Spotify freezing my pc.

[onxk]

The spotify app(even in the browser) keeps freezing my pc for approximately 0.5 seconds when I boot it up. I tried reinstalling it, deleting all left over files(there were none) and ofc restarting. Nothing worked, hence why I'm asking for a solution here.

[Joan]

Hi there @onxk,

Thanks for reaching out.

This behaviour is quite strange, especially if the webplayer is causing it.  Could you please provide us the following:

• Is this on all devices or only on specific one(s)?
• When did this start happening?
• The exact makes, models and OS/Firmware versions of all your affected devices
• The exact Spotify Versions you use.
• A video of the behaviour, making sure the actual stutter is visible. If the files are too large to attach here in the Community, you can send them to us via Google Drive or as unlisted YouTube videos.

With this information, we’d be happy to investigate.

Keep us posted.

[pollettoscotto]

same problem started happening to me too on browser which is odd

[onxk]

Greetings, thank you for replying to my post. I will try my best to provide the needed information:
-It occurs mainly on my desktop pc(the device itself runs well), there's a similar stutter on my mobile as well however a lot less noticeable
-4 days ago as of this reply
-Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5043076)
-Spotify for Windows (64 bit)
1.2.45.454.gc16ec9f6

A video of the stutter has been provided, the quality is not the greatest but I don't have a screen recording software installed as of now so this was my only option. If you look at the cursor it briefly stops and then jumps to it's rightful location. It is a minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience non the less.

I hope this information was sufficient. Thank you again.

[Maria]

Hey there,

Thanks for the replies!

@onxk - we appreciate all the extra info here, as it helps us get a better view of what's happening 🙂 To make sure we cover all bases, could you try switching the current hardware acceleration setting in the app? You can find it by heading over to Settings > scroll down to Compatibility.

Also, do you notice any difference if you're connected to another network? If you're using VPN, we recommend switching it off as well, as it may interfere with the service's performance.

@pollettoscotto - should you still be experiencing issues, would you mind also sending us the info requested by @Joan earlier in the thread? It would be great if you could let us know if you've tried any troubleshooting too.

Let us know how you get on!

[onxk]

Apologies for not responding. Yes, I have tried turning hardware acceleration off. The problem remains.
Note: It only happens if a song is active and the apps is booting up, if I reload the apps data(thus removing any instances of songs being played), the lag momentarily fades away.

[Vasil]

Hey @onxk,

Thanks for the clarification!

What confuses me is how you're booting up the app while a song is active (meaning Spotify is running already). Or do you mean that when a song is already queued up (e.g. from a different device) it can cause the mentioned freeze up?
Removing the cached data seems to be fixing things at least for a bit.

In this situation, I'd first take a look and make sure there is enough storage space on the drive where Spotify is installed on and that the RAM use isn't being hijacked by some other app.
To see the RAM usage, open the Task Manager and monitor it when the issue occurs. Are there any sudden spikes or is the RAM usage maybe high overall? 

And, aside from this - I'd like us to try and install the app completely fresh with no leftover files whatsoever to see if that would make a difference. In order to find out how to do this, check out this FAQ article here. 

Hope this helps! Keep us posted 🙂

[LufyCZ]

Hey,

looks like the OP stopped replying, but I have the same exact problem. I've tried reinstalling, the issue keeps occurring. Tried turning hw acceleration off/on, no change. Same in the browser version. It looks like an issue with the graphics driver, but am not sure of that. I hear the disconnect sound (like when you remove a USB device), and the PC starts heavily lagging for 2-5 seconds (feels like 0.5-1fps). After it fixes itself, I don't hear the reconnect sound. Also, when the night light filter thing (from Windows) is on, it turns off for a second during the lockup.

With "a song already playing", I think OP meant a song ready to go in the bar, even if paused.

I tried looking into the system logs (event viewer), nothing there. Nothing in the Spotify logs either.

Windows 10

Spotify for Windows (64 bit)
1.2.50.334.g0bd5c2a4

[LufyCZ]

Small update: after reinstalling, this is now happening every time a new song loads, even in the background. I'm guessing something is going on when the cache is being filled. Not sure if it happens on already-played songs, it's still hit or miss. Maybe it's just limited to songs with that little video thing?

[Dessi]

Hey @LufyCZ,

Thanks for reaching out and for all the info you've provided!

Do you happen to have any external devices connected to your PC when this is happening? If yes, then it's worth the shot to remove them temporarily to see if the issue still occurs afterwards. It'd also be great if you can log in your Spotify account on another PC (if there's someone you know who can lend one to you) to check if this happens there as well. Also, some of the users mentioned this affecting their mobile app as well, is it the same for you?

You can also try running the app as an administrator, as well as flushing DNS:

• At the bottom left corner of desktop, type 'cmd' in the Start menu's search bar, and press Enter.
• Type 'ipconfig /flushdns' in the Command Prompt, and press Enter.
• You should be prompted with a message that you have successfully completed it.
• Restart the Spotify app.

Let us know how it goes.

[LufyCZ]

1. I tried disconnecting all non-essential devices (so not the mouse, DAC or keyboard), didn't help.

2. It does not happen on my laptop (also Windows 10)
3. It does not happen on my phone (Android)

4. Tried running as Administrator, didn't help

5. I assure you it's not DNS. If it is, I'll eat a shoe

I think it's an issue with Canvas. Unfortunately it's not consistent, so hard to say.

[Ivelina]

Thanks for the response and details @LufyCZ,

If you think that this behavior may be caused by Canvas, could you disable it from Settings > Display to see if this will make any difference for you? 

Additionally, it'd be helpful if you could check in case the Windows sound and graphic drivers have any updates. 

In the meantime, we're here if anything else comes up.

[LufyCZ]

I have disabled canvas, but it hasn't helped, unfortunately. Maybe it still loads in the background?

My machine is up-to-date, updating my graphics driver was one of the first things I did (before I even knew that it was caused by Spotify).

I'm happy to work closely with an engineer for an hour or two, I think it's going to be hard to get anywhere with mostly basic troubleshooting steps (though I understand you have to go through those first), given the nature of the issue.

[Yordan]

Hey @LufyCZ,

Thanks for the continued assistance!

Could you check if the issue occurs in Safe Mode with Networking? As for the Web Player, it's worth trying with a different browser to see if the issue persists there as well.

You mentioned that you disconnected all non-essential devices, but I'm curious to know whether you're running a dual monitor setup? If so, I'd recommend disconnecting the secondary monitor as well. Feel free to try without the DAC, too.

Keep us posted on this 👍