Sounds admx on Windows Server 2012

Question

Hello, we're having issue with Enhanced Audio Options in Windows Sound settings. The immediate issue is that Teams call audio is non-existing - only seems to be an issue within Teams - however, we've found resolution in manually toggling Enhanced Audio Options off. I'm looking into pushing this setting selection through group policy; however, it appears Windows Server 2012r does not have the Sounds admx. I've checked online for an updated admx, but does not seem to be available on this os. Any help with pushing this out would be beneficial as we have a couple hundred endpoints to address this issue on.

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

It sounds like you're dealing with an issue related to the Enhanced Audio Options setting in the Windows Sound settings that affects Teams call audio, and you want to automate disabling this feature across a number of endpoints using Group Policy. Unfortunately, as you noted, Windows Server 2012 R2 doesn’t come with the "Sound" ADMX templates by default, and there isn't an updated version of the templates available for this OS.

That being said, you can still manage and control audio settings via registry keys, and you can push these changes through Group Policy to the endpoints. Here’s how you can approach it:

Option 1: Use Group Policy to Push Registry Settings

The Enhanced Audio Options setting is related to specific audio configuration registry keys. If you want to disable "Enhanced Audio Options," you can use Group Policy Preferences to deploy the appropriate registry setting.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Identify the Correct Registry Key:

Based on your description, the Enhanced Audio Options setting is tied to audio configuration that can be controlled via registry. You can usually find registry keys related to audio enhancements in the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Multimedia\Sound Mapper

The exact key for "Enhanced Audio Options" might differ depending on your system version and setup, but often it’s associated with the DisableEnhancements key.

Example registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio

DWORD DisableEnhancements → Set to 1 to disable audio enhancements.

2. Deploy via Group Policy Preferences:

a. Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) on your Windows Server 2012 R2 machine. b. Navigate to User Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Registry. c. Right-click and select New → Registry Item. d. In the dialog box: - Action: Select Create (or Update if you already have this key and want to update its value). - Hive: Select HKEY_CURRENT_USER. - Key Path: Enter Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio. - Value Name: Enter DisableEnhancements. - Value Type: Select REG_DWORD. - Value Data: Enter 1 to disable enhancements. e. Apply and update the policy to all targeted machines.

3. Force Group Policy Update:

Once you’ve configured the policy, you can either wait for the automatic Group Policy refresh or force a manual update by running the following command on the endpoints:

gpupdate /force

Option 2: Create a Script and Deploy via Group Policy

If you want more flexibility or if the registry keys don’t work as expected, you can write a simple PowerShell or batch script to toggle the Enhanced Audio Options setting off and deploy it using Group Policy.

For example, a simple PowerShell script to set the registry value could be:

Disable Enhanced Audio Options in Windows

$regKey = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio"
$regValue = "DisableEnhancements"

Check if the key exists, if not, create it

If (-not (Test-Path $regKey)) {
    New-Item -Path $regKey -Force
}

Set the value to disable audio enhancements

Set-ItemProperty -Path $regKey -Name $regValue -Value 1

Once you have your script, you can deploy it via Group Policy:

In Group Policy Management, go to User Configuration → Windows Settings → Scripts.

Add the script in the Logon or Startup scripts section.

Make sure the script is applied to the desired organizational units (OUs).

Option 3: Verify Audio Drivers and Teams Settings

If the issue is specific to Teams and only happens when Enhanced Audio Options are on, make sure that you’re using the latest Teams client and that all Windows updates (especially those related to audio drivers) are applied. Microsoft Teams might have some known compatibility issues with certain audio enhancements, and these can sometimes be resolved with updated drivers or the Teams client itself.

You might also want to check Teams settings for any audio-related preferences that could override the system-level audio settings.

I hope the above information is helpful to you.

Best regards

Runjie Zhai

Answer 2

Thank you for the quick response. So my understanding is that because we were missing the necessary directory for regedit updates, we may be able to get updated registry by installing the Sound admx/adml files. I've checked multiple machines across the organization and we are not seeing the specified regKey in any of the suggested locations. If we don't have access to updating the registry, and we don't have access to an updated Sound admx, what would be the most efficient path to apply the change to ~150-200 endpoints impacted. Included an image for reference