When at the dawn of the evolution of Windows-systems it became possible to install special sound devices on computers, called soundcards, the developers introduced one of the fundamental sound control elements into the system in the form of a kind of mixing console, on which it is still possible to adjust not only the overall sound output level , but also to adjust the volume of system notifications (if they are turned on) or of any single active application currently accessing the sound system features Topics. Next, we briefly dwell on some issues related to how to open the volume mixer in Windows 10 and what actions can be taken if there are problems with it (the tray icon disappears, the mixer does not open or does not work, etc.). And for starters, let us dwell on the simplest version of access to the component of the operating system described below.
How to open the mixer using the standard method?
Apparently, there is no need to say that even after the first installation of the operating system itself and if there is a correctly installed sound card with working drivers on the computer or laptop, the sound icon in the form of a speaker can be seen in the system area on the “Taskbar” (in the system tray, to the left of the clock and language). Calling the context menu on the icon itself through RMB gives you access to several settings items, among which there is also a Windows 10 volume mixer.
Immediately pay attention to the moment that initially, in the absence of active programs running using the sound system of the computer, only the general level and volume of system notification sounds will be present in the mixer itself. If another application is launched in parallel, the user starts listening to music or watching a movie on the Internet using a browser, a separate fader will appear in the mixer to change the sound level of the content played through the browser.
What should I do if the Windows 10 volume mixer does not open?
Now let's dwell a bit on possible problems. Most often they are associated with the disappearance of the icon for adjusting the sound level from the system tray. Situations when the Windows 10 volume mixer does not work at all (the sound is not regulated or the applet does not start) are usually provoked by the incorrect operation of the sound card drivers, but we will not consider them now. We believe that the icon simply disappeared.
First of all, you need to go into the settings, select the personalization section and go to the “Taskbar” settings item.
On the right side of the window there is a line for turning on and off the system icons displayed on the panel, among which you need to find the volume and activate the display of the icon by moving the slider to the right.
Manipulating Screen Settings
You can also assume that the icon seems to be active, but it still does not exist in the tray, and as a result, the Windows 10 volume mixer is also unavailable. Very often, this problem may be related to the screen settings.
In order to fix the problem, through PCM on the “Desktop”, go to the screen settings item, set the scale of the text and application elements to 125%, close the settings window, re-enter the same section, set the initial value for 100%, exit the settings and restart the computer or laptop completely.
Windows 10 Volume Mixer Does Not Work: System Registry Actions
Finally, let's see what can be done if the above proposed methods did not work. You can return the icon, and at the same time, and resume access to the Windows 10 volume mixer through the registry (regedit), using two methods for this.
In the first case, in the HKCU branch, you need to find the TrayNotify section, as shown above, and delete the IconStream and PastIconStream keys in the window on the right. If any of them are not there, it’s okay.
In the second case, in the same branch you need to go to the Desktop section, and in the right window create two string parameters, one of which will be named WaitToKillAppTimeout, and the second - HungAppTimeout. Double-click to enter the change in each of the keys and set the value to 20000 for both.
Note: when using both the methods just described, upon completion of all operations, a system reboot will be required. If you have any doubts about the use of these settings, first back up the registry using the export function in the file menu.