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Hello,
Windows 11 keeps swapping between audio output devices at random times. Even if I "don't allow" a device in the settings or disable it through 'more sound settings'. Sometimes it happens after a reboot, sometimes it just does it for no reason. Sometimes it goes well for a day, maybe two, and then it'll swap things around again.
Is there a way for me to 'lock' the output device? My default device is set as the default. Sometimes it changes volume to maximum after a swap which you can probably understand is very inconvenient.
Did I miss a setting somewhere?
I'm using my earbuds plugged in to one of my monitors and the monitor is connected through DP, so the audio controller is my graphics card (nvidia) rather than the on-board one.
Can anyone help me out?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I run a Yamaha receiver via the HDMI out on my 4090 and get the same issues. I even get a phantom monitor since it's HDMI, which is a whole different issue. I wish you could let Windows know you're ONLY using the audio of the HDMI port, but I'm sure the video part is built into the HDMI spec. Sadly I don't think there are very many of us running audio through a full blown surround receiver so it doesn't get much love.
The most frustrating thing about this issue, is that my preferred audio device is set as "default", so why does Windows 11 not respect that and switch audio device when a new device is connected?
I can only conclude that the "Set default" option in the Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Sound is broken and MS doesn't know how to fix it, or its a very low priority on their backlog.
This is a wrong headed design decision associated with USB hotplug that surfaced at windows 10.
Whenever a new audio device is plugged in, the system default audio is set to the new device.
This is exactly the wrong approach. If I set laptop speakers or similar to the default, when I plug in a music or communications audio device it should not override that default.
You don't want system noises going out the music/communications interface.
Happens every reboot, or if you undock/redock the laptop.
It's not a driver issue, happens independent of audio device. It's a hot plug issue.
Again, this worked fine in Win 7, it was a conscious change at Win 10 apparently.
Only thing I can figure is the devs felt users were too dumb to know they could change the default to a new device if desired.
At the minimum, there should be a check box to allow that behavior to be disabled. IE: Pin the system default to a specific device even if new ones are plugged in.
except that it isn't.
Every microsoft product has it's pros and cons. Works mostly. Sometimes doesn't. And when it doesn't it's infuriating. No, not the worst OS ever, but often it's pretty fucking annoying.
The analogy I make: Microsoft says it's going to drive you somewhere, but really it often takes you to just five miles out of town and leaves you on the side of the road to figure out the rest of the way.
