error code 18 - can't reinstall Spotify!

[chill3r]

I'm running Windows XP and I've recently uninstalled Spotify to get a clean install...  Grabbed the latest downloader and tried to install and am getting an Error 18:

"The installer is unable to install Spotify because the files to write are in use  by another process.  Please make sure Spotify is not running and retry."

Well i've tried everything from rebooting, manually removing the spotify directory in C:\Documents and Settings\...\Application Data\Spotify and nothing seems to be working.

Has anyone seen this or have any suggestions?  It's torture without the music!

[12171974727]

Spotify isn't working, I tried to reinstall it and it keeps on saying Error Code 18. Can you please fix this?

[nikolaiho20]

all of this happened when my computer downloaded windows 10 somehow and restared my computer. i got on everything steam google my games ect. but when i got on to spotify it kept on saying error code 18. i deleted all of spotify on my computer redownloaded it and still the same thing. i really need help bad i cant do anything without music and soundclould dosnt have the music that i have on spotfiy 😞

[onetimeuser1]

I went to Task Manager and scrolled through the processes to see which was using Spotify files. For some reason my printer (subsystem cooling app?) was using it. Well let's cease the cooling and start the jams! So I went to anther tab in Task manager and ended the Spotify files from being used or whatever. I had uninstalled Spotify so it worked obviously once I reinstalled it, therefore I don't know if uninstalling it is a requirement for this to work. But hope it helps someone!

Peace!

[midnightroses]

Yes well I guess it mustn't work for Window 10 or something, because I did that and restarted the computer, now I can't log back in because it keeps saying "the password is incorrect". When it isn't. 

**bleep**. Any help with THIS problem?

[Signals91]

So simple - worked perfectly. Thank you!

[Scottay_]

I had the same problem but when you open task manager you just click "More Details" 

Then scroll down and just find spotify end them both end the downloader the download it again off the website. It should work.

[helldee]

THANK YOU 🙂 this fixed it, simple and easy 😄

[ddweeber]

Went to AppData>Local. Deleted spotify folder. CTRL+ALT+DELETE ended spotify processes. Finished deleting Spotify from AppDATA and from TEMP. Reinstalled and it worked

[Shilohpineapple · Accepted solution]

I did this and now I can't get to my lock screen won't load 😞

[Shilohpineapple]

I have that problem now, have u found a solution?!

[Shilohpineapple · Accepted solution]

Nevermind it loaded after waiting 10 minutes lol.

[user-removed]

I was reinstalling spotify due to a fault. Then I received error code 18. I simply opened Task Manager (ctrl alt del) looked through process which were running and there was spotify; I clicked spotify and then "end task". Tried reinstalling and it worked fine 🙂

[emeraldgirl68]

Tried all the other suggestions before finding this one. This is the tip that worked! FINALLY. Thank you! 

[emeraldgirl68]

THIS. This is the only thing that FINALLY worked for me after spending about 2 hours trying all the other suggestions! Thanks for the tip!

[jonathan92591]

I had the same code. Windows 7 64 bit, Lenova Thinkpad.

1. Right click on Task Bar

2. Select "Start Task Manager"

3. Click the "Processes" tab

4. Search for "Spotify"

5. Right click on the Spotify process

6. Select "End Process Tree"

7. Repeat if you have more than one Spotify process running

Did this and within 60 seconds was back up and running with Spotify.

[Brylee_sd · Accepted solution]

I was reading all the solutions and they all seemed so complicated. This worked great! I first uninstalled spotify then just went into task manager and into processes and closed the spotify background processes and I could reinstall the app!

[patchjeffa]

I had a much simpler solution than the ones shown.

Even though uninstalled, my computer was still running a background process of Spotify, which i ended after scrolling through all the background processes in Task Manager. When i got rid of this, it installed fine.

I think an indicator of this would be that when I changed the volume on my computer there would still be a play/pause Spotify overlay with the volume on screen.

[tmatheson33]

Thanks!  This took about 3 minutes and was by far the easiest method!  Back to my jams!

[River6]

Thank you so much for a non complicated answer! I was about to smash my computer if spotify wouldn't work.

[Leorazor12]

Hi,when I try 1 to 5 step my computer restarts but i cant log on to my computer.
Can u help me?
Im using windows 10
HP computer