FIX: Taskbar volume icon not working on Windows 10

by Ivan Jenic

Troubleshooting Expert

Last update:March 3, 2021

Affiliate Disclosure

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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 the taskbar volume icon can occur. Speaking of issues, these are some of the problems that we’ll address in this article:

• Taskbar volume icon won’t open – One common problem that you can experience is the inability to open the controls. 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 icon 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.
• Taskbar volume icon 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.

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What can I do if the taskbar volume icon is not working?

1. Install Sound Drivers
2. Reset Audio Service
3. Use a third-party audio enhancer
4. Perform an SFC scan
5. Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
6. Reinstall audio drivers
7. Check if your Audio Manager is enabled
8. End SndVol.exe process
9. Change the font size
10. Disable or uninstall your antivirus
11. Restart Windows Explorer process

1. Install Sound Drivers

1. Right click on the speaker icon in your taskbar, and go to Playback devices.
   
2. Double click on your default playback device.
   
3. Under Controller information, click Properties.
   
4. Now, go to Change Settings, and go to the Driver tab.
   
5. 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.
6. Restart your computer.

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.

Update your drivers automatically

Issues with your audio devices most oftenly stem from issues with their respective drivers, either because they are broken, outdated, or missing altogether, in which ase you need to do something.

Although manually updating them is indeed a choice, it takes time, and there is a high chance you end up installing the wrong driver, or one that isn’t the latest. That is when a good third-party tool can become useful.

2. Reset the Audio Service

1. Go to Search, type services.msc, and go to Services.
   
2. Find Windows Audio, right-click on it, and go to Properties.
   
3. First, make sure that Startup type is set to Automatic.
   
4. Then, click on Stop, and wait for the process to stop.
   
5. Now, click Start again.
   
6. Restart your computer, and check if the issue is resolved.

Some users who experienced this issue in previous versions of Windows told us that simply restarting the audio service does the trick, so that’s what we’re going to do here. To restart your Audio service, do the following:

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3. Use Boom 3D

One other way to access the volume of your audio is using a substitute to the volume control. Therefore, we present to you, a great sound enhancing software that can do it, and much more.

The app enhances all the audio coming from your PC, including movies, music, recordings, game sounds, random systems sounds and alerts, and pretty much any type of audio.

We’re talking about Boom 3D, a great and feature-rich audio enhancer software. You won’t be dissapined after using it. The volume control and the other features are easy to use and accessible.

⇒ Get Boom 3D

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4. Perform an SFC scan

1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu.
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.
3. If the Command Prompt isn’t available, you can also use PowerShell (Admin).
4. When Command Prompt opens, enter the following command and press Enter: sfc/scannow
   
5. The SFC scan will now start.
6. The scan can take 10-15 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.

If the taskbar volume icon 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 the volume icon from working properly.

After the SFC scan is finished, your files will be repaired and the taskbar volume icon should start working again.

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5. Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
2. When the Settings app opens, navigate to the Update & security section.
   
3. Select Troubleshoot from the menu on the left. In the right pane, select Hardware and Devices
4. Then click the Run the troubleshooter button.
   
5. The troubleshooter will now start and check for problems.

Sometimes you can fix this problem simply by running Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. If the volume icon on the taskbar is not working, you might be able to fix it by following these steps:

After the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem still appears.

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If the Troubleshooter stops before completing the process, fix it with this complete guide.

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6. Reinstall audio drivers

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Press the Windows Key + X and choose Device Manager from the list.
   
3. Find the problematic device and right-click it.
4. Choose Uninstall device from the menu.
   
5. Click on the Uninstall button to remove it.
   

Sometimes the taskbar volume icon isn’t working due to your drivers. Your drivers can become corrupted, and the best way to fix them is to reinstall them.

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 the taskbar volume icon should be completely resolved.

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7. Check if your Audio Manager is enabled

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start Task Manager.
2. When Task Manager opens, go to the Startup tab.
3. You should now see the list of all startup applications.
4. Look for Audio Manager on the list.
5. Right-click it and choose Enable from the menu.
   
6. After enabling your Audio Manager, restart your PC.

Sometimes you might experience problems with audio because your driver software isn’t running. If the taskbar volume icon is not working on your PC, you might want to check if your Audio Manager is enabled.

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.

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Can’t open Task Manager? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.

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8. End the SndVol.exe process

1. Open Task Manager.
2. A list of all active processes will appear.
3. Locate SndVol.exe or Volume Mixer.
4. Right-click it and choose End Task.
   
5. Close Task Manager.

Many users reported that SndVol.exe process can cause the issue. If the volume icon is not working on your PC, you might be able to solve the problem simply by ending SndVol.exe process.

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.

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9. Change the font size

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to System section.
   
2. Set Change the size of text, apps and other items to any other value.
   
3. Now you just have to log off and log back into your account.

According to users, this problem can appear due to your text size. After applying the solution, your taskbar volume icon should start working again. Now repeat the same steps and change the text size to the original value.

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10. 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. We recommend using IObit Uninstaller, as it is a really good program.

IObit makes uninstalling your software a piece of cake. No longer will you need to search and uninstall the program through the Control Panel, because the app will find and list every single program you have.

In addition, it will make sure there are no leftover files that will clog your computer for no reason. You’ll be left with no traces of the program after the uninstallation, thus completely removing it from your computer.

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.

⇒ Get IObit Uninstaller

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11. Restart Windows Explorer process

1. Open Task Manager.
2. A list of processes will now appear.
3. Locate Windows Explorer, right-click it and choose Restart from the menu.
   

If the taskbar volume icon is still unavailable, you might be able to fix it with this workaround. According to users, you can fix this problem simply by restarting Windows Explorer.

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.

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That’s about it, we hope these solutions helped you to solve the problem with the taskbar volume icon in Windows 10.

While the long list of solutions might discourage some users from trying to fix this problem by themselves, rest assured, the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

We’re sure you’ll manage to fix this taskbar volume issue quickly and enjoy a clear and pristine audio experience on Windows 10.

Also, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, just reach for the comment section below, and we’ll try to assist you further.

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