How to fix enhancements tab disappearing after windows 11 update?

Question

I just upgraded to windows 11 and now my enhances tab on control panel is gone? I have the steel series arctic pro + game dac and it used to work on windows 11. If I click on any other sound device it still has the enhancement tab but not on my steel series speaker which is my default device.

Answer 1

Hello Leo. I think the absent Enhancements tab in your Sound settings is due to a driver issue: specifically because a Realtek audio driver, which exposes no enhancements feature to any Windows version, is installed. If you had noticed that the tab is still there for other sound devices but not SteelSeries GameDAC then this is a strong indication that the Realtek driver applied to the DAC is not compatible with the Enhancements interface built into Windows.

Here precedes the steps to get the Enhancements tab back with only replacing the Realtek audio driver to the default High Definition Audio driver:

1. First press Win + R to launch the Run dialog box, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open Device Manager. Expand the menu for Sound, video and game controllers, right-click the Realtek(R) Audio device and select Disable device. Approve any warnings that may appear, but should Windows ask to reboot, select "No" at this time.
2. Next, right-click on the same Realtek(R) Audio device previously and click Update Driver. In Windows Update Drivers wizard select “Browse my computer for drivers,” in the next screen select “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.” Now select High Definition Audio Device from the list, click Next, and approve any warnings that may appear.
3. Once you have installed the default driver, go ahead and close Device Manager. Now open the Sound applet. Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound. Click on your SteelSeries device and now select Properties. You should now find the Enhancements tab back and functioning.

Here's the reference: How To Restore Missing Audio Enhancement Tab In Windows

Note: I am providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link.

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Answer 2

Hello Leo. If the "Go back to Windows 10" option is not available, even though you are within the time frame for rollback, it indicates that the recovery files have been deleted, most likely the Windows.old folder. Windows does this automatically through Storage Sense, or a user can delete this folder manually by using Disk Cleanup or other third-party tools. Once this folder is gone, you cannot revert through the standard settings. The only way to get back to Windows 10 is to perform a clean re-installation of Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool. You will not keep apps and system settings, unless you run the installer from inside Windows and choose to keep personal file if it is from the USB, you will at least want to backup everything first and do a full reset.

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Answer 3

Hello Leo. If GG isn't revealing the features you need, and Windows 11 still doesn't have the Enhancements tab available, Microsoft explicitly states that driver limitations, not an OS bug, are likely the culprit. In that case, the only remaining Microsoft supported option is to provide feedback through the Feedback Hub just press Windows key + F to launch the Feedback Hub instantly and start submitting feedback. Or to wait for SteelSeries to issue a future driver update that may restore.

Answer 4

Hello Leo. You may try this below instead:

In the beginning, select Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select the Startup tab. Search for Realtek HD Audio Universal Service or RtkAudUService64. If there is an entry but it's disabled, select it and select Enable. If there is no entry, we will add it manually in the next step. 

Next, select the Win + R button or a right-click on the Start button and select Run, type services.msc and click Enter on your keyboard. Scroll down in the Services window to find Realtek Audio Universal Service. Select it and double click it. Select Automatic next to Startup type. Click start if it is not already running. The service must run for the Realtek Console application to connect. 

If the service is missing or still will not start, removing the Realtek driver is the cleanest fix. Select Win + X to open the power user menu (also known as the WinX menu), select Device Manager. In Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers. You should see an entry for Realtek(R) Audio. Select it, and right-click to select Uninstall device. Make sure you have the check box selected for Delete the driver software for this device then select Uninstall. Once you are finished, make sure you restart your PC. Windows will attempt to use the default driver to reinstall it on the PC.

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