Introduction
In this guide, we’ll show you four different ways to reset your audio settings in Windows 11. While most PC users won’t need to reset their audio settings very often, it can be helpful to know how to do it if you’re experiencing audio issues or just want to start fresh.
If you’re having trouble with your audio settings, one of the first things you should try is resetting them to their default values. This can be done in a few different ways, and we’ll show you four of them below.
Once you’ve reset your audio settings, you can then adjust them to your liking using the Windows 11 sound control panel.
Method 1: Use the Windows Settings app
If you want to quickly reset all your audio settings in Windows 11, the easiest way to do it is through the Windows Settings app. Here’s how:
1. Open the Windows Settings app.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Sound.
4. Under “Output,” click on the drop-down menu and select “Speakers.”
5. Under “Speakers properties,” click on the “Advanced” tab.
6. Under “Default Format,” change the sample rate and bit depth to the highest possible levels, and then click on “Apply.”
7. Close the Windows Settings app and restart your computer.
After your computer has restarted, your audio settings will be reset to their default values and you should be able to hear sound again.
Method 2: Use the Control Panel
1. Click the Start menu and type “control panel” into the search box. Click Control Panel when it appears in the search results.
2. Click Hardware and Sound.
3. Under Related settings, click Sound. The Sound window will open.
4. Click the Devices tab, then click your audio device in the list and click Set Default.
5. Close the Sound window and the Control Panel to save your changes.
Method 3: Use the Registry Editor
If you can’t fix your audio issues using the other methods in this article, you can try resetting your audio settings using the Registry Editor. To do this:
1. Open the Start menu and type “regedit” into the search bar. Press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. In the left pane of the Registry Editor, navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Multimedia\Sound.”
3. In the right pane of the Sound key, double-click on each entry and change its value to 0 (zero).
4. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Your audio settings should now be reset to their default values.
Method 4: Use the Group Policy Editor
If you have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to reset your audio settings. Here’s how:
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor. You can do this by opening the Start menu, typing “gpedit.msc” into the search box, and pressing Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates (ADM) > System > Troubleshooting and Diagnostics > Windows Audio Playback and Recording.
3. Double-click on the “Turn off Windows Audio Playback” setting in the right pane.
4. Select the “Enabled” option and click “OK.”
5. Close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.
Conclusion
If you’re not happy with your current audio setup in Windows 11, or if you’ve just installed a new sound card or headset, there are a few different ways that you can reset all your audio settings. You can do this from the Sound Control Panel, the Settings app, or the registry.
If you want to keep your current audio settings but just want to change a few things, you can also use the “enhancements” tab in the Sound Control Panel to tweak your sound.
image credit – businessinsider.com