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How to Reset All Audio Settings in Windows 11

Here are three ways to reset the Windows 11 audio settings so you hear the best sound possible

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on October 20, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Reset Volume Levels Reset the Audio Driver Reset Audio Services How to Manage Sound Settings in Windows 11 Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

Reset volume levels: Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer > Reset.Reset audio driver: Roll back, update, or uninstall the driver.Reset audio services: Open Services, right-click Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, then Restart > Yes. This article describes the different reset option you have for your audio devices in Windows 11. You might do this if your audio isn't working well, if you're trying to squeeze the best performance as possible out of your devices, or if you want to stop using custom settings.

How to Reset the Volume for All Your Devices in Windows 11

Follow these steps to reset the volume for all your apps in one go. This will set the volume to 100% for whatever apps are listed in the Settings app. Right-click the sound icon on the taskbar (it's near the clock), and choose Sound settings. Another way to do this is through Settings > System > Sound. Select Volume mixer from the Advanced section. At the bottom of the screen, select Reset.

How to Reset the Audio Driver in Windows 11

There are a few ways to deal with the audio driver, depending on your specific situation: Roll back the audio driver if you recently installed an update, but it caused the audio to stop working or sound worse. Update the audio driver if sounds don't work at all or if you started using a new sound device with your computer. Uninstall the audio driver if there's an issue with sound, but you didn't recently upgrade your sound equipment or install a driver update. This will revert to the basic driver provided by Windows. Here's how to uninstall the audio driver in Windows 11: Open Device Manager, and expand the Sound, video and game controllers category. Double-click or double-tap the device that's having the issue. From the Driver tab, select Uninstall Device, and then Uninstall from the confirmation box. Restart your computer.
If after you log back in, the problem is worse or not fixed, return to Device Manager and go to Action > Scan for hardware changes.

How to Reset Audio Services in Windows 11

There are a couple of services that Windows uses to deal with sound. You can restart these services if you're experiencing abnormal sound quality issues. Search Windows for Services, or use the Run command services.msc. Locate Windows Audio Endpoint Builder from the list, right-click it, and choose Restart.
Select Yes on the prompt to also restart the Windows Audio service.

How to Manage Sound Settings in Windows 11

As the above directions show, all the Windows 11 sound settings are accessible through the Settings app. You can get there in a few ways: Search for Settings from the taskbar.Press WIN+i.Right-click the Start button and choose Settings. Once you're in Settings, select Sound for settings pertaining to output devices, input devices, troubleshooting tools, the volume mixer, and more. Another way to jump directly into the sound settings is to right-click the volume icon in the taskbar and choose Sound settings. From that same menu is Open volume mixer, which will do just that. In the Advanced section for sound, look for More sound settings. There you'll find more options related to your playback devices and sound themes. Here are examples of the available settings you can tweak for better sound on a pair of headphones: Levels: Adjust the volume balance between the left and right side.Enhancements: Boost the lowest frequencies that can be played by your device, turn on Headphone Virtualization to create the illusion of a home theater, or turn on Loudness Equalization to reduce perceived volume differences based on the "understanding of human hearing."Advanced: Change the sample rate and bit depth.Spatial sound: Select the Spatial sound format you want to use.
As you can see in that screenshot, Restore Defaults will reset the settings within that specific tab. No Sounds on Windows 11? Here's How to Fix It FAQ How do I change Windows 11 system sounds? To change Windows 11 system sounds, go to Settings > Sound > More sound settings. Tap the Sounds tab to open a list of Program Events and select the sound you want to change. How do I fix my Windows 11 audio icons? To fix your Windows 11 audio icons, update the relevant drivers (display adapters, sound, video, etc.), disable any audio plug-ins or extensions, and manually choose a default speaker. If you still have problems, run a troubleshooter, then update and restart Windows. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire No Sounds on Windows 11? Here's How to Fix It How to Use Quick Settings in Windows 11 How to Change Brightness in Windows 11 How to Fix Incorrect Windows 11 Audio Icons How to Fix It When the Snipping Tool Isn't Working in Windows 11 How to Fix It When Your Headphones Aren't Working on Windows 10 How to Screen Record with Audio in Windows 11 How to Fix It When Windows 11 Is Stuck in Airplane Mode No Sounds on Windows 10? Here's How to Fix It How to Fix It When the Windows 11 Clock Isn't Showing How to Fix Windows 11 Ethernet Driver Problems How to Remove Chat From Windows 11 How to Reinstall Windows Defender in Windows 11 How to Open File Explorer in Windows 11 Windows 11 Search Not Working? Try These Fixes What to Do When Windows 11 Can't Connect to a Network Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies