Fix Low Audio Problem In Windows 11

We have been seeing more and more reports of issues with Windows 11 that complain that the overall PC audio volume is unusually low. This problem occurs for both system sounds and sound in native and third-party applications. To help you fix the problem, low audio problem in Windows 11, I invite you to read our entry.

What causes low audio issue in Windows 11?

After further research into this issue, it turns out that this audio glitch can actually have multiple potential causes. Here is a list of scenarios that can cause unusually low volume output on Windows 11 (21h2 and newer):

• Common inconsistency: It turns out that many of the issues that could be responsible for the low audio problem you're experiencing on Windows 11 are already covered by the automatic fixes available through the Windows XNUMX audio troubleshooter. WindowsBecause of this, the ideal way to start troubleshooting this issue is to run the Audio Troubleshooter and apply the recommended solution.
• Outdated audio driver: If you haven't updated your audio driver for a while and Windows Update can't update it, you are probably experiencing this issue due to using an older version of the audio driver. In this case, you can force the driver version to be updated via the Device administrator.
• The generic driver is partially incompatible: If you are using a generic update (migrated after the upgrade to Windows 11), it is very likely that the low volume behavior will be rectified if it is actually taken There to install the dedicated sound card driver applicable to the motherboard you are using.
• Dedicated audio driver not updated for Windows 11: The opposite scenario to the potential caused detailed above is a scenario where you are using a dedicated driver for which the manufacturer has not yet made it fully compatible with Windows 11In this case, the ideal way to fix it is to uninstall the current dedicated driver and use an equivalent generic driver instead.
• Interfering audio enhancements: It turns out that software-simulated audio enhancements can also cause low volume outputs in Windows 11, especially when using speakers instead of headphones. To fix this particular scenario, you'll need to disable all software-simulated enhancements via Sound Properties.
• BiRate sound format not supported: If you have previously set a studio quality format as the default BitRate for your default audio device, you will experience lower volume when playing lower quality sounds. To avoid this issue, you will need to change the default BitRate sound format from the Sound settings.
• Recent driver or application conflict: as with all the OS, there are a lot of moving parts that could interfere with sound output on your Windows 11 installation. Both drivers and third-party processes can ultimately be responsible for this strange behavior. If this problem started occurring recently, try taking advantage of the latest System Restore snapshot to revert your PC to a state where the problem did not occur.
• System file corruption: According to some affected users, this issue may also be related to some kind of system file corruption. Other users facing the same sound issues have confirmed that they managed to fix the problem completely by implementing SFC and DISM scans in quick succession.
• There is no compatible audio driver for Windows 11: If all else fails, there is always the option of going back to Windows 10. In this case, you are likely using a legacy sound card that is not yet supported by Windows 11. In this situation, the only option unfortunately is to move away from Windows 11.

Methods to fix low audio problem in Windows 11

Now that we have shown you all the possible causes of this problem, let’s move on to the solution part. Below, you will find a number of methods that have proven to be functional for other users who have been dealing with low volume issues on Windows 11.

Run the audio troubleshooter

When you are troubleshooting this particular issue, the first thing you should test is whether your Windows 11 installation can actually fix this problem automatically.

As it turns out, Microsoft is already aware of this issue and software engineers have already pushed a couple of automated fixes aimed at solving the low volume problem on Windows 11.

To take advantage of these automatic solutions, you will need to run the Audio Troubleshooter and apply the recommended solution.

This fix has been confirmed by many affected users, particularly those who upgraded to Windows 11 from Windows 10 instead of performing a clean install of the latest OS.

Follow the instructions below to run the Audio Troubleshooter and apply the recommended solution on Windows 11:

• Start by pressing Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run.
• Next, type «ms-settings: troubleshoot»And press Log in to open the tab Troubleshooting the Settings app.
• In the  Solve problems, go to the section on the right of the screen and click on Other troubleshooters (At Options).

• In the next menu, go to Most frequent and click the button Run associate with Play audio.

• Once you run this troubleshooter, wait patiently until the initial investigation phase is completed.
• Next, select the device you are currently using as the default audio device.

• After implementing this scan, wait while the utility analyzes your audio device for problems.
• If a problem is identified, you will be recommended a repair strategy. Follow the on-screen prompts (click 'Yes, apply correction " or " Yes, open *menu ') and follow the recommendations.

• Restart your computer and see if the error no longer occurs once the next startup is complete.

If you are still experiencing low audio volume on your Windows 11 computer, move down to the next potential solution below.

Update the audio driver

If the troubleshooter didn't make a difference in your case, the next thing you should do is make sure that the audio driver you are currently using is updated to the latest version available.

Normally, Windows Update should automatically update and maintain this driver without any further action on your part. But in certain situations, you get stuck with an outdated audio driver that is not compatible with your current OS version.

Several users who are dealing with this issue reported that the problem was finally fixed after they used Device Manager to force the driver to update from the Properties screen of the device. high definition audio device. 

This is what to do:

• Start by pressing Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then write 'devmgmt.msc' and press Log in to open Device Manager.
• If you are prompted for the window User Account Control, click Yes to grant administrator access.
• once you're inside from Device Manager, Scroll down through the list of installed programs and expand the drop-down menu Sound, video and game controllers.
• Inside the menu Sound, video and game controllers, right click on your high definition audio driver.
• From the context menu that just appeared, click on Properties

• Then from the screen Properties, click on Driver using the menu at the top, then click the button Update Driver.

• Now from the next screen click on Searchar drivers automatically.

• Wait and see if a new version of the audio driver is identified. If a new version is identified, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of the new driver version.

Nota: If Device Manager can't find a new version of the driver, click Check for updated drivers in Windows Update. Sometimes this method produces results in situations where a simple driver scan through Device Manager doesn't.

If a new audio driver is installed, take the time to restart your PC and see if the low audio issue is resolved the next time you start your Windows 11 computer.

If the same type of problem continues, move on to the next possible solution below.

Install the dedicated sound card driver

If the above method didn't work for you and you are using a generic driver, the next thing you need to do is install the dedicated sound card driver from the manufacturer's website.

This is recommended in situations where you are using an MSI or Lenovo laptop - these manufacturers typically use hardware audio which will cause problems with generic drivers.

Nota: Also stay away from generic drivers if you are using a dedicated sound card.

Please note that instructions for finding and installing the dedicated sound card driver will differ depending on the manufacturer, so you will need to consult.

To provide you with a guide, we have reviewed the instructions you will need to follow when you want to install the dedicated sound card driver.

This is what to do:

• Open your preferred browser and go to your manufacturer's driver download page.

Nota: If you are experiencing this issue on a laptop, please visit the download page and search for your particular model.

• Once you are inside the download page of your laptop/motherboard model, go to the tab Driver and download the recommended audio driver.

• When the download is complete, unzip the driver and install it

Nota: Depending on the shooting format, you will need to right click and click Install (if it is an INF file) or just double click (if it is an .exe file)

• Follow the on-screen instructions to install the dedicated audio driver, then restart your PC and see if the problem is resolved once the next startup is complete.
• In case you are still experiencing low audio volume on Windows 11 despite updating (or replacing) your audio driver, move on to the next method below.

Uninstall the audio driver (use a generic equivalent)

There is one more scenario that could be causing low audio volume on Windows 11. According to other affected users, you can expect to deal with this issue if you are using a dedicated audio driver that was migrated from Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 after you upgraded the operating system to the latest version instead of performing a clean install of Windows 11.

In this case, it's likely that the dedicated driver you're using is not fully compatible with Windows 11. To fix this issue, you'll need to uninstall the current dedicated driver and revert to a generic audio equivalent.

If you are looking for specific instructions on how to do this, please follow the instructions below:

• Press Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run.
• Then write 'devmgmt.msc' and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Device Manager with administrator access.
• In the indicator User Account Control (UAC), Click on Yes to grant administrator access.
• Within from Device Manager, scroll down through the list of installed drivers and expand the drop-down menu associated with sound, video and game controllers.

• Right click on the dedicated audio driver and select Properties in the context menu that just appeared.
• In the Properties menu of your audio driver, go to Controller and click Uninstall device.
• Then, in the confirmation message, check the box associated with  Try to remove the driver for this device  and click Uninstall.
• Once the driver is uninstalled, simply restart your PC. During the next startup, your Windows 11 installation will notice that there is no active driver handling audio and will automatically install and enable a generic driver.
• After your PC restarts, see if the low audio issue is fixed.

If the same type of problem persists, move down to the next potential solution below.

Disables all Sound Properties enhancements

If you've come this far without a viable solution, the next thing you need to investigate is the selection of Sound enhancements that you currently have enabled.

Many different Windows 11 users complaining about low audio volume reported that the issue was resolved after disabling all audio enhancements.

If you want specific instructions to disable all Sound Properties enhancements, follow the steps below to disable them completely:

Nota: If you are using a dedicated audio card, it will most likely come with its own audio enhancement options. In this scenario, you should disable them from the dedicated utility because disabling the Windows equivalents will not solve the problem.

Note 2: If you are using SRS Premium Sound or SRS Premium Sound, you will need to uncheck the box associated with Audio Enhancement within the dedicated application to fix the problem.

• Start by pressing Windows key + R to open a Run dialog box.
• Then write "control" inside the Run box and press Log in to open the Control Panel.
• Within the Control Panel, Use the search function in the top right corner to search Sound.
• In the next menu, click Sound From the results.
• Once you are inside the screen Sound, make sure the Playback tab is is selected, then right-click the playback device you are experiencing the problem with and choose Properties in the context menu.
• In the Properties screen for your default audio device, select the tab Improvements (from the horizontal menu) and check the box associated with Disable all enhancements.
• Finally, click on Apply To save the changes.
• Restart your PC and see if the issue is resolved once the next startup sequence completes.

In case you are still experiencing the low audio issue even though you have disabled all virtual enhancements, move down to the next potential solution below.

Change the BitRate sound format

If none of the other fixes above have been effective and you are using a high-end sound system or headphones, the low volume audio issue you are experiencing could be related to the fact that your Windows settings regarding streaming format and quality are insufficient for the active playback device.

In this case, you should be able to fix the problem by accessing the settings of Sound and modifying the default format for you to use the Highest sampling rate available (24-bit – 48000 Hz).

This solution has been confirmed to be effective for many users who are experiencing this issue immediately after upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10.

In the vast majority of cases, this issue was resolved after they increased the default streaming format to study quality.

To do this, follow the instructions below for specific instructions on how to do this:

• Press Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run.
• From the menu that just appeared, type 'mmsys.cpl' inside the text box and press Log in to open the settings Sound.

Nota: If you see the notice User Account Control (UAC), Click on Yes to grant administrator access.

• Within the settings of Sound, access the Playback Device from the horizontal menu at the top.
• In the next menu, right-click on the audio device you are currently using and click Properties in the context menu.
• Inside the menu Speaker Properties, click the Advanced tab from the ribbon menu at the top.
• On the next screen, go to Default format and change the dropdown menu to 24-bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality).
• Click on Apply To save the changes.

• Once the sound quality has been adjusted, restart your PC and see if the low volume sound issues on Windows 11 are now fixed.

If the same problem persists despite following the instructions below, move down to the next potential solution below.

Use a system restore point

If you've come this far without a viable solution, another scenario you should explore is a case of driver incompatibility (especially if this issue started occurring after you installed or updated an app).

If you only started seeing this problem recently after applying a particular change (a new driver installation, a driver swap, a new program installation, etc.), it might not hurt to start using System Restore to restore your computer to a state where this conflict was not occurring.

Nota: You can do this only if your system is configured to create and save new restore snapshots at important system events. Unless you have modified this default behavior, you should have plenty of restore snapshots to choose from.

This operation will allow you to return your PC to a previous time when this problem did not occur.

Once you have used the above guide to restore your PC to a healthy point, see if the low volume issue still persists in Windows 11.

If the problem is still not resolved, please move on to the next method below.

Implement SFC and DISM scans

In case you have reached this point without a viable solution, the last thing you need to do is investigate a possible case of system file corruption that ends up affecting the audio outputs.

Unless you want to go the third-party route, the logical choice would be to use a couple of built-in utilities (SFC and DISM).

Nota: These two built-in utilities are capable of fixing system file corruption that could be affecting your operating system's ability to address dependencies used by Windows Update.

Information: System File Checker y Deployment Image Servicing and Management are two integrated tools that are equipped to repair the most common instances of corruption that can trigger this type of error.

Ideally, you should start with a System File Checker Scan, since it does not require a stable Internet connection.

Nota: System File Checker uses a locally stored cache to replace corrupted system file items with healthy equivalents. Do not stop this process until it is complete to prevent additional logical errors from occurring.

• If you are using a traditional HDD instead of a SSD more modern, expect this process to take up to an hour or more (depending on your read and write speed).

Important: System File Checker scans tend to freeze temporarily. If this happens to you, do not close the window and wait for the real-time scan to return.

• After the SFC scan finally completes, restart your PC and see if the low audio issue is now fixed.
• In case the same problem continues, proceed  Starting a DISM scan.

Nota: DISM uses a subcomponent of Windows Update to replace the corrupt files with undamaged equivalents. Make sure your Internet connection is stable before starting this operation.

• Once you complete the SFC and DISM scans, restart your PC and see if the audio issues with your Windows 11 computer are now fixed.

If the same problem persists, please move down to the final possible solution below.

Go back to Windows 10

If you've gotten this far without any results and you've followed all of the methods above, there's a good chance you're using some kind of legacy audio card that doesn't have a Windows 11 equivalent.

If you are still within the 10 day reversal period, you can simply return to Windows 10. Now, in case this is no longer an option for you, there is nothing you can do to increase your audio volume in Windows 11.