"Device in use" problem w/multi-user WinXP home PC

  • Thread starter Thread starter EddieRay
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EddieRay

EddieRay

#?
Is this supposed to happen?

When we (wife, daughter, me) log off the computer we simply "switch users", leaving our session open but allowing someone else to log on and use the PC. Saves a few minutes of startup time.

I have 2 soundcards: SB and Aark. If we switch users the new user's session thinks the Aark is in use, deselects it as the default device (in control panel), and errors out when trying to use it.

If we log off completely, rather than switch users, no problem. Also no problem if I just leave the SB as the default device. But I'd much rather have the Aark handle all sound and not have to switch my speakers between the two.
 
there should be a button that says only use preferred device...click on that in your audio/device panel area. and select which ones you want to use. try this between users and see if that helps..if not...if its not too much of a stress..make everyone use the aark and threaten them with public flogging if they break it. my comp wouldnt acknowledge my audiophile until i deselected the onboard audio in bios....then sound went straight to the audiophile and everything is going smoothly....i would leave my monitor speakers on all the time like i do my pc speakers but i shelled out 300 bucks for them so i dont turn them on unless I'm doing something pertaining to recording
 
Yeah I tried that. It doesn't work - any atempt to play music thru the Aark results int eh "in-use" error AND only the Aark's 1,2 channel pair appear in the list of sound devices. Normally all its pairs, 1,2 thru, 9,10, will be listed.

For now everyone has to log off completely even though we're not happy about it.
 
theres also another thing when it comes to your sound drivers that has "share drivers with other devices" plus it seems to me like there is a program that the aark uses that stays active as long as the computer is on....check your task manager to find out what that program is and see what you can do about it constantly being on (thats an idea anyway)
 
I always make sure my wife is actually logged off, instead of just switching users. That way her user profile isn't running apps and sucking up clock cycles. I don't like to have anything running that's not absolutely necessary when I'm doing audio work of any kind.
 
mbuster has a point.....me personally, i dont see a reason the family should have their own user sign ons..... if someone wants their stuff to be private....500 bucks and "dude, you're getting a dell" i found it alot easier to just give everyone a folder on the desktop to put all their stuff into. and plus...what if your daughter is chatting with some psycho child molester *cough cough catholic priests and rkelly cough cough* wouldnt you want to know?
 
distortedrumble said:
mbuster has a point.....me personally, i dont see a reason the family should have their own user sign ons..... if someone wants their stuff to be private....500 bucks and "dude, you're getting a dell" i found it alot easier to just give everyone a folder on the desktop to put all their stuff into. and plus...what if your daughter is chatting with some psycho child molester *cough cough catholic priests and rkelly cough cough* wouldn't you want to know?
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Well, we've always used our home PC with different sign-ons. And now I'm using it to record stuff, so it's kinda tuff to change everybody's habits. My studio? (Ahem) A corner of the bedroom. Hell, I'm only the king around here. Actually, I'm reluctant to turn the bedroom into a studio and there's really no space left in this 2 BR condo.

I looked high and low for the "share driver" option with no luck. Any ideas? And there is an aardvark.exe process running at all times. But the only runable program I've found is the Aardvark Manager and it don't got it either.
 
ah...ok what version of windows are you running? my studio is a two bdrm apt also
 
DistordedRumble, Do you use Cakewalk Sonar? The "share driver" thing is located in the Audio Options in Sonar, it's not a windows thing.
Eddie, I may be wrong, but I didn't see anywhere in your post saying you actually wanted to USE the SBlive for anything. That being the case, why not disable the card in the control panel, (I completely removed mine due to similar conflicts) and use the Ark as your only soundcard?
 
yeah i use sonar but i saw it in another program i was running...it was another mp3 player i was testing out that had use sound drivers only on this device and then another box had use drivers with other programs....that was my bad...i was in the middle of that when i was answering his question
 
i think he still wants to use both mbuster however if you dont then restart your comp and hold down the delete key to get into bios...then go to integrated prepherals and turn off your onboard audio
 
I may have to yank out the SB. I got it because I really wanted soundfonts and it would have been my primary soundcard had I not stumbled on a nice deal on the Aark 24. I already disabled the mobo Avance.

But even if I cut the SB out of the picture, won't I still have this problem if other users stay logged on? I suppose I should try it to find out.

BTW, I'm running WinXP Home Ed and Cakewalk 9.
 
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