Quick Guide To Fix Audio Renderer Error In YouTube

When you are trying to play a YouTube video on the web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, you might encounter the “Audio renderer error. Please restart your computer” message on the screen. 

On getting this error message, you won’t be able to see any video on YouTube and it also stops the working of the headphone socket.   

Most of the users have reported that this problem arises when they are using an in-built audio player on their device. But this error message mainly appears if there is a problem with the device connection. 

Probable Causes of the “Audio Renderer Error” on YouTube:

The Audio renderer error can be caused by various reasons such as:

  • An outdated or corrupted or faulty Audio driver.
  • Corrupted system files. 
  • Faulty audio driver.
  • Loose connections
  • Incorrect sound settings
  • An older version of the BIOS.
  • Damaged USB port
  • Faulty headphones or audio playback devices.

To resolve this error, you need to follow the solutions which are mentioned in the next segment.

How to Fix “Audio Renderer Error. Please Restart Your Computer”?

There are several procedures to fix this error on the device. Here we have provided some of them in detail. Ensure to perform each step carefully in order to solve the Audio renderer error on the device:

Procedure 1: Unplug the Audio Playback Devices and Plug it Again

When this error message comes up on YouTube, you can check if the connection is properly connected or not. Due to the loose connection of the audio playback devices, you can see this error message on the screen. 

So, you need to disconnect the audio playback device and then reconnect it back. Further, check if the problem still occurs or not. 

If Yes, then you need to check if the USB port is damaged or not. If the USB port is damaged, then use another USB port and then fix this problem. 

Procedure 2: Reboot the PC

Sometimes, rebooting the system can help you to resolve the Audio renderer error on the device. After rebooting the PC, check if the error message still persists or not. If you find this error still, then you can try to move to the next one. 

Procedure 3: Install the Latest Version of the Audio Driver

An outdated version of the audio driver can cause this error on the device. Therefore, you must keep the drivers up to date. To update it, follow these steps hereunder:

  1. Press the Windows Home button and then choose the Device Manager.
  2. When you are in the Device Manager window, go to the Sound, video and game controllers section to expand it.
  3. After that, locate and right-click on the Audio driver. Then select the Update driver option to start the update process.
  4. Once this process is finished, reboot your computer and then try to play any video on YouTube to check whether any error message comes up or not.

Procedure 4: Enable and Set the Default Playback Device

If the Playback device is disabled or turned off, then you can come across the Audio renderer error on YouTube. So, you should enable it and then set it as a default. To know more about it, follow these directions cited below:

  1. Right-click on the Sound icon at the bottom right corner of the Taskbar.
  2. After that, select the Playback devices from the menu list.
  3. In the Sound window, go to the Playback tab and locate the connected device, right-click on it.
  4. Thereafter, choose the Enable option to turn it on. 
  5. Then click on the Set Default option to set as a default device.
  6. After performing these steps, click on the Apply option to save the changes. 

Procedure 5: Roll Back the Audio Driver

Sometimes, the latest version of the audio driver can not work properly and cause this error to occur. Therefore, you should roll back the audio driver to the previous version to fix this problem. The following steps will help you to do so:

  1. Press the Win + X buttons together to launch the WinX menu list. Then choose the Device Manager.
  2. From the Device Manager window, find and select the Sound, video and game controllers section to expand.
  3. Locate the Audio driver, right-click on it and then choose the Properties.
  4. In the Properties window, move to the Driver tab. Then click on the Roll Back Driver option and follow the on-screen directions to complete the process.
  5. Once the process is finished, reboot the PC and check if the problem is gone or not.

Procedure 6: Disable the Hardware Acceleration

If the Hardware Acceleration is turned on, then you may get this Audio renderer error on YouTube. Therefore, you should disable it by following these steps:

Google Chrome:

  1. Launch the Google Chrome application and then click on the menu icon at the top right corner.
  2. Select the Settings from the menu list.
  3. When you are in the Settings window, scroll down the page until you find the Advanced settings, click on it.
  4. From that section, unmark on the box next to the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option under the System section. 
  5. After doing this, restart Google Chrome. 

Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open the Mozilla Firefox application and go to the Menu section.
  2. Choose the Options from the menu list.
  3. In the Options window, navigate to the General section and then untick on the box next to the “Use hardware acceleration when available” button under the Performance section.
  4. Now, restart the Mozilla Firefox application. 

Procedure 7: Perform the Audio Troubleshooter

Performing the audio troubleshooter can eliminate this error on your Windows system. Here are some steps that you can follow to do so:

  1. Hit the Windows Home button and then click on the Settings icon.
  2. Once you are in the Settings window, navigate to the Update & Security section and then select the Troubleshoot tab. 
  3. Scroll down the page and find the Playing Audio, select it. Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option. 
  4. During the troubleshooting process, the troubleshooter tool will find the problem and solve the issue by clicking on the Apply Fix option. 
  5. Once the process is done, reboot your computer. Then check if it solves the problem or not. 

Procedure 8: Reinstall the Audio Driver

The Audio renderer error can be caused by a corrupted audio driver. Therefore, you should remove the driver and then reinstall it. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Press the Windows key and R button to launch the Run box.
  2. Type devmgmt.msc and then click on the OK button or hit the Enter key.
  3. From the Device Manager window, look for the Sound, video, and game controllers section, select it to expand.
  4. Right-click on the Audio driver and then select the Uninstall option.
  5. Once the removing process is done, restart your computer and then try to reinstall it.
  6. To install it, again go to the Device Manager window and then click on the Scan for hardware changes icon at the top menu bar.
  7. Now, the system will find the available driver and install it automatically.
  8. After installing the driver, reboot the PC. 

Procedure 9: Update the BIOS

To stop this error from occurring, it is important to keep the BIOS up to date. Below are certain steps that you can try to update the BIOS:

  1. Go to the official website of the BIOS and look for the latest version of the BIOS.
  2. After finding it, download it.
  3. Once the file is downloaded, install it correctly. When you install it, you need to follow the directions which appear on the screen. 

These are the following procedures in which you can easily resolve the “Audio renderer error. Please restart your computer” error on YouTube.

Maria Colombo
Maria Colombo
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