Cant Open the Volume Mixer in Windows 10? Here's What to Do

Publish date: 2024-02-24

Sometimes you want to adjust an app’s volume for a perfect work environment, but for some odd reason, you can't open the volume mixer. This means you have no control over your volume levels anymore and are stuck with what they were set at before the volume mixer vanished.

Because it’s a bit difficult to identify the exact cause, you might have to try multiple solutions until you fix it. However, even if you are not too tech-savvy, there’s no need to worry. Here are some easy ways to fix the volume mixer not opening on Windows 10.

1. Update Windows

Before going through our list of solutions, make sure you are not running an outdated version of Windows 10. Go to Settings > System > About to check if there is an available update.

Also, you can try restarting your computer as this may be enough to fix the problem.

Related: Why Is the Latest Windows Update Not Showing on My PC?

2. Update the Audio Driver

An outdated or corrupted driver might stop your system from opening the volume mixer. In this case, you should take a look at the audio drivers. Follow these steps to update your audio drivers through Device Manager:

  • Open Device Manager.
  • Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers list.
  • Right-click the audio driver your system is currently using and select Update driver.
  • Select Search automatically for drivers.

    • In case Windows finds any available updates, it will download and install them automatically. Once it finishes the process, restart your computer and check if you can open Volume mixer.

    3. Restart Windows Explorer

    Restarting Windows Explorer might be enough to fix your issue and allow you to open the volume mixer. Here is how you can do it:

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • Select the Processes tab.
  • Select Windows Explorer.
  • Click Restart.
  • Check if you can open the volume mixer.

    • 4. Check Windows Services

    Windows 10 has a built-in service that runs in the background and takes care of all processes involving audio drivers. Usually, Windows can successfully manage services on its own but sometimes these could stop working properly and cause all kinds of issues.

    Follow these steps to check the Windows Audio service:

  • Input services in the Start menu search bar, right-click the Best match, and select Run as Administrator.
  • From the services list, locate and open Windows Audio.
  • Check if the Status is Running.
  • Set Startup type to Automatic.

    • If you can’t find anything wrong with the Windows Audio service, you can try restarting it. In the Services window, right-click Windows Audio and select Restart.

    5. Configure the Taskbar Notifications Settings

    Sometimes you can’t open the volume mixer if you turned off volume taskbar notifications. However, you can easily re-enable them.

  • Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
  • Head to Notification area and click Select which icons appear on the taskbar
  • Turn on the toggle next to Volume.

    • 6. Reset the Sound Settings

    There is a chance you can’t open Volume mixer because a third-party app or even another user changed the system’s audio settings. In this case, you should revert these settings to their default values. Here is how you can do it:

  • Click Start > Settings.
  • Go to System > Sound > App volume and device preferences.
  • Click the Reset button.
  • Check if you can now open the volume mixer.

    • 7. Check the Speaker Properties

    Inadequate speaker settings might cause the volume mixer to stop working properly. Also, sound-related third-party apps can overwrite your settings which could lead to different issues.

    Here is how you can check your computer’s speaker properties:

  • Open the Settings menu.
  • Click System > Sound > Sound Control Panel.
  • Right-click the device you are using for audio output and select Properties.
  • Open the Advanced tab.
  • Below Exclusive Mode, check the Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device option.
  • Click Apply > OK to save the new settings.

    • 8. Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter

    Windows has plenty of troubleshooting tools you can use whenever you need to fix something on your computer. So it’s no surprise there is an audio troubleshooter that will automatically look for any hardware issues.

    Follow these steps to run the Playing Audio troubleshooter:

  • Press Win + I to access Settings.
  • Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooter.
  • Select Playing Audio and click Run the troubleshooter.

    • If you still can't open the volume mixer, you can try using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. While Microsoft removed it from Windows 10 Settings menu, you can still access it through the command prompt.

  • Input command prompt in the Start menu search bar, right-click the Best match and select Run as Administrator.
  • Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic.
  • Press Enter to bring up the troubleshooter.
  • Click Advanced > Apply repairs automatically.
  • Click Next to start the troubleshooting process.

    • 9. Run System File Checker Scan

    One of the Windows system files might be damaged or corrupted so it stops you from opening the volume mixer. For this case, you can run the System File Checker (or SFC). This will not only scan and identify corrupt or damaged system files, but it will automatically replace them. Follow these steps to run an SFC scan:

  • In the Start menu search bar, search for command prompt and select Run as administrator.
  • Type sfc /scannow.
  • Press Enter.

    • 10. Edit Windows Registry

    While this is a more complicated solution, adding a new value to Windows Registry will fix your Volume mixer malfunction. Follow these steps to create a new sub-key:

  • In the Start menu search bar, search for registry editor and select Run as administrator.
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE> Microsoft > Windows NT.
  • Right-click Current Version and select New key.
  • Name it MTCUVC.
  • Right-click MTCUVC > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  • Right-click the newly created sub-key and select Rename.
  • Name it EnableMtcUvc.
  • Set Value to 0 and Base to Hexadecimal.

    • Note: Before you begin editing the Windows Registry, you should create a system restore point.

    11. Uninstall Third-Party Audio Apps

    As we discussed, these apps might change your system audio settings. If this keeps happening and you have to go through Windows settings quite often, you should take a look at these apps.

    You can check the settings and limit their access or stop them from launching at startup. If this doesn’t work, you could uninstall them.

    Related: How to Improve or Fix Sound Quality in Windows 10

    Control Your Computer’s Audio

    Hopefully, you are now able to open the volume mixer and adjust each app’s volume individually. While this isn’t a major issue and you can still use your computer without problems, it's one of the details with a big impact on user experience.

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