Default Sound Device changed unexpectedly

Question

I have a sound blaster card installed in my Win 121 Home PC so I have multiple Sound Output devices. I always set my Default sound output device to my PC speakers (Realtek Audio). The desktop speakers' 3.5mm audio cable is connected to the audio out connection on the back of my Dell PC. My problem is that after a restart and often after the PC goes in and out of sleep mode, Windows will change my default sound output to something else (usually it changes to the soundblaster headphone jack). I would prefer not to start disabling the other sound output devices if possible. Any help is appreciated.

Prior to a few weeks ago, I never had this problem so I am stumped. This is my setting before being changed by the PC.

Answer 1

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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Please clarify the following:

What is the manufacturer and model of your computer?

If you prefer, you can share a screenshot of your system information.

• Press "Windows + R", type msinfo32 and press Enter.

Maximize the window and use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

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Also, share a screenshot of the devices under the "Sound, Video and Game Controllers" category in Device Manager.

1. Press "Windows + X" and select "Device Manager";
2. Expand "Sound, Video and Game Controllers" and take the screenshot.

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I await your reply.

Answer 2

Sorry for the delay in reply. I've been offline.

Thanks for the screenshots.

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No matter what problem you search for on Google or Bing, you'll find multiple people reporting the same issue. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a widespread system problem. Another point is that the cause of the problem can vary from person to person. As a result, the solution that works for one may not necessarily work for another.

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You said that it usually switches to the Sound Blaster headphone jack, right?

From what I know about Dell devices (other devices too), the audio manager tends to prefer headphones over speakers. Therefore, when you connect headphones, the default is automatically changed to them until you remove them. Strangely, this behavior didn't occur by default for you, and perhaps for other people you found in your search. For me, it's always been like this. It's possible that a Dell driver update changed this behavior for you.

The easiest way is to disable the devices you don't want. However, this option doesn't always work as expected.

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I suggest you reinstall the audio driver as instructed below:

Download the latest audio driver from the Dell website (link below), uninstall the current driver, restart your computer, and install the driver you downloaded.

https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/xps-8950-desktop/drivers

Driver name: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver

Version: 6.0.9780.1, A00

(Run the downloaded EXE file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.)

You should be able to uninstall the current Realtek driver in "Settings > Apps > Installed apps". It should be named "Realtek Audio Driver" or "Realtek High Definition Audio Driver".

(If you can't find the driver to uninstall, install the driver I suggested in the link above.)

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After reinstalling the driver, restart your PC and see if the mentioned behavior has stopped occurring.

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Let me know the result.

Feel free to ask back any questions.

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Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Answer 3

Sorry for the delay in reply. I've been offline.

Thanks for the details.

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I agree with you on that. In your case, disabling isn't the best solution.

My suspicion is that the driver is making Windows think the device is being connected the moment you restart or wake from sleep mode. Therefore, it changes the default device, assuming it was connected at that moment.

It may have started due to an automatic driver update that ran in the background. Perhaps the Sound Blaster driver.

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See if the procedure below will help you.

1. Press "Windows + R", type mmsys.cpl and press Enter;
2. Select the "Playback" tab;
3. Right-click on the DEVICE YOU WANT AS DEFAULT and select "Properties";
4. Select the "Advanced" tab;
5. Uncheck the options "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority";
6. Click "Apply", then "OK" on all windows.

Check if the mentioned behavior has stopped occurring.

If this doesn't help, undo the change.

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If the behavior persists, you can try the workaround suggested in the article below under "Use Task Scheduler and SoundVolumeView to Lock Default Audio Device". I tested it on my test setup and it worked.

https://allthings.how/how-to-prevent-windows-11-from-changing-audio-device-automatically/

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Let me know the result.

Feel free to ask back any questions.

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Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.