it all

I'm afraid it'll stay that way until another company comes with a better, more reliable application and a really commited customer service

By then it'll be too late as far as I'm concerned, I won't give Spotify another chance when they only want to make an effort for their shareholders in stead of their customers when complains about declining stocks start pouring in

6 alternatives to Spotify here

[deejerydoo]

Have you tried enabling Windows Internet Connection Sharing and then testing Spotify, Peter?

[deejerydoo]

Wow! This forum system is pretty bad guys... I've just replied to a post by Peter, from a while ago, by hitting the "Reply" button on his post and it's just tagged my question all on its own here right at the end of the entire thread. No reference to it being a reply to a previous post... nothing... Now I understand why reading the Spotify community forums seems so "random stream of consciousmess" sometimes (pardon the pun).

[deejerydoo]

Now let's try that reply again and I'll do what the forum "Reply" button should, and include a reference to the post I'm replying to...

‎On 27-01-201302:21 PM Peter wrote:

I am unable to duplicate this on my Windows 7 and 8 laptops, which is weird. Spotify resumes play as normal from sleep and hibernation.

Peter

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter,

Have you tried enabling Windows Internet Connection Sharing and testing Spotify?

Cheers,

David.

[deejerydoo]

I am unable to duplicate this on my Windows 7 and 8 laptops, which is weird. Spotify resumes play as normal from sleep and hibernation.

Peter

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter,

Have you tried enabling Windows Internet Connection Sharing and testing Spotify?

Cheers,

David.

[deejerydoo]

Hah! Found the "Quote" button in the editor! Still should have a date/time stamp though... 🙂