Solved Windows 11 broken sound slider

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

Hello...
I suddenly noticed that the sound control slider (near the clock) is broken....it displays a mute symbol, but the sound is there, I just can't raise or lower the volume and can't mute it.
I don't know what exactly triggered this, all I can think of is services as I was trying to optimize them.... however, I started all the services and the problem still exist.

Spunk · Aug 9, 2024

Left click the Volume Icon in the Taskbar by the clock, click the > icon at the Right of the Volume Slider. Here you can choose a Different Audio Playback device, if your Speakers, Headphones or whatever are not selected.
You can also Right click the Volume icon and choose Open Volume Mixer. Make sure the Output Device is your Speakers or Headphones whatever you are using for sound.
Here you can see the various sound devices, like sound from your Browser, and you can adjust that.
If you still have problems Right click the Volume icon in the Taskbar by the clock and choose Troubleshoot Sound Problems.

You can also go to Search and type Control Panel and press Enter.
Go to Sound. Under the Playback tab, select your playback device (ie) Speakers, Headphones etc.
Press the Configure button click the Test button. Do you hear sounds?

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

@Spunk
I don't have a problem with sound as I can hear playback through the speakers... my problem is with the slider
when I click the > icon at the Right of the Volume Slider, there are no playback devices, the list is empty, although through control panel the devices are there, and I can control the sound with the sliders in the playback tab of the properties window.....but it's annoying that I have to do this just to mute/unmute and control volume level....

Ghot · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
there are no playback devices

These are your Playback Devices. When there is sound coming out, you see it in the RED boxes...

For example, here's mine with music coming through the speakers.
The GREEN check mark shows that the speakers are my "default" playback device.

The LG TV is the default playback device for VLC media player, when using it to watch a movie on the TV).

In your picture... see the YELLOW box on lower right. It shows the speakers are "muted" (turned OFF).

When the sound is turned ON... it looks like this...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Sound.png

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

@Ghot

what I meant by "there are no playback devices" is this:

as for the mute button:

it doesn't work it remains muted but the sound is playing back through the speaker...in fact the whole slider doesn't work

and if you notice in this picture:

Despite that my default playback speakers volume is set at 70, it shows as muted in the volume slider near the clock.....the slider is broken

Ghot · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
it doesn't work it remains muted but the sound is playing back through the speaker...in fact the whole slider doesn't work

Open a command prompt as Admin, and run these commands, one at a time...

sfc /scannow

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

Ok...so I managed to isolate the cause to tampering with services....I've done a clean install through Virtual box with untouched services: no issue
then I ran a powershell script to disable a couple of services: no issue

then I ran a batch script to set 3 services to manual [StateRepository, StorSvc, UsoSvc]: Broken slider after reboot

so maybe one of these three services is at fault, and even when trying to revert these to default, the issue remains, and "StateRepository" service is now grayed out and set to "automatic", and you can't change it's startup type....I have a strong suspicion that this is the cause....I'll do a clean install and try only tampering with this service

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

Ghot said:
Open a command prompt as Admin, and run these commands, one at a time...

sfc /scannow

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

I'd rather try to isolate the cause first because this solution might cause me to lose many tweaks that I've done to windows

Ghot · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
Ok...so I managed to isolate the cause to tampering with services....I've done a clean install through Virtual box with untouched services: no issue
the I ran a powershell script to disable a couple of services: no issue

then I ran a batch script to set 3 services to manual [StateRepository, StorSvc, UsoSvc]: Broken slider after reboot

so maybe one of these three services is at fault, and even when trying to revert these to default, the issue remains, and "StateRepository" service is now grayed out and you can't change it's startup type....I have a strong suspicion that this is the cause....I'll do a clean install and try only tampering with this service

You don't really need to mess with 95% of the Services in Windows 10 or Windows 11.
I "disabled" a few for devices I don't have, like a printer or a smart card.

Otherwise... just leave the Services alone.

Ghot · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
I'd rather try to isolate the cause first because this solution might cause me to lose many tweaks that I've done to windows

Those commands won't affect your "tweaks", they just check for corrupt files, not tweaked ones.
I use quite a few tweaks, and those commands never bothered them.
Anyway, you seem to be tracking down the problem, properly.

Here's some other things that may help...

Quickie Eleven Forum Setup Guide for new Members

Quickie Interface tour... Quickie set up... At the top right, click on your name, then choose "Preferences". Then go through everything on the left side. Quickie navigation... Click Forums and choose a subforum, OR... Click Forums, then New Posts or What's New Ranks, Trophies...

www.elevenforum.com

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

Windows 11 Tweaks - Leader Board.

These are tweaks I've seen asked for... many times. They are collected here for easy access. All of these and more can be found in the Eleven Forum Tutorials Make sure to read the "notes" in the various tutorials. App Removals Completely remove Recall...

www.elevenforum.com

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

Ghot said:
You don't really need to mess with 95% of the Services in Windows 10 or Windows 11.
I "disabled" a few for devices I don't have, like a printer or a smart card.

Otherwise... just leave the Services alone.

I never learn

I'm experimenting with lowering the services footprint as much as possible, and learning along this.

garlin · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
Ok...so I managed to isolate the cause to tampering with services....I've done a clean install through Virtual box with untouched services: no issue
the I ran a powershell script to disable a couple of services: no issue

then I ran a batch script to set 3 services to manual [StateRepository, StorSvc, UsoSvc]: Broken slider after reboot

so maybe one of these three services is at fault, and even when trying to revert these to default, the issue remains, and "StateRepository" service is now grayed out and you can't change it's startup type....I have a strong suspicion that this is the cause....I'll do a clean install and try only tampering with this service

Don't disable StateRepository, it's a master database for all UWP apps. Your desktop will be broken.

Ghot · Aug 9, 2024

AsadAlrafidain said:
I never learn
I'm experimenting with lowering the services footprint as much as possible, and learning along this.

Win 10 and Win 11 aren't like Win 7 and before. Leave the Services alone.

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

garlin said:
Don't disable StateRepository, it's a master database for all UWP apps. Your desktop will be broken.

and what do I do if I've aleady tried disabling it? it's now stuck at "automatic" and grayed out

garlin · Aug 9, 2024

Re-install.

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

garlin said:
Re-install.

Windows ?

garlin · Aug 9, 2024

If you tampered with StateRepository, a number of other Windows internal settings may already be broken. There's no point trying to recover a probably messed up Windows.

Since you're playing around with install images, this shouldn't be a difficult exercise.

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

garlin said:
If you tampered with StateRepository, a number of other Windows internal settings may already be broken. There's no point trying to recover a probably messed up Windows.

Since you're playing around with install images, this shouldn't be a difficult exercise.

This already affected my main system...

won't this command help ?

Code:

sfc /scannow

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

garlin · Aug 9, 2024

No, that only attempts to replace missing or corrupted system files. StateRepositoryMachine (SRM) is an entire Service which manages an internal Windows database for all Store (UWP) apps and System Apps (including Client.CBS).

You're going to spend less time re-installing. Also don't play with UsoSvc, it breaks Windows Updates and Store apps.

AsadAlrafidain · Aug 9, 2024

OK....so, depite what @garlin said about the importance of "StateRepository" service (duly noted for the future) it appears this is not the cause, nor the other 2 services of the batchscript (StorSvc, UsoSvc).

after runing my powershell script, it appears disabling one of these servises is the cause:

Code:

    "AJRouter"
    "ALG"
    "AssignedAccessManagerSvc"
    "BDESVC"
    "autotimesvc"
    "CertPropSvc"
    "DiagTrack"
    "PimIndexMaintenanceSvc"
    "DoSvc"
    "dmwappushservice"
    "diagsvc"
    "DPS"
    "WdiServiceHost"
    "WdiSystemHost"
    "MapsBroker"
    "embeddedmode"
    "EntAppSvc"
    "fhsvc"
    "BcastDVRUserService"
    "lfsvc"
    "HvHost"
    "vmickvpexchange"
    "vmicguestinterface"
    "vmicshutdown"
    "vmicheartbeat"
    "vmicvmsession"
    "vmicrdv"
    "vmictimesync"
    "vmicvss"
    "SharedAccess"
    "iphlpsvc"
    "McpManagementService"
    "MessagingService"
    "MSiSCSI"
    "SmsRouter"
    "NaturalAuthentication"
    "Netlogon"
    "NPSMSvc"
    "CscService"
    "WpcMonSvc"
    "SEMgrSvc"
    "PenService"
    "PhoneSvc"
    "Spooler"
    "PrintWorkflowUserSvc"
    "wercplsupport"
    "PcaSvc"
    "RmSvc"
    "TroubleshootingSvc"
    "RasAuto"
    "RasMan"
    "SessionEnv"
    "TermService"
    "UmRdpService"
    "RetailDemo"
    "wscsvc"
    "SensorDataService"
    "SensrSvc"
    "SensorService"
    "ShellHWDetection"
    "SCardSvr"
    "ScDeviceEnum"
    "SCPolicySvc"
    "SNMPTRAP"
    "SharedRealitySvc"
    "WiaRpc"
    "OneSyncSvc"
    "TapiSrv"
    "Themes"
    "UserDataSvc"
    "UnistoreSvc"
    "VacSvc"
    "WalletService"
    "WFDSConMgrSvc"
    "WbioSrvc"
    "FrameServer"
    "FrameServerMonitor"
    "wcncsvc"
    "WerSvc"
    "StiSvc"
    "wisvc"
    "MixedRealityOpenXRSvc"
    "icssvc"
    "spectrum"
    "perceptionsimulation"
    "WpnUserService"
    "PushToInstall"
    "WSearch"
    "Wlansvc"
    "WMPNetworkSvc"
    "workfolderssvc"
    "WwanSvc"
    "XboxGipSvc"
    "XblAuthManager"                           
    "XblGameSave"                             
    "XboxNetApiSvc"

I'll keep trying to narrow it down