Soundcard messing up..Help. (in Off-topic)

couldn't type it so I just took a screen shot...I am computer illiterate so I need help with ^^^ that >.

Reboot.

I did...

Have you tried doing what Winamp says? You should be using the DirectSound output instead of waveOut.

i suppose you'll have to reinstall your sound card software, it seems to me, that your card doesnt recognize if a line is in use or not, or wich line. So, try reinstalling your sound driver. If that doesnt help, you should try to re-adjust youre sound card configuration, wich told in the error.

He should have to do that as he should've been using DirectSound to begin with. It's Winamp's default. Something could've happened to change that setting, that's my only guess. I've yet to have to reinstall soundcard drivers on an OS after 2k. Granted I've had lots of problems getting Creative's drivers to work with my Audigy 2 most of the time, but that's a different story. That has to do with the difference between retail and OEM.

DUH! ?

Meaning provide us people with more information if you want us to help some.

What kind of Soundcard do you have (if an old then is it a duplex or not, because of the in use)

Have you tried changing the sound output from winamp already?

I get that same error now and then. I think I was able to solve it by going into the winamp output preferences, change to another type of output, save, close winamp, restart winamp, and then set it back to DirectSound.

I think the reason why I got those errors was that my hard drive was full - don't ask me why that would happen... They came up sometimes after booting up the computer. When the winamp fix described above didn't work, the only way to get things working was to keep rebooting until I didn't get the error. Not a very elegant solution, but hey, that's windows.

Since I bought another hard drive, I haven't gotten the error...

Well, his problem is such that it's not even on DirectSound to begin with, where it should be. Shade is correct in saying that if Monty is using an older soundcard, there could be an issue of something else using the card and not allowing Winamp to. But right there in the error message, it displays the solution.

Yes, I know, I've had that identical error message. I didn't change the output type, it changed itself. I know that shouldn't be possible, but it happened.

You don't have to be a genius to figure out what the problem is. I mean the error says "The specified device is already in use. Wait until it is free,..." Obviously another application is using your soundcard and you need to close that application in order to run Winamp.

Otherwise, the Winamp Support Forums are your best place to ask or search for a solution.

Xiaz, we already covered what seems to be his problem.

And I was offering the most obvious solution, close the offending app. :)

Sometimes it's not that easy. There could be something resident but not active, and there probably is. I believe with the waveOut plugin, nothing else can be using the soundcard. While on the other hand, DirectSound will allow you to have multiple sound "sources" at once.

Maybe your old hard drive was trying to tell you it was full by shouting through your soundcard?

from all of you guys and Saint...I need to un-install and re-install my soundcard *sigh*

Shouldn't need to uninstall/reinstall drivers. I've rarely had a problem where that was necessary in XP (aside from ATI's terrible drivers and support). It's extremely odd that switching it over to DS didn't fix it, unless the card is fairly old.

I like my computer so much better >.>