Is Your Audio Device Automatically Switching Itself in Windows 11? Try These 7 Fixes
It can be annoying to play something on your computer and hear nothing coming from your primary sound device. Before long, you figure out that Windows 11 somehow switched the audio device automatically without your permission. And the worst part is that it keeps doing it no matter how many times you switch it back.
There are a few things it’s possible to do to stop that from happening. Try these seven troubleshooting steps.
1. Update Windows 11
If the problem is a bug with Windows, perhaps an update can fix the issue.
To manually update Windows 11, follow these steps:
Windows will then download the update, and you’ll have to restart your computer for the OS to install it.
2. Troubleshoot Windows 11 Update Issues
Not all Windows updates are perfect, and some can introduce bugs that can make your system misbehave to the point of switching audio devices behind your back. If you notice that the problem started happening after an update, there are a couple of ways you canfix update errors in Windows 11.
But before you do anything drastic, likeresetting Windows 11, you should try uninstalling the update and see if that helps.
Here’s how to roll back an update in Windows 11:
Now that you’ve rolled back the Windows 11 update, the problem might go away. And when Microsoft releases another update, which will likely contain a bug fix for the issue, update Windows and see if it happens again.
3. Install or Uninstall the Sound Driver
An outdated driver can also cause the automatic audio device switching problem. You just need to update it in Device Management to fix it if that’s the case.
Here are the steps to update the sound driver:
If the issue started after a driver update, you may roll it back by doing the following.
That will return the driver to the previous version that was working.
4. Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter
When you’re experiencing sound issues, it’s always a good idea to use the Playing Audio troubleshooter. It’s a handy tool that can help you fix many sound problems automatically, especially when you don’t know what to do.
Here are the steps to launch the Playing Audio troubleshooter:
The Playing Audio troubleshooter will scan the sound device for problems, and if it finds any, it will suggest a fix.
5. Makes Sure You’ve Set Your Primary Audio Device as the Default
Windows 11 could be switching to the other audio device because it’s confused as to which sound device is your default. You just need to let the OS know.
Follow the steps below to set the default audio device in Windows 11:
Now Windows 11 will always know which audio device is the default.
6. Unplug and Disable the Audio Device Windows Keeps Switching To
If the audio device your Windows PC keeps switching to is still connected, disconnect it. But even though you’ve disconnected it, Windows can still seek to connect to it because it’s still registered in the system. So, to hit the final nail in the head, you may disable it in Device Management as well.
To disable a sound device in Windows, follow the steps below:
Hopefully, now that you’ve unplugged and disabled the other sound device, Windows will stop switching to it. You can plug in and re-enable the device whenever you need to use it again.
7. Check If Your Primary Audio Device Has a Fault
If nothing has worked so far, it could be that the sound device you’re using has a fault. You can scan it for problems using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
Here are the steps to run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter:
With those steps, the Hardware and Device troubleshooter will scan every device on your system, including your primary sound device, for problems. If your audio device has a fault that Windows can’t fix, you might need to get a hardware professional to help.
Getting Windows to Stick With One Audio Device
When your audio device keeps switching on you in Windows 11, it can put a damper on anything you’re trying to listen to. While these troubleshooting steps aren’t 100% guaranteed to work, there’s a high chance one of them will resolve your issue.
We’ve covered several fixes here, including updates, drivers, and troubleshooters. You just have to try them all and see which one works for you.
If your Windows PC’s sound isn’t just working in general, then there are other troubleshooting steps you may try.
Is your audio not working in Windows 10 (or Windows 11)? Here’s what to do when you have no sound on your computer.
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