Now, this can be caused due to a number of reasons that include other audio recording software that you might have installed on your system and more. In some scenarios, this error message can appear when an application on your system gains exclusive access to your input device or the sound card. Nonetheless, we will be going through the different causes in detail down below so that you are aware of the reasons why the issue is being triggered. With that said, let us get into it. Now that we have gone through the possible causes of the said error message, you probably have a better understanding of what could essentially result in the error message. With that said, let us get into the different methods that you can use to resolve the issue. However, before we begin, you should make sure that the device is actually available and detected by Windows. This can be done by going to the Devices and Printers option in the Control Panel.
Method 1: Restart your System
The first thing that you should do when you get the said error message is to simply restart your computer. This is because once you install Audacity and run it for the first time, it tries to automatically detect your audio input-output devices so that you do not have to manually set them up. Now, as it tries to do this, it might not be able to access your microphone because another app is using the device exclusively. This, as a result, prevents Audacity from accessing the device, and you are shown the error message on the screen. Now, in order to solve this, what you have to do is simply restart your computer. Once your computer boots up, you won’t have any apps that start using the device directly. Therefore, once you run Audacity after rebooting, it should be able to detect and access it and you won’t be shown any error message. Thus, go ahead and reboot your system to see if the issue is resolved.
Method 2: Install Audio Drivers
Another reason that the error message may be appearing is when your audio drivers are either not up to date or incorrect. Audio drivers are often the main cause of the said error message; therefore, this is very likely to circumvent the issue for you. To do that, you will have to first try updating your drivers to see if there are any updates available. If that does not work out, then you will have to manually download the audio drivers from the manufacturer’s website and install them on your system. That should resolve the issue. Follow through the steps down below to achieve this.
Update Drivers
Manually Download Drivers
If the above does not work out, you will have to manually download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website and then install them. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
Method 3: Uninstall Other Third-Party Recording Software
Finally, if none of the above methods work out for you, it may very well be due to an additional recording software that you have installed on your system. As it turns out, in some scenarios, it can happen that other third-party recording software might be interfering with the process due to which Audacity is not able to access the device and you are shown the error message. One of the applications known for doing this is called the Total Recorder. However, it may not be limited to that, rather that is only known for causing such an issue. This means, if you have any different software for audio recording purposes, it may very well be the root of the problem. Therefore, you will have to uninstall any such software and then reboot your system. Once you have done that, see if the issue persists for you.
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