You may be experiencing an issue with the volume mixer on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer whereby the volume keeps muting automatically after a while even when you unmute sound/audio and set it according to your preference. In this post, we provide the most applicable solutions affected PC users can try to resolve the issue.
Volume keeps muting automatically on Windows PC
If the Volume keeps muting automatically when using your Windows 11/10 computer, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to resolve the issue on your system.
- Run Playing Audio Troubleshooter
- Update/Reinstall audio/sound drivers
- Perform System Restore
- Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
- Turn off Dolby Digital Plus Audio
Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions. But before you try the solutions below, check for updates and install any available bits on your system and see if that helps. If it doesn’t, we suggest you run an SFC scan.
1] Run Playing Audio Troubleshooter
The Windows 11/10 operating system ships with several troubleshooters that can be used to detect and solve different problems on your system. One of these troubleshooters can be used for any issues with your audio like the Volume keeps muting automatically.
To run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter on your Windows 11 PC, do the following:
- Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Under the Most frequent menu, find Playing Audio.
- Click the Run button.
- Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.
To run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter on your Windows 10 PC, do the following:
- Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- Go to Update and Security.
- Click the Troubleshooter tab.
- Scroll down and click on Playing Audio.
- Click the Run the troubleshooter button.
- Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.
In most cases especially normal issues, unless the Troubleshooters are not working, the troubleshooter should be able to resolve the issue based on the basic recommended steps.
Read: Make Windows run Troubleshooters automatically when required
2] Update/Reinstall audio/sound drivers
Outdated, missing, or corrupt audio drivers could be the culprit, in which case, you will have to make sure your audio drivers are updated or reinstalled the drivers. To download the audio driver for your Windows 11/10 PC, you can try any of the following options:
- Manually update the audio driver via Device Manager if you have already downloaded the .inf or .sys file for the driver.
- Update driver via Command Prompt.
- In Windows Update, get the driver updates in the Optional Updates section.
- Visit the audio hardware manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of the driver.
- Use any of the free Driver Update software to update your audio driver on your system automatically.
However, if the latest drivers are installed but the issue in hand persists, you can roll back the driver or download and install an earlier version of the driver. If both updating and/or rolling back the driver didn’t work, you can uninstall the audio driver, and then restart your PC. On boot, Windows will scan for hardware changes and automatically reinstall the generic driver for the audio device which should resolve the issue, but expect possible limited functionality.
Read: Windows Audio Service needs to restart at login to get sound back
4] Perform System Restore
Assuming the volume on your PC was working perfectly fine up until now, the issue you are currently facing may have been caused by a change that your system has gone through recently that you are not aware of, which could be some sort of update that might not be related to the sound card, but ended up breaking the sound adapter functionality. In this case, you can use System Restore to return to an earlier date before when the issue started.
To perform System Restore, do the following:
- Press Windows key + R. to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type rstrui and hit Enter to launch the System Restore Wizard.
- At the initial screen of System Restore, click Next.
- At the next screen, check the box associated with Show more restore points.
- Now, select a restore point before when you noticed the issue on your device.
- Click Next to advance to the next menu.
- Click Finish and confirm at the final prompt.
At the next system startup, your older computer state will be enforced. The issue at hand should be resolved now. The catch here is, that any changes like application installs, user preferences, and anything else made after the restore point will be lost.
Read: Automatically mute audio on System Lock with WinMute on Windows 10
4] Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
This should be your last option after you have tried all other suggestions including restoring your system to an earlier point. If your sound card is faulty or bad which could lead to malfunctioning, you’re likely to be having the issue in highlight. In this case, you may need to replace the audio adapter; but first, we suggest you run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter to determine if the hardware component is indeed faulty. You can replace the internal sound card (you may require the services of a PC hardware technician) or you can simply opt for an external USB sound card.
5] Turn off Dolby Digital Plus Audio
- Open the Run command box and enter the ‘mmsys.cpl’ command. This will open your Sound Properties
- Here, select your primary audio output device and click on Properties
- This will open its respective properties.
- Click on the ‘Dolby’ tab and turn it off
See if this helps. If not, reverse the changes made.
Read: Keyboard Volume keys not working in Windows
I hope this helps!
These posts might interest you:
- How to stop Microphone from auto-adjusting
- Volume increases or decreases automatically
- Low Volume feature automatically lowers the volume
Why does my volume go down by itself on Windows 11?
There could be several reasons why the volume goes down by itself on your Windows 11/10 PC. You can do the following: Open Control Panel. In the Control Panel, select small icons and click on the “Sound” option. Select the current speaker and click on “Properties” in the next window, go to the “Improvements” tab, and make sure all options are unchecked.
Read: Windows speaker stuck on Mute
Why does my computer audio keep muting itself?
Usually, an internal or external microphone sets itself to mute automatically due to the incorrect sound settings. Even if you haven’t modified those settings, they might have been changed automatically after installing some updates or malware infection.
Why does the volume mixer keep changing Windows 11?
If your volume mixer keeps resetting continuously, you can try to uninstall and reinstall your sound drivers on your Windows 11/10 PC. Also, you can open Settings, click on System, select Sound, and under Other sound options, click App Volume and device preferences. At the top, you’ll see a slider to control the system master volume and adjust all sounds per your requirements.
Also read:
- Microphone keeps muting itself
- Volume icon shows Mute even when Sound is not
- Audio and Video play and pause automatically
Why does my HP laptop keep muting itself?
If your HP laptop keeps muting itself, it could be due to a driver issue. In that case, you can simply try and update your audio driver directly from the manufacturer’s website. Check the HP website and see the list of updated drivers compatible with Windows 11/10. Install the driver and that should get the issue resolved for you.
Why are my headphones muting themselves?
Sometimes, the automatic muting issues can extend to third-party, attached microphones as well. Sometimes, your earphones and headphones can get muted automatically too, and the solution(s) to that is the same as the ones discussed.
How do I fix ‘MIC muted by system settings’ in Google Meet?
A common error in Google Meet is when a notification box says, “Your system settings have muted your mic”. It is very easy to patch this problem up. All you have to do is open your computer’s volume mixer and adjust your mic’s volume level. On Windows computers, the volume mixer is found on the Taskbar, so simply click on it and unmute your mic.
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