Все способы:
- Способ 1: Настройки окна «Звук»
- Способ 2: Устранение неполадок
- Способ 3: Обновление драйверов
- Способ 4: Проверка целостности системных файлов
- Вопросы и ответы: 0
Способ 1: Настройки окна «Звук»
Отсутствие или недоступность микшера звука может быть обусловлено его отключением, поэтому для начала нужно проверить статус устройства в настройках звука.
- Откройте оснастку «Звук» командой
mmsys.cpl, введя ее в диалоговом окошке «Выполнить», вызванном нажатием клавиш Win + R. - Переключитесь на вкладку «Запись», кликните правой кнопкой мыши по пустому пространству окна «Звук» и активируйте опцию «Показать отключенные устройства».
- Если микшер появится в списке устройств, во-первых, включите его, во-вторых, назначьте его устройством по умолчанию в том же контекстном меню.
Способ 2: Устранение неполадок
Если исчезновение микшера громкости было вызвано сбоем, попробовать устранить проблему можно штатными средствами самой операционной системы.
- Запустите приложение «Параметры», перейдите в раздел «Обновление и безопасность» → «Устранение неполадок» и нажмите ссылку «Дополнительные средства устранения неполадок».
- В следующем окне выберите пункт «Воспроизведение звука» и запустите утилиту диагностики.
В случае обнаружения препятствующих нормальной работе микшера проблем, будет предпринята попытка их устранения.
Способ 3: Обновление драйверов
Отсутствие микшера громкости не обязательно связано с настройками или неполадками, микшер будет недоступен в случае отсутствия соответствующего драйвера аудиокарты. Проверить, имеется ли в системе подходящий драйвер, можно следующим образом. Вызовите нажатием Win + R диалоговое окошко «Выполнить», введите в него команду sndvol и нажмите клавишу ввода.
Если в открывшемся окошке будет указано «Аудиоустройства не установлены», значит, подходящий драйвер отсутствует в системе.
В этом случае необходимо скачать драйвер с сайта производителя материнской платы или аудиокарты и установить его. Самый простой способ найти такой драйвер – воспользоваться специальными программами для скачивания и установки актуальных драйверов.
Подробнее:
Определение необходимых для звуковой карты драйверов
Программы для обновления драйверов
Способ 4: Проверка целостности системных файлов
Чтобы удостовериться, что в самой операционной системе нет неполадок, вызывающих исчезновение тех или иных функций, следует проверить наиболее важные файлы на целостность. Запускается эта процедура при помощи консоли и определенных команд, а выполняются проверка и восстановление автоматически. Узнать более развернуто, как просканировать Windows и при необходимости восстановить поврежденные файлы, можете из статьи по ссылке ниже.
Подробнее: Использование и восстановление проверки целостности системных файлов в Windows 10
Наша группа в TelegramПолезные советы и помощь
Windows OS gets constantly updated with new features while some of the existing ones that are seldom being used by the users are either entirely removed or hidden deep inside the OS. One such feature is the Stereo Mix. It is a virtual audio device that can be used to record the sound currently being played out of the computer speakers. The feature, although handy, cannot be found on all Windows 10 systems nowadays. Some lucky users can continue using this built-in recording tool, while others will need to download a specialized third-party application for this purpose.
We have explained two different ways to enable Stereo Mix on Windows 10 in this article along with some troubleshooting tips if any issues arise. Also, a couple of alternative ways to record the computer’s audio output if the Stereo mix feature is not available.
Table of Contents
Many users reported that the Stereo mix feature suddenly disappeared from their computer after updating to a particular Windows version. A few were also under the misconception that Microsoft took the feature away from them, although Stereo mix was never entirely removed from Windows 10 but only disabled by default. It could also have been one of the many third-party applications you have installed that automatically disabled the Stereo Mix device. Nevertheless, follow the below steps to enable Stereo Mix.
1. Locate the Speaker icon on your Taskbar (if you do not see the speaker icon, first click on the upward-facing ‘Show hidden icons’ arrow), right-click on it, and select Recording Devices. If the Recording Devices option is missing, click on Sounds instead.
2. Move to the Recording tab of the ensuing Sound window. Here, right-click on Stereo Mix and select Enable.
3. If the Stereo Mix recording device isn’t listed (being displayed), right-click on the blank space and tick Show Disabled Devices & Show Disconnected Devices options.
4. Click on Apply to save the new modifications and then close the window by clicking on OK.
You can also enable Stereo Mix from the Windows Settings application:
1. Use the hotkey combination of Windows key + I to launch Settings and click on System.
2. Switch to the Sound settings page from the left-hand panel and click on Manage Sound Devices on the right.
3. Under the Input devices label, you will see Stereo Mix as Disabled. Click on the Enable button.
That’s it, you can now use the feature to record your computer’s audio output.
Also Read: No Sound in Windows 10 PC [SOLVED]
How to Use Stereo Mix & Troubleshooting Tips
Using the Stereo mix feature is as easy as enabling it. Launch your preferred recording application, select Stereo Mix as the input device instead of your Microphone, and hit the record button. If you are unable to select Stereo Mix as the recording device in the application, first unplug your Microphone and then make Stereo Mix the default device for your computer by following the below steps-
1. Open the Sound window once again and move to the Recording tab (See step 1 of the previous method.)
2. First, deselect the Microphone as the default device, and then right-click on Stereo Mix and select Set as Default Device from the ensuing context menu.
This will successfully enable the Stereo Mix on Windows 10. In case you are unable to view Stereo Mix as a device in your recording application or the feature doesn’t seem to work as advertised, try the below troubleshooting methods.
Method 1: Ensure Microphone is available for Access
One of the reasons why you may fail to enable Stereo Mix is if applications do not have access to the Microphone. Users often disable third-party applications from accessing the Microphone for privacy concerns and the solution is to simply allow all (or selected) applications to use the Microphone from the Windows Settings.
1. Use the hotkey combination of Windows key + I to launch Windows Settings then click on Privacy settings.
2. Scroll down the left navigation menu and click on Microphone under App permissions.
3. On the right panel, check if the device is allowed to access the Microphone. If not, click on the Change button and toggle the following switch to on.
Also Read: What to Do When Your Laptop Suddenly Has No Sound?
Method 2: Update or Downgrade Audio drivers
Since Stereo Mix is a driver-specific feature, your computer needs to have the appropriate audio drivers installed. It could be as easy as updating to the latest driver version or reverting back to a previous version that supported the Stereo mix. Follow the below guide to update audio drivers. If updating doesn’t resolve the issue, perform a Google search for your sound card and check which driver version of it supports Stereo mix.
1. Press Windows Key+ R to launch the Run command box, type devmgmt.msc, and click on OK to open the Device Manager application.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers by clicking on the tiny arrow to its left.
3. Now, right-click on your sound card and select Update driver from the ensuing menu.
4. On the next screen, select Search Automatically for drivers.
Alternatives to Stereo Mix
There are a number of third-party applications available on the world wide web that can be used to record the computer’s audio output. Audacity is one of the most popular recorders for Windows with over 100M downloads. Modern systems that lack Stereo mix contain WASAPI (Windows Audio Session API) instead which captures audio digitally and thus, eliminates the need of converting the data to analog for playback (In layman’s terms, the recorded audio file will be of better quality). Simply download Audacity, choose WASAPI as the audio host, and set your headphones or speakers as the loopback device. Click on the Record button to start.
Few other good alternatives to Stereo mix are VoiceMeeter and Adobe Audition. Another very easy way to record the computer’s audio output is to use an aux cable (a cable with 3.5 mm jack on both ends.) Plug one end into the Microphone port (output) and the other into the mic port (input). Now you can use any basic recording application to record the audio.
Recommended:
- How to Repair or Fix Corrupted Hard Drive Using CMD?
- Fix Computer Sound Too Low on Windows 10
- How To View Clipboard History On Windows 10
- Fix Site Can’t Be Reached, Server IP Could Not Be Found
We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to enable the Stereo Mix device on Windows 10 and record your computer’s audio output using the feature. For any more help regarding this topic, get in touch with us in the comments below.
A user may find that “Stereo Mix” has somehow magically disappeared from the list of audio recording devices on their Windows PC, or a recording software might not be detecting it as an input device. This can happen for different reasons, and then the user is unable to record the audio on their computers.
This post discusses what Stereo Mix is, what its actual purpose is, and how to troubleshoot it if you can no longer see it in your Windows Sound settings.
Table of Contents
What is Realtek Stereo Mix
You often see videos of streamers or gamers where you can listen to audio being played on their screen, like inside a game, as well as what they are speaking into a Microphone. How is this done? Have they connected another microphone right beside their computer’s speakers? Although this can be done, it is not an ideal situation.
Using a secondary microphone to capture the audio coming out from your computer’s speakers would not only degrade the audio quality, but it would also involve a lot of digital-to-analog and then analog-to-digital conversions. This is where “Stereo Mix” comes into play.
In layman’s terms, Stereo Mix is the name of the output audio stream when all audio channels have been combined. This feature comes with the most common Realtek audio cards. The Windows OS perceives this as a (virtual) sound recorder.
When you get one channel of audio from the app or program running on the PC and another audio channel from your input microphone, Stereo Mix combines the 2 (or more if available) and generates a combined audio stream.
“Stereo Mix” allows you to record everything coming out of your computer’s audio. If you are listening to music on your speakers and simultaneously talking into your microphone at the same time, you can record both audios at once using Stereo Mix.
When Stereo Mix is enabled on your Windows PC, it automatically starts using your microphone and listens to other audio channels. If you want to record all the audio using an application, then you would need to select “Stereo Mix” as the input audio source and not just your microphone.
However, Stereo Mix has often disappeared from the sound settings in Windows. Let us see how we can address this issue.
Causes of Stereo Mix Missing
Stereo Mix can go missing or be hidden in your sound settings due to different reasons.
- Stereo Mix is disabled and hidden.
- Your audio driver is outdated or incorrect since Stereo Mix is only available with OEM-provided drivers.
- Your input audio device(s) are unavailable, automatically disabling Stereo Mix.
- Your device is missing important audio codecs.
Continue reading further to resolve these issues and get Stereo Mix up and running again
How to Fix Missing Stereo Mix
Unhide Stereo Mix
It may be possible that Stereo Mix is disabled. Often, the Sound settings on your Windows PC hide the disabled items. You can unhide Stereo Mix using these steps:
-
Navigate to the following:
Settings app >> System >> Sound >> More sound settings
Alternatively, you can also type in mmsys.cpl to open the Sound applet.
-
Switch to the Recording tab. Here, right-click on the empty space and then click Show Disabled Devices to select it.
Show disabled devices You should now be able to see “Stereo Mix.”
-
Now right-click on Stereo Mix and click Enable.
Enable Stereo Mix
Stereo Mix will now be displayed and enabled.
If you still do not see Stereo Mix after viewing hidden items, then the issue might be something else.
Update Audio Driver
As we mentioned earlier, audio drivers by Microsoft might not have the Stereo Mix feature. However, Windows Updates also provide drivers from OEMs. You can thus search for the latest audio driver for your Realtek sound card automatically. Here is how:
-
Open the Device Manager by typing in devmgmt.msc in the Run Command box.
Open Device Manager -
Now click Sound, video and game controllers to expand it, right-click Realtek(R) Audio, and then click Update driver from the context menu.
Update Realtek driver -
Now click Search automatically for drivers.
Search for drivers -
Windows will now search for an updated driver online. If one is available, it will automatically be installed.
However, if one is not available, you will be informed thusly.
Either way, Close the update wizard.
If the driver is updated, check to see if you are now able to see Stereo Mix in the Sound options. If your driver was not updated, you can also check Realtek’s website and download the latest driver and then install it manually.
Download Realtek Codec
If the methods above did not bring back the Stereo Mix, then you might not have the correct audio codecs installed.
A codec is a part of the software that encodes (compresses) a file and then decodes (decompresses) it to make it playable again. Some codecs contain only the encoder, some only the decoder, and some comprise both. Missing codecs on your system can result in an absent Stereo Mix.
Follow these steps to download and install Realtek codecs that will bring back Stereo Mix:
-
Open Realtek’s High Definition Audio Codecs website using any web browser.
-
Click on the download icon beside either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows driver-only executable file.
Download Realtek audio codec -
Now accept the terms of download and click Download this file.
Accept terms and begin download The audio codecs will now be downloaded.
-
When the download completes, run the file to begin the installation and follow the instruction in the wizard.
-
Once installed, restart the computer for the codecs to implement successfully.
Now re-check whether the Stereo Mix option inside the Sound applet has been restored. If you see the option, you may now enable or disable it through its context menu according to your preference.
Fix Stereo Mix Not Working
You may find that the Stereo Mix option is available and enabled, but it does not seem to be working and cannot record any of the system audio. If so, it may be possible that you have selected the wrong input device to record the audio, or that Stereo Mix’s volume is too low to be recorded.
Make Stereo Mix the Default Recording Device
-
Open the Sound applet by typing in mmsys.cpl in the Run Command box.
Open Sound applet -
Switch to the Recording tab and ensure that Stereo Mix is visible and it is enabled. Then, click on it and then click Set Default.
Note: If the Set Default button is grayed out, it means that Stereo Mix is already the default recording device.
Make Stereo Mix the default recording device
Increase Stereo Mix’s Volume
Stereo Mix will only record the sounds your system is generating. If your input device’s volume is low, then the recording volume will be low. Make sure that your input device’s volume is set to the maximum:
-
Navigate to the following:
Settings app >> System >> Sound
-
Here, under the Input section, make sure that “Stereo Mix” is selected.
Ensure Stereo Mix is the input device -
Now, click and drag the Volume slider to the right for maximum under the Input section.
Increase Stereo Mix volume
Conclusion
Stereo Mix is an excellent Windows-native tool if you want to record multiple audio channels at the same time. This tool is especially useful for streamers, YouTubers, and Twitch users.
However, there are also third-party tools available that you can install on your PC that also combine all the channels into a single stream output.
,
If you want to use Stereo Mix in Windows 10/11 and Stereo Mix is not working or not showing as a recording device, then continue reading below. Stereo Mix is a feature on Windows 11/10 that allows you to record your computer’s output streams such as a broadcast radio, speaker output, live streaming audio, or system sounds.Stereo Mix is disabled by default in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and in this tutorial I will show you how to enable it and how to troubleshoot problems with Stereo Mix.
Quick steps to Show/Enable Stereo Mix in Windows 10/11:
- Navigate to Control Panel > Sound
- At Recording tab, right-click at recording devices list and select Show Disabled Devices.
- Right-click on Stereo Mix and select Enable.
How to Install and Enable Stereo Mix in Windows 10/11.
- Unhide and Activate Stereo Mix.
- Install Stereo Mix driver.
- Troubleshoot Stereo Mix problems.
- Audacity.
Method 1. Enable Stereo Mix in Recording devices in Windows 10/11 Sound options.
As I said at the beginning of this article, Stereo Mix is disabled (hidden) by default and does not appear on Windows 10/11 recording devices. To activate Stereo on your device, follow the instructions below:
1. Press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open a Run dialog box.
2. Inside the text field of the dialog box, type mmsys.cpl and click OK to open the Sound utility.
3a. In the Sound dialog, head over to the Recording tab and then right-click anywhere below.
3b. Select Show Disabled Devices from the context menu to unhide the Stereo Mix device.
3c. Then, right-click on Stereo Mix and select Enable. When done, click Apply and then OK to save the changes. *
* Note: If you cannot see the Stereo Mix after the hidden devices are displayed, skip to method-2 below.
4. When done, open your recording program set Stereo Mix as the default recording source device and start recording.
Method 2. Install Stereo Mix using Realtek Audio drivers.
1. Head over to the Realtek website.
2. In the Realtek’s website, scroll down and locate a driver according to your Windows version and system type (32-bit or 64-bit). Then hit the download icon to download the Realtek Sound Driver/Codecs.*
* Note: For Windows 11 download the Windows 10 drivers.
3. Accept he the terms and click Download this file.
4. Type the letters shown in the Captcha window and hit Go to start the download.
5. One the file is downloaded, double-click on it and follow the onscreen instructions to install the Realtek drivers.
6. After drivers installation, restart your PC.
7. Navigate again in Sound options in Control panel and normally you should see the Stereo Mix at recording devices. If not, right-click anywhere and select (click) Show Disabled Devices from the context menu and then Enable Stereo Mix. *
* Note: If you cannot see the Stereo Mix after the hidden devices are displayed, skip to method-3 below to troubleshoot the problem.
8. When done, open your recording program set Stereo Mix as the default input device and start recording.
Method 3. Troubleshoot Stereo Mix device.
If after following the above methods your still cannot record from Stereo Mix (Stereo Not working), follow the next steps below:
Step 1. Enable Microphone Access.
If you are a Windows 10 user, follow the steps below. Click here for Windows 11 instructions.
1. Press Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Windows Settings.
2. Inside the Settings window, click on Privacy.
3a. Now, select Microphone from the left panel and click the Change button under Allow access to the microphone on this device.
3b. Turn the toggle to On.
4. Now scroll down in the same window and turn the toggle to On for Allow desktop apps to access your microphone.
5. Now open your recording program set Stereo Mix as the default recording source and start recording. If the problem persists continue to step-2.
Enable Microphone Access in Windows 11.
1. Type Microphone Privacy settings in the search box of your taskbar and click Open.
2. Turn the toggle for Microphone access to On.
Step 2. Update Audio Drivers
The final step to troubleshoot Stereo Mix issues is to Update the Audio driver. To do that:
1. Press Windows + R keys to load the Run dialog box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the device manager.
3a. in the Device Manager window, expand the Sound, video and game controllers option.
3b. Right-click on your audio device and select Update driver from the context menu.
3c. In the next dialog box, click Automatically search for drivers and let Windows find and install the latest drivers for your audio device. If Windows can’t find an updated driver, check your computer manufacturer’s support site to see if there is a new driver available.
Method 4. Record Audio with Audacity.
If you have tried the above methods and nothing works, keep in mind that not all sound cards support Stereo Mix. In such a case, you can use Audacity, which is a free third-party software designed for recording audio.
1. Download and install Audacity:
2. Open Audacity and go to Edit > Preferences.
3. In the Preferences window, select the Audio Settings tab and adjust the following:
- At Interface Host, choose Windows WASAPI
- At Playback Device, choose Speakers
- At Recording Device, choose Speakers (loopback)
4. Click OK to apply the changes.
6. Now start playing any audio file on your computer and then click the Record button in Audacity program to start recording the audio playing on your computer.
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
If this article was useful for you, please consider supporting us by making a donation. Even $1 can a make a huge difference for us in our effort to continue to help others while keeping this site free:
- Author
- Recent Posts
Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).