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How to Fix "Audio Renderer Error" in YouTube

How to Fix "Audio Renderer Error" in YouTube

The "Audio Renderer Error" message can occur when you try playing a video on YouTube. Fortunately, there are ways you can fix this error, and we included several step-by-step guides on how you can do it yourself.

Audio Renderer Error YouTube

Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer

What Causes This Error and How to Fix it?

The most common reason for this error is an audio driver glitch. There are a few easy workarounds you can try. You can unplug your headphones or restart your computer as the error message suggests. Another thing you can do is temporarily disable the audio drivers.

The second reason you may get the "Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer" error is a conflict between Windows Sound drivers and the ASIO driver caused by the Cubase application. This conflict occurs when users use both Windows Sound drivers and the ASIO driver with different sound format frequencies. To resolve this conflict, you have to synchronize the two frequencies.

The third reason you may get this error is a bug in BIOS. This particular problem is very prominent among Dell computers as it's speculated that the software is flawed. The good news is that Dell has fixed the buggy BIOS and released an updated version. Hence, updating the BIOS is the solution. However, you should know that tampering with the BIOS is risky.

We have prepared several step-by-step guides and a video guide to help you fix this YouTube audio renderer error.

Video Guide on How to Fix "Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer"

Table of Contents:

Method 1. Run the Audio Troubleshooter

The easiest fix is to run the Windows 10 built-in audio troubleshooter to detect the problem and apply the fix automatically. The audio troubleshooter features a set of repair strategies for the most common issues.

Right-click the Start menu and click Settings

1. Right-click the Start Menu button and click Settings.

Click Update & Security

2. Click Update and Security.

Click Troubleshoot

3. Click Troubleshoot.

Click Additional troubleshooters

4. Click Additional troubleshooters.

Run the audio troubleshooter

5. Under the Get up and running section, click Playing Audio and then click Run the troubleshooter.

6. Allow the troubleshooter to scan the system for issues.

7. If the troubleshooter identifies a problem, it will either recommend a fix that you will have to confirm or it may apply it automatically.

8. Restart your PC.

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Method 2. Disable and Re-enable the Audio Drivers

The second thing you should try is to disable and then re-enable the audio drivers. As mentioned in the article, the audio drivers may experience a glitch that may cause the "Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer" error.

1. Hold down Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog box.

Type in devmgmt.msc and click OK

2. Type in devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager.

Expand Sound, video and game controllers menu

3. Once in the Device Manager, expand the Sound, video and game controllers menu.

Click Disable device

4. Right-click the audio device and click Disable device. (Do this to all audio devices, provided you have more than one).

Click Enable device

5. Wait for a few seconds and then right-click the audio device again and click Enable device.

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Method 3. Roll Back or Uninstall the Audio Drivers

If the "Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer" error was caused by a software bug or glitch, then you can rollback or uninstall the audio drivers to fix the error. Rolling back or uninstalling the drivers will remove the corrupted file(s). Note that Windows will automatically install the latest available drivers after you restart your computer.

1. Hold down Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog box.

Type in devmgmt.msc and click OK

2. Type in devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager.

Expand Sound, video and game controllers menu

3. Once in the Device Manager, expand the Sound, video and game controllers menu.

4. Double-click your audio device.

Click Roll Back Driver or click Uninstall Device

5. Go to the Driver tab.

6. Click Roll Back Driver.

7. If this option is unavailable, then click Uninstall Device.

8. Restart your PC and allow Windows to install the latest available driver version.

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About the author:

Rimvydas Iliavicius

Rimvydas is a researcher with over four years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. He attended Kaunas University of Technology and graduated with a Master's degree in Translation and Localization of Technical texts. His interests in computers and technology led him to become a versatile author in the IT industry. At PCrisk, he's responsible for writing in-depth how-to articles for Microsoft Windows. Contact Rimvydas Iliavicius.

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