You may have been running Windows 10 on your computer for months without any sort of trouble in the features and functionalities. However, if you suddenly started having any of the following problems with the Volume Control in your Window 10, there can be numerous reasons causing this problem.
- The volume Control won’t open at all.
- The volume slider is not working.
- The volume mixer won’t open.
- The Volume icon is not working.
- The volume control keys on the keyboard are not responding.
- The volume control is not showing in the Taskbar.
- The volume control program is not installed.
- The volume control is grayed out.
If you are facing any of the above-mentioned problems in your Windows 10 computer, the possible reasons could be any of the following.
- A recent update in your Windows 10 may have caused the problem.
- You started facing the problem after installing a third-party software.
- A virus or malicious file infected certain files in your Windows 10.
- Software for the volume might be missing in your computer.
- Audio drivers malfunctioned.
- Some files or folders in the Windows 10 are missing or corrupt.
In order to fix the problem and make the volume control work again, follow the suggestions provided below.
Guide to Fix Volume Control Not Working in Windows 10
1.) Run the System File Checker Tool (SFC.exe)
In most of the cases, the problem is with the corrupt Windows system files which cause such issues. In order to restore corrupted files, you will need to run the System File Checker tool in your Windows 10 computer. Here are the steps:
- Start by opening the command prompt in your Windows 10 computer. For this. Click on the Start option and enter Command Prompt or cmd in the Search
- Right-click on the Command Prompt option in the search result and select Run as administrator
NOTE: If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, enter the password, or click Allow.
- Next, before running the System File Checker, you will need to first run the inbox Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DSIM) tool. You will need to enter the following command: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
NOTE: When you run this command, DISM uses Windows Update to call the files that are needed to fix corruptions. However, if your Windows Update client is already not working, you will need to use a running Windows installation as the repair source. Alternatively, you can use a Windows side-by-side folder via network share or using a removable media like Windows DVD. For this, you will need to run the following command instead of the aforementioned: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess
Here, you will need to replace the C:\RepairSource\Windows with the location of the repair source that you will use.
- After that, in the command prompt, enter the following command and then press ENTER: sfc /scannow.
- The sfc /scannow command will start scanning all the system protected files on your computer and replace the corrupt files with a cached copy which is found in the compressed folder at %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.
NOTE: Do not close the Command Prompt window unit the scanning gets 100% completed. You will see the result after the process gets finished.
- Once the scanning process gets completed, you may see one of the following messages on your computer screen:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations
This message means that there are no missing or corrupted system files in your computer.
- Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation:
To fix this issue, you will need to run the System File Checker scan in safe mode. While doing so, make sure that the PendingDeletes and PendingRenames folders are present under %WinDir%\WinSxS\Temp.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log
This means that the System File Checker tool has found and repaired the corrupt files successfully.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log
In such case, you will need to repair the corrupted files manually. Simply check details of the System File Checker process to see the corrupted file. After that, replace the corrupted file with a good copy manually.
2.) Install Sound Drivers
If even after running the System File Checker, you are unable to fix the volume controller, installing the sound driver may help fix the problem.
- In your Taskbar, right-click on the speaker icon and select Playback devices from the list of options that appears on your screen. You will be directed to the Playback tab under the Soundbox.
- In the Playback tab, you will need to double-click on the default playback device.
- Next, click on the Properties option under Controller information.
- Go to Change Settings and then go to the Driver
- Here, you will see a couple of option in the driver tab. Start by updating your driver by clicking on the Update Driver
NOTE: If the sound driver for your sound card is not available, try searching for it online and install it.
- After that, simply restart your computer and see if this fixed the problem.
3.) Recover the Volume Button
If the volume controller icon is missing in the Taskbar, you can get it back by following the step-by-step instructions provided below.
- Go to the Taskbar on your computer and right-click on the open area of your Taskbar.
- From the list of options, click on the Task Manager This will open up a Task Manager window on your screen.
NOTE: When you open up the Task Manager window, if you don’t see the full-fledged screen on in the window, click on the More Details to expand it.
- Next, you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the window to locate the Windows Explorer
- Simply click on the Windows Explorer option and click on the Restart button that appears on the bottom-right corner of the window. Alternatively, you can right-click on the Windows Explorer option and select Restart option from the list that appears on the screen.
- After that, wait for a couple of seconds. The volume control will reappear in the Taskbar.
So, these are the ways that will help you fix the “volume controller” problem in your Windows 10 computer.