why MCI_OPEN fails and returns invalid device id ?

Question

dwReturn = mciSendCommand(0, MCI_OPEN, MCI_OPEN_ELEMENT | MCI_OPEN_TYPE
                         , (DWORD_PTR)(LPVOID) &mciOpenParms);

error -message is "The device name is already being used as an alias by this application. Use a unique alias."

Why is it giving an error ?

Answer 1

This might happen when one attempts to reopen an already opened mci device.

If the MCI_OPEN_SHAREABLE flag is not specified when a device or file is initially opened, all subsequent MCI_OPEN commands to the device or file will fail.