New Laptop with no Audio Control Panel available.

Mooly · Jun 6, 2022

Although I have basic audio available there is nothing in control panel beyond the 'Sounds' button. I was expecting to see either Dell Audio or Realtek or something along those lines. Typing (searching the PC) for anything Dell Audio/Realtek etc brings nothing up.

All I seem to have appear be default Windows options for audio.

Device Manager does show that a Realtek Driver is in use but perhaps that is a default one and I also notice that 'Programs and Features' has no Realtek application showing.

If I look c:\dell drivers I can see an Audio folder and if I drill down far enough there appears to be a Realtek Driver/Application.

Is it possible this needs running to install it and if so why would that not have been done. This is all new out of the box.

Bree · Jun 6, 2022

Mooly said:
.....there is nothing in control panel beyond the 'Sounds' button.

Your first port of call these days should be the Settings app rather than Control Panel, but old habit die hard.

The Control Panel is getting smaller as more and more options are being migrated to the Settings app. Look in Settings > System > Sound for controls such as the Volume Mixer. For each setting the > to the right indicates you will be taken to another page in the Settings app when you click on it. The box with a 'link away' arrow in it, such as the one to the right of 'More sound settings' indicates that it will open a control panel applet outside Settings, in this case the one for Sounds.

Mooly said:
If I look c:\dell drivers I can see an Audio folder and if I drill down far enough there appears to be a Realtek Driver/Application.

The app you see there is Setup.exe, all this would do is install the Realtek drivers (which you have said are already installed). You can also find that the Realtek drivers may get updated through Windows Update.

Mooly · Jun 6, 2022

Thanks Bree, those images are much appreciated.

So my 'Sound' Window looks identical to yours, same for 'Volume Mixer'. I have Realtek (R) just as in yours.

I have a couple of Realtek updates showing.

On my 10 year old Dell when I have clean installed Windows and added the Realtek Driver I have a Dell audio control panel available. It has settings to enhance audio for example (like a 'loudness' feature to boost bass and treble) and lots of other settings for audio. I was expecting to see something similar here tbh.

So would you say what I see here looks correct?

Fabler2 · Jun 6, 2022

Is there nothing showing in the all apps list such as DTS: or B&O for example?

Mooly · Jun 6, 2022

Nope, nothing at like that... but you have given me an idea....

I've just plugged headphones in to see if that triggers anything and it has. Something called Dell Optimizer which has an Audio tab on it. This looks more like it. On my old laptop the driver I think was a Dell tweaked and personalized one adding the sort of things I'm seeing here.

So this could be what I've been looking for, its hiding under a totally different sort of label.

Bree · Jun 6, 2022

Mooly said:
On my 10 year old Dell when I have clean installed Windows and added the Realtek Driver I have a Dell audio control panel available. It has settings to enhance audio for example (like a 'loudness' feature to boost bass and treble) and lots of other settings for audio. I was expecting to see something similar here tbh.

According to the spec sheet for the Dell 7760 Mobile Precision 17" in your system specs, it should have been supplied with 'MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves' installed. That should be where you'll find all the audio controls you are looking for.

https://www.delltechnologies.com/asset/en-us/products/workstations/technical-support/precision-7760-spec-sheet.pdf

In fact, I gave my Dell Latitude 5410 a clean install of Windows 11 so by default it had none of the Dell OEM utilities installed. Windows Update shows that there is as optional update from Waves for my machine, I think I may let it install.....

.

Edit: no, that wasn't it. Apparently to get MaxxAudio Pro for my Dell I should go to the Store. You shouldn't need to do that, you should already have it.

apps.38941.13516822013134180.f4849af2-cf0f-47d4-b9b7-65a32aa10b08.a36a85b1-3ece-4ecd-a6bc-480d64d9f07e

Waves MaxxAudio Pro for Dell - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

MaxxAudio® is a suite of advanced audio enhancement tools from Waves that brings award-winning technologies to consumer electronics devices. MaxxAudio® offers end users unparalleled sound performance, whether they are playing a game, watching a movie, listening to music, or using online voice...

apps.microsoft.com

Mooly · Jun 6, 2022

Bree said:
According to the spec sheet for the Dell 7760 Mobile Precision 17" in your system specs, it should have been supplied with 'MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves' installed.

Good detective work

You're right, looking at the order confirmation details and it is listed.

Nothing comes up searching for that on the PC that I can see. I'll have a think, its not mission critical but it would be interesting to know what Dell say. Like you I'll probably clean install at some point.

Mooly · Jun 6, 2022

Hmmm. Program Files.

One to investigate tomorrow.

Mooly · Jun 7, 2022

Just posting this for interest...

Dell seem to have various reports of 'problems' with Wave audio when I did a bit of research.

Task Manager shows Waves is enabled.

System Configuration shows it up and running.

Computer Management shows it up and running.

So where is it? That is the big question

Tbh I'm not to fussed at this point but it is a bit of a puzzle.

Fabler2 · Jun 7, 2022

Mooly said:
Just posting this for interest...

Dell seem to have various reports of 'problems' with Wave audio when I did a bit of research.

Task Manager shows Waves is enabled.

View attachment 30900

System Configuration shows it up and running.

View attachment 30901

Computer Management shows it up and running.

View attachment 30902

So where is it? That is the big question

Tbh I'm not to fussed at this point but it is a bit of a puzzle.

Try a reinstall,

Waves MaxxAudio Pro for Dell - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

MaxxAudio® is a suite of advanced audio enhancement tools from Waves that brings award-winning technologies to consumer electronics devices. MaxxAudio® offers end users unparalleled sound performance, whether they are playing a game, watching a movie, listening to music, or using online voice...

apps.microsoft.com

Mooly · Jun 7, 2022

Fabler2 said:
Try a reinstall,

That is always an option. At this present moment I'll do a bit more digging, perhaps even asking Dell to see what they might say seeing as this is effectively in an 'out of the box' condition.