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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  2. Anonymous
    2024-01-01T02:42:43+00:00

    So true!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-10-17T15:31:29+00:00

    Yes, actually, now that you mention it, fiddling with your monitor won't really help at all with audio, now will it? Good point. Today I'm in the middle of dealing with my computer making up resolutions for my monitors when it comes out of sleep. I was distracted from the point of this thread.

    I should have ignored shahbazliaquat's post as you should have mine. Sorry.

    ...I wish there was a way to tell the monitor to NOT offer the USB hub at all to connected devices.

    • If you don't need DP, you could go with HDMI to a monitor, which stop the computer from thinking it's available as a USB audio device. I have one of my monitors going in as HDMI instead of DP, and my computer doesn't think it's an available Audio device.
    • Did you try disabling it in both the Device Manager and in Windows control panel for Sound Devices? Again, that's what finally worked for me. When I disabled it in both places, windows stopped trying to switch to the audio device it thinks is build into the monitor.
    • And when troubleshooting, I also remove those strange, vestigial devices with a .reg script, source/reference is the link at the bottom.

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Connectivity]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\ScaleFactors]

    ;https://www.elevenforum.com/t/clear-and-reset-display-cache-in-windows-11.15538/

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-10-17T14:58:26+00:00

    I'm confident you tried all those already.

    The only thing I might add is that- powering the monitor off and on may not be enough to actually power off th monitor. You may have to unplug it and plug it back in to really 'reset' it. I learned that a few years back. I have my monitors on a power strip so that if turning them off and on with the power button (which these days is not always really a power button) doesn't work.

    YMMV, I have to do this with my Dell monitors.

    And there is always "reset all settings" in the monitor itself, but that never did anything for me.

    So- there's three ways you get to 'reset' your monitor. Power switch, yank the cord, reset in monitor settings. Make sure to play with them all!

    Fun times! 🤪

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-10-17T13:44:33+00:00

    Unfortunately, this does not help when windows is re-enabling devices without being asked. I have repeatedly disabled devices and windows just re-enables them...as multiple people in this thread have already pointed out.

    Also, this doesn't help when windows changes the default device. Of course my speaker output is set to the default device, but for some reason that doesn't stop windows from ignoring that fact and switching inputs.

    and yes, my drivers are all up to date.

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