Windows 7 unmute problem

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I have run afoul of a Windows 7 “feature”. Whenever the volume control is touched, either by me or by a running app, the speaker automatically unmutes. This is a problem for me because I use my laptop for making professional presentations and I generally mute the speaker to prevent extraneous computer generated noise from detracting from the presentation. If I accidently touch the volume control on the laptop (the physical controls) or an app running in the background wants to set the volume control, I get “ding-ding-ding” in the middle of my presentation. Very unprofessional.

I have learned from a Microsoft representative that this is “as-designed” and is an “industry standard”. When asked if there was any way to configure this, via a control panel setting or registry setting, the answer was no. Apparently Microsoft has decided that this should be the standard behavior starting with Windows 7 and there is no way to disable it other than to remove the speaker/volume control drivers. I have asked that that this be revisted and the answer was that there are not enough requests for this to make it an issue. In the meantime, it is a HUGE issue for me.

Do any of the good folks here know a way around this behavior other than removing the drivers?

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How about plugging some earphones into the audio out port?
On most systems that disables the onboard speakers.

Jock

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I have an earphone plug – the earphones broke so I nipped off the cable at the plug and made sure the wires inside the cable do not touch. I keep the plug in my laptop bag and plug it in whenever I am in a situation where I don’t want the sound to come on accidentally.

. Apparently Microsoft has decided that this should be the standard behavior starting with Windows 7 and there is no way to disable it

[rant]Aren’t you glad that people who have infinitely more intelligence that us poor morons are looking out for our well being and deciding how we should be allowed to use our computers?[/rant]
I have no idea why they can’t just provide an option to control this and let us decide how we want things to work. I’m a computer programmer and I know it is not that hard to provide such an option. By the way, I have used this same rant on various Linux forums, and this rant is the primary reason I avoid Apple products.

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Have you tried setting system sounds to No Sound and applying? (Control Panel>Sound>Sounds tab>Sound Scheme> No Sounds)

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Have you tried setting system sounds to No Sound and applying? (Control Panel>Sound>Sounds tab>Sound Scheme> No Sounds)

That seems to only stop Windows from sending sounds. Other apps still control and unmute the speakers and can send sounds.

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That seems to only stop Windows from sending sounds. Other apps still control and unmute the speakers and can send sounds.

If you have the speaker icon in the system tray, right-click and select “Playback devices”. On that popup, click on the default device (mine is “Speakers”) and select “Properties”. On the next popup, click on the “Advanced” tab. Uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device”. OK your way back out.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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If I accidently touch the volume control on the laptop (the physical controls) or an app running in the background wants to set the volume control, I get “ding-ding-ding” in the middle of my presentation. Very unprofessional.

This isn’t the fault of the operating system, It’s yours. Don’t touch the volume controls.
I don’t know what you mean by “or an app running in the backgrownd wants to set the volume control”.
Please clarify this for me.

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This isn’t the fault of the operating system, It’s yours. Don’t touch the volume controls.
I don’t know what you mean by “or an app running in the backgrownd wants to set the volume control”.
Please clarify this for me.

“Don’t touch the volume controls” is the answer I got from MS too, and that is a cop out. It would be nice to say that, in a perfect world, I would never accidently bump or touch a volume control. But since the volume control can be adjusted in any number of ways (a physical volume control wheel, software keys, accidental mouse clicks, etc), it is unrealistic to say the answer is don’t touch the volume control. And besides, running apps can touch the volume control when I am not even physically near the computer (more below).

As another said, the simple answer is to provide the end user the option. That is also the solution that a few people have asked MS to implement. Why they don’t and insist that this is the industry standard is a mystery to me.

In Windows 7 (I don’t know about Vista because I never adopted it), apps can have independent control of the volume. They can set the volume level inside the running app. When they touch the volume, the speakers auto unmute. All under programatic control, not under control of the user.

I know, the next answer is that I should have no other apps running in the background. That is also not realistic. If I wanted to go that route, I’d step back to DOS.

So far, the most practical answer, until MS decides in it’s wisdom to let the end user control the option, is the headphone jack.

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I have Realtek HD Audio Manager that came as part of my system so I don’t know if it can be added separately.

It resides in the System Tray as the volume control. When I open it, I am presented with bunch of audio sliders with a “Mute” button for each one. One is the master volume control and the others are for each application that might be using sound. For example, there may typically be one each for System Sounds, Windows Live Mail, Windows Media Center, and perhaps several for the browser tabs I have open. The volume and/or mute for each can be controlled separately while the Master will over ride everything.I don’t believe the application will over ride these controls.

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I have Realtek HD Audio Manager that came as part of my system so I don’t know if it can be added separately.

It resides in the System Tray as the volume control. When I open it, I am presented with bunch of audio sliders with a “Mute” button for each one. One is the master volume control and the others are for each application that might be using sound. For example, there may typically be one each for System Sounds, Windows Live Mail, Windows Media Center, and perhaps several for the browser tabs I have open. The volume and/or mute for each can be controlled separately while the Master will over ride everything.I don’t believe the application will over ride these controls.

Go through Control Panel > Sound. You should see an opportunity to select a default device (which in your case would probably be Realtek HD Audio Manager). If you highlight the default device and click on properties, it will bring up a tabbed box, one of those tabs being “Advanced”.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Go through Control Panel > Sound. You should see an opportunity to select a default device (which in your case would probably be Realtek HD Audio Manager). If you highlight the default device and click on properties, it will bring up a tabbed box, one of those tabs being “Advanced”.

Perhaps “exclusive control” includes mute/unmute control as well.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I don’t believe the application will over ride these controls.

Unless something’s changed, I’ve always understood that apps could only invoke system sounds and could not override a master mute. Maybe if the OP could tell us which app(s) in particular is causing this issue? I don’t seem to have any that will override mute speakers.

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Unless something’s changed, I’ve always understood that apps could only invoke system sounds and could not override a master mute. Maybe if the OP could tell us which app(s) in particular is causing this issue? I don’t seem to have any that will override mute speakers.

Any application that changes the volume level results in an unmute. Try it yourself manually. Mute your speaker and then simply change the volume on the volume slider. When you do, the speaker will automatically unmute. Therefore, any app that causes a change in volume level will override the mute.

The places I have seen it most are web pages that have some sort of audio coded in them. If the volume level of the audio is different than what my system is set at, it changes the volume and unmutes the speakers. I know this because I typically set my volume to zero and mute the speaker. When it gets unmuted, the volume level will be at some level above zero. Since it was at zero before entering the web page and at non-zero after going to the page, it seems that something on the page is setting a volume level.

To be fair, it doesn’t happen a lot. But it typically happens when not convenient. The only way I have found to prevent disruption is to use the dummy jack approach to silence the speakers even if they do get unmuted. That is a workaround for a “feature” that MS insists is “industry standard”. Apparently, they decided it was industry standard with the release of Windows 7.

In XP, changing the volume does NOT automatically unmute (when the apparent “industry standard” was different). All that I (and others) are asking is that MS allow us (the users of the OS) the flexibility (either through registry or some other method) to specify whether or not we want a change in volume to override the mute status. In the meantime, if anyone has a utility that will create this same effect, it would find a ready market.

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Any application that changes the volume level results in an unmute. Try it yourself manually. Mute your speaker and then simply change the volume on the volume slider. When you do, the speaker will automatically unmute. Therefore, any app that causes a change in volume level will override the mute.

The places I have seen it most are web pages that have some sort of audio coded in them. If the volume level of the audio is different than what my system is set at, it changes the volume and unmutes the speakers. I know this because I typically set my volume to zero and mute the speaker. When it gets unmuted, the volume level will be at some level above zero. Since it was at zero before entering the web page and at non-zero after going to the page, it seems that something on the page is setting a volume level.

To be fair, it doesn’t happen a lot. But it typically happens when not convenient. The only way I have found to prevent disruption is to use the dummy jack approach to silence the speakers even if they do get unmuted. That is a workaround for a “feature” that MS insists is “industry standard”. Apparently, they decided it was industry standard with the release of Windows 7.

In XP, changing the volume does NOT automatically unmute (when the apparent “industry standard” was different). All that I (and others) are asking is that MS allow us (the users of the OS) the flexibility (either through registry or some other method) to specify whether or not we want a change in volume to override the mute status. In the meantime, if anyone has a utility that will create this same effect, it would find a ready market.

I just muted my speakers, then opened a YouTube window and the speakers remain muted. If I want to hear something, I have to manually unmute my speakers. Of course, I run a far-from-normal setup, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Try just changing your volume manually and you will see the speakers auto un-mute. You-tube was not one of the offenders that I have noticed that changes the volume level on the local machine.

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Try just changing your volume manually and you will see the speakers auto un-mute. You-tube was not one of the offenders that I have noticed that changes the volume level on the local machine.

I muted the speakers, opened Audacity, played a sound file, raised and lowered the volume, but the speakers stayed muted.

If I open Windows Media Player and play a sound file, using the volume control through Media Player will unmute the speakers.

I have yet to find an app of mine that will arbitrarily unmute the speakers without intervention by me using the onscreen volume controls or the keyboard volume controls. If I don’t mess with anything, the speakers stay muted.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I don’t have a solution for sure but I will offer the following information for what its worth.

I have a piece of software on my system that came with it. It is called Realtek High Definition Audio. This software is designed to work with their sound chips, driver and codec. I understand that their chips are frequently used on motherboards from a variety of manufacturers. They indicate their software may work on other chips and that even when used with their supplied chips and drivers and codecs, one could lose functionality that the manufacturer may have added.

I don’t know if the software I have is their generic version or a special version enhanced by Acer but I would not expect Acer to do much by way of enhancements.

Anyway, in use, the Realtek HD Audio Manager provides, as part of its facilities, a ‘Mixer’. The mixer has a Volume slider for each source of audio. The number of sliders changes as the sources change and it wouldn’t be unusual for there to be 8 or 10. Sources of audio do not need to be separate physical devices. I could have a half dozen browser windows up and if each was supplying audio, then each would have a slider. Of course, there are also additional sliders for things like System Sounds, Windows Media Player (if active), etc. There is always a master Volume slider as well. Under each slider is a Mute button including one under the Master Volume slider.

The Volume and Muteing can be individually controlled for each source of sound. I have never experienced an undesirable unMuteing.

I don’t know what it takes to add something like this to a system. realtek doesn’t usually deal with the end user.

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