I have three monitors connected to my computer through DP cable, and each monitor has its own speaker system. However, I don’t always have all three monitors turned on when I use the computer. I have a dedicated sound card that I use for all outgoing audio, and I’ve set it as the default device and default communications device in the control panel’s sound options.
Despite disabling the audio device of the monitors and setting the dedicated sound card as the default, whenever I turn on one of the monitors, all the sound is redirected to that monitor. I’m frustrated with Windows 10 for not following my instructions and want to know how to make it stop doing this.
I would like my audio to always be directed to the device I specified, regardless of how many other audio devices I connect to my computer, until I decide to change the settings myself.
2 Answers
Introduction
In today’s world, multi-monitor setups are becoming increasingly popular. However, with multiple monitors come multiple audio devices, which can sometimes cause confusion for the user. This is especially true when one wants to set a permanent default communications device in Windows 10. In this blog post, we will discuss how to set a permanent default communications device in Windows 10, so that your audio always goes to the device you specified, no matter how many other audio devices are connected to your computer.
Step 1: Open Sound Settings
The first step in setting a permanent default communications device in Windows 10 is to open the Sound settings. To do this, right-click on the speaker icon in the taskbar and select “Open Sound settings”. Alternatively, you can search for “Sound settings” in the Windows search bar and click on the first result.
Step 2: Select the Default Communications Device
Once you have opened the Sound settings, click on the “Manage sound devices” option under the “Output” section. This will show you a list of all the audio devices that are currently connected to your computer.
Find the audio device that you want to set as the default communications device and click on it. Then, click on the “Set as default communication device” button. This will set the selected audio device as the default communications device for your computer.
Step 3: Set the Default Device
Now that you have set the default communications device, you need to set it as the default device as well. To do this, go back to the Sound settings and click on the “Playback” tab. Here, you will see a list of all the audio devices that are currently connected to your computer.
Find the audio device that you want to set as the default device and click on it. Then, click on the “Set as default device” button. This will set the selected audio device as the default device for your computer.
Step 4: Disable Unused Audio Devices
If you have multiple audio devices connected to your computer, it is a good idea to disable the ones that you are not using. This will prevent Windows 10 from automatically redirecting your audio to those devices.
To disable an audio device, go back to the Sound settings and click on the “Manage sound devices” option under the “Output” section. Find the audio device that you want to disable and click on it. Then, click on the “Disable” button. This will disable the selected audio device.
Step 5: Lock the Default Communications Device
Now that you have set the default communications device and disabled the unused audio devices, you need to lock the default communications device. This will prevent Windows 10 from automatically changing the default communications device when you connect a new audio device.
To lock the default communications device, you need to make a change to the Windows Registry. To do this, press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Type “regedit” in the box and press Enter.
Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionMMDevicesAudioCapture
Right-click on the “Default” key and select “Permissions”. Click on the “Advanced” button and then click on the “Disable inheritance” button. Select “Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object” and click on the “Apply” button.
Now, click on the “Add” button and type “Everyone” in the box. Click on the “Check Names” button and then click on the “OK” button. Select “Full Control” in the “Permissions for Everyone” section and click on the “Apply” button.
Finally, right-click on the “Default” key and select “Permissions” again. Click on the “Advanced” button and then click on the “Disable inheritance” button. Select “Remove all inherited permissions from this object” and click on the “Apply” button.
Step 6: Test Your Audio
Now that you have set the permanent default communications device in Windows 10, it is a good idea to test your audio to make sure that it is working properly. Play some audio and make sure that it is coming out of the correct device.
If you have multiple audio devices connected to your computer, you can also test to make sure that Windows 10 is not automatically redirecting your audio to the wrong device.
Conclusion
Setting a permanent default communications device in Windows 10 can be a bit tricky, especially if you have multiple audio devices connected to your computer. However, by following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily set the default communications device and prevent Windows 10 from automatically changing it. This will ensure that your audio always goes to the device you specified, no matter how many other audio devices are connected to your computer.
This is a difficult problem.
Whenever you connect or disconnect a device that uses DisplayPort, Windows installs and uninstalls the hardware. Without knowing the brand and model of your monitor, I cannot check if it has an option to disable its speakers, which could solve your issue.
However, if you enable the monitor and ensure it’s fully working and not disabled, you can then set the default audio source, and Windows should remember this even if you turn off and on the monitor.
If you also use a USB sound card, it may cause problems because when you turn off that device, it gets uninstalled, and if Windows can’t find a sound card, it will switch to another available option.
Lastly, in Windows 10, you can easily switch to a different audio device by clicking the sound icon in the taskbar to bring up the volume meter, then clicking on the name of your sound device to reveal a dropdown list with all your devices, and selecting the correct one.