Windows 11 keeps changing audio output.

Anonymous
2022-04-11T11:41:43+00:00

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?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-01-20T07:18:35+00:00

    Press Win + I to open the Settings app. Navigate to System > Sound and click on the sound device you want to be the default. Expand the dropdown for Set as the default sound device and select Use as default for audio.

    Regards

    Will

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-05T20:54:24+00:00

    And then again - no. Some new SW updates and the problem is sometimes back again. Weird.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-12-29T13:06:05+00:00

    Yeah looks like some update fixed it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-12-29T12:59:02+00:00

    Yes, I am thinking that Microsoft has addressed the problem. Windows 11 has still replaced my original RealTek driver but at least it's no longer migrating. However, I now have a new audio problem. All my Zoom meetings start with an audio fail (where attendees can hear me but I cannot hear them), requiring me to restart my laptop at the beginning of every meeting. Such a time waster. No idea why this would happen when it's been working fine prior to the Windows Update that caused the audio problem in the first place.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-12-29T10:43:43+00:00

    So the issue hasn't showed up for me for a good while now. Perhaps it's been fixed?

    If anyone else still has the problem, and you put your pc in sleep mode rather than off, try hibernate mode instead. Sleep does weird, unpredictable and annoying things and it's been like this for an incredibly long time, whereas (for me) hibernate does what I expect it to. Waking my pc from hibernate leaves me no surprises like input device changes and weird driver and service wonk like sleep does.

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