Some Windows users have reported that when running a game, an app, or a setup, they get an error message stating that another instance of the same task is running in the background. Due to this, the app refuses to open. In this post, we will see what you can do if you see Another instance is already running message. The error messages could be:
Another instance is running,Configuration system failed to initialize
OR
A second instance of <app-name> is already running. Please close the other instance and try again.
Fix Another instance is already running in Windows 11
If another instance of an app, game, or setup is already running on your Windows PC, follow the below solutions to resolve the issue.
- Close the application processes from the Task Manager
- Restart PC
- Update Windows & the application/game
- Restart the Windows Installer Service
- Re-register Windows Installer Service
- Check & troubleshoot in Clean Boot State
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Close the application process from the Task Manager
Sometimes, we accidentally start an instance of a particular program and are oblivious to its existence. However, we can open the Task Manager application using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc, right-click on the running instance of that app and select End Task. Once done, reopen the app and check if the issue is resolved.
2] Restart PC
In case you can’t find any running instance of a troublemaking app or if the issue is not resolved even after ending the running task, reboot your system. Restarting the system will obviously end any running instance of the app and give you a clean slate. So, do that and check if the issue is resolved.
3] Update Windows & the application/game
Sometimes, due to a bug or incompatibility, Windows behaves peculiarly and refuses to launch an app. Since we are not developers at Microsoft, the only thing we can do is check for updates and install when available. You must also update the application or the game that you were trying to install.
4] Restart the Windows Installer Service
The Windows Installer service (msiserver) manages all installation processes for the Windows operating system. If the service is faulty or disabled, services dependent on Windows Installer will not run properly. That is why we need to restart the service because that will eliminate any glitch that may have been causing the issue. To do the same, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open the Services app from the Start Menu.
- Look for Windows Installer Service.
- Right-click on it and select Restart.
Once the service is restarted, check if the issue is resolved. In case it is not running, you need to start the Service manually.
Read: Windows Installer is not working properly
5] Re-register Windows Installer Service
In case restarting the service is to no avail, you need to unregister and then reregister the service.
Launch the command prompt with admin privileges. Type the following commands and hit Enter after each one.
%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /unregister %windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /regserver %windir%\syswow64\msiexec.exe /unregister %windir%\syswow64\msiexec.exe /regserver
Close the command prompt, save all your work, and restart your computer.
Related: Another installation is already in progress error in Windows
6] Check & troubleshoot in Clean Boot State
If all else fails, we need to investigate if there is a third-party app that’s running in the background and not conflicting with the process you are trying to run. This investigation requires a clean slate.
So, start your computer in a Clean Boot state, which means starting it without any third-party services and apps. Now, check if you can run the app without any error messages. If you can do the same, enable processes manually to find out what’s causing the issue, and then disable that process.
Hopefully, you can resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this post.
Read: How to stop multiple Chrome processes from running in Task Manager?
An instance of the application is already running in another user session
If you receive An instance of the application is already running in another user session when you try to open a program, the easiest way to get around this issue is to restart your PC and try again. You may also try ending the application process using the Task Manager.
How do you fix Another instance of this application is already running?
If another instance of an application is already running, you must close all the instances simultaneously and then start a new one. You can check the first solution mentioned in this post to know how to do the same. If that doesn’t work, check out other solutions mentioned in this post.
Read: How to open multiple instances of the same program in Windows?
How do I close another instance?
If you want to close an instance of a program, open Task Manager, look for that program, right-click on it, and select End Task. In case your system still says that an instance of that program is running, reboot your computer and then try.
Read Next: 0x80042316, Another shadow copy creation is already in progress.
