Windows 10 Volume Control isn’t working [COMPLETE GUIDE]
Sound problems are common in almost every version of Windows, including Windows 10. But this time, we have something a little different.
Some users reported online that they’re unable to open Sound Control bar from the taskbar in Windows 10, so we prepared a couple of solutions for this issue, in order to help everyone who’s facing this problem.
Sometimes issues with sound and Volume Control can occur, and speaking of issues, these are some of the problems that we’ll address in this article:
- Volume Control won’t open – One common problem that you can experience is the inability to open Volume Control. This is a common problem, but you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.
- Windows 10 volume slider not working – Several users reported that they are unable to adjust their volume. According to them, their volume slider isn’t working at all.
- Volume mixer won’t open Windows 10 – Another common problem that can appear on Windows 10. This is an annoying problem since you won’t be able to adjust your audio volume at all.
- Volume icon not working Windows 10 – Many Windows 10 users reported that their volume icon isn’t working at all. Due to this problem, you’ll have to use your speaker knob to change the volume.
- Keyboard volume control not working Windows 10 – Many keyboards allow you to control your volume by using a dedicated volume buttons. However, users reported that volume control buttons aren’t working for them.
- Volume Control is not showing in Taskbar – This is another common problem with Volume Control. Fortunately, this isn’t a serious error, and you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.
- The volume Control program is not installed – Certain audio devices require dedicated software in order to control your volume. If the software is missing, you might get this error message.
- Volume Control greyed out Windows 10 – Several users also reported that the Volume Control icon is grayed out. This can be an annoying problem, and in most cases, it’s caused by your audio drivers.
How can I fix missing Volume Control problem in Windows 10?
- Install Sound Drivers
- Reset Audio Service
- Perform an SFC scan
- Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
- Reinstall audio drivers
- Check if your Audio Manager is enabled
- End SndVol.exe process
- Change the font size
- Disable or uninstall your antivirus
- Restart Windows Explorer process
Solution 1 – Install Sound Drivers
This solution only applies if, besides dysfunctional Sound Control, you also can’t hear any sound from your computer. If that’s the case, the sound driver is probably missing or corrupted.
To check if everything is okay with your sound driver, do the following:
- Right click on the speaker icon in your taskbar, and go to Playback devices.
- Double click on your default playback device.
- Under Controller information, click Properties.
- Now, go to Change Settings, and go to the Driver tab.
- You have a few options in the Driver tab, you can try to update your sound driver first, by clicking on Update Driver. If the sound driver is unavailable, search online for the appropriate driver for your sound card, and install it.
- Restart your computer.
Users can certainly update device drivers on their PC manually by going to each device manufacturer’s website and searching there or on the web for the right driver to match their device type and model.
However, besides being time-consuming, this process carries the risk of getting the wrong driver installed, which may lead to serious malfunctions.
The safer and easier way to update drivers on a Windows computer is by using an automatic tool such as TweakBit Driver Updater. This tool is approved by Microsoft and Norton Antivirus.
After several tests, our team concluded that this is the best-automatized solution. Below you can find a quick guide on how to do it.
- Download and install TweakBit Driver Updater
Once installed, the program will start scanning your PC for outdated drivers automatically. Driver Updater will check your installed driver versions against its cloud database of the latest versions and recommend proper updates. All you need to do is wait for the scan to complete.
Upon scan completion, you get a report on all problem drivers found on your PC. Review the list and see if you want to update each driver individually or all at once. To update one driver at a time, click the ‘Update driver’ link next to the driver name. Or simply click the ‘Update all’ button at the bottom to automatically install all recommended updates.
Note: Some drivers need to be installed in multiple steps so you will have to hit the ‘Update’ button several times until all of its components are installed.
Disclaimer: some functions of this tool are not free.
However, if you can hear the sound normally, the issue is probably not driver-related. If that’s the case, check out the next solution.
Solution 2 – Reset Audio Service
Some users who experienced this issue in previous versions of Windows told us that simple restarting of the audio service does the trick, so that’s what we’re going to do here. To restart your Audio service, do the following:
- Go to Search, type services.msc, and go to Services.
- Find Windows Audio, right click on it, and go to Properties.
- First, make sure that Startup type is set to Automatic.
- Then, click on Stop, and wait for the process to stop.
- Now, click to Start again.
- Restart your computer, and check if the issue is resolved.
Solution 3 – Perform an SFC scan
If Volume Control is not working, you might be able to fix it by performing an SFC scan. Sometimes your files might get corrupted and that can prevent Volume Control from working properly. However, you can fix this problem by following these steps:
- Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. If the Command Prompt isn’t available, you can also use PowerShell (Admin).
- When Command Prompt opens, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter to run it.
- SFC scan will now start. The scan can take 10-15 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.
After the SFC scan is finished, your files will be repaired and Volume Control should start working again.
If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, then you better take a closer look on this guide.
scannow command has stopped before the process finished? Don’t worry, we’ve got an easy fix for you.
Solution 4 – Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
Sometimes you can fix this problem simply by running Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. If Volume Control is not working, you might be able to fix it by following these steps:
- Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
- When Settings app opens, navigate to the Update & security section.
- Select Troubleshoot from the menu on the left. In the right pane, select Hardware and Devices and click the Run the troubleshooter button.
- The troubleshooter will now start and check for problems.
After the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem still appears.
If you’re having trouble opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.
Solution 5 – Reinstall audio drivers
Sometimes Volume Control isn’t working due to your drivers. Your drivers can become corrupted, and the best way to fix them is to reinstall them. This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:
- Open Device Manager. You can do that quickly by pressing Windows Key + X and choosing Device Manager from the list.
- Find the problematic device and right-click it. Choose Uninstall device from the menu.
- Click on Uninstall button to remove it.
Users are suggesting to uninstall Speaker Audio device from Audio inputs and outputs section and your audio device from Sound, video and game controllers section. After doing that, you can click on Scan for hardware changes icon or restart your PC to reinstall the drivers.
Once your drivers are reinstalled, the problems with Volume Control should be completely resolved.
Windows can’t automatically find and download new drivers? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Solution 6 – Check if your Audio Manager is enabled
Sometimes you might experience problems with audio because your driver software isn’t running. If Volume Control is not working on your PC, you might want to check if your Audio Manager is enabled.
To do that, follow these steps:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start Task Manager.
- When Task Manager opens, go to the Startup tab. You should now see the list of all startup applications. Look for Audio Manager on the list. If it’s disabled, right click it and choose Enable from the menu.
- After enabling your Audio Manager, restart your PC.
Once your PC restarts, check if the issue still appears. Keep in mind that some audio devices don’t require Audio Manager in order to work, so if you can’t find Audio Manager on the list, this solution doesn’t apply to you.
Can’t open Task Manager? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.
Solution 7 – End SndVol.exe process
Many users reported that SndVol.exe process can cause this issue to occur. If Volume Control is not working on your PC, you might be able to solve the problem simply by ending SndVol.exe process. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Task Manager.
- List of all active processes will appear. Locate SndVol.exe or Volume Mixer, right click it and choose End Task.
- Close Task Manager.
After ending the problematic process the issue should be resolved and Volume Control will start working. Keep in mind that this is just a workaround, so you’ll have to repeat it whenever this issue occurs.
Solution 8 – Change the font size
According to users, this problem can appear due to your text size. If Volume Control is not working, you can fix it by doing the following:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to System section.
- Set Change the size of text, apps and other items to any other value.
- Now you just have to log off and log back into your account.
After doing that, your Volume Control icon should start working again. Now repeat the same steps and change the text size to the original value.
Solution 9 – Disable or uninstall your antivirus
Many users reported that this issue was caused by their antivirus software. To fix the problem, you need to disable or uninstall your antivirus. If disabling the antivirus doesn’t help, you might have to uninstall it.
The best way to do that is to download a dedicated uninstaller tool and use it to completely remove your antivirus.
After removing the antivirus, check if the issue is resolved. Many users reported that this problem was caused by Norton antivirus, but other antivirus tools can cause this issue as well.
If you’re a Norton user, we’ve got a dedicated guide on how to completely remove the antivirus from your PC. There’s a similar guide for McAfee users, as well.
If removing your antivirus fixed the problem, you might want to reinstall it or switch to a different antivirus solution.
If you want to switch to a different antivirus solution but you don’t know which is good for you, take a look at article with the best antiviruses available right now.
Solution 10 – Restart Windows Explorer process
If Volume Control is not working on your PC, you might be able to fix it with this workaround. According to users, you can fix this problem simply by restarting Windows Explorer. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Task Manager.
- List of processes will now appear. Locate Windows Explorer, right-click it and choose Restart from the menu.
After Windows Explorer restarts, the problem should be resolved. Keep in mind that this is just a workaround, so if the problem reappears, you’ll have to repeat this solution.
That’s about it, we hope these solutions helped you to solve the problem with missing Volume Control in Windows 10.
If you have any other sound-related issues in Windows 10, you should check out our article about solving audio problems in Windows 10, for some additional solutions.
Also, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, just reach for the comment section below, and we’ll try to assist you further.
READ ALSO:
- No sound after Realtek driver update? Here’s how to fix this issue
- How to fix high pitch sound from speakers on Windows 10
- How to add a sound equalizer for Windows 10
- Fix: “Another app is controlling your sound” error on Windows 10
- Sound won’t work on PC
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2015 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
