Windows 7 Help! My Volume Control has gone from the taskbar

Shalom2010 · Jul 30, 2009

This is really quite odd.

I cannot get my Volume Control slider in the notification area. When I try to restore
it using 'Turn system icons on or off', the volume control is greyed out as No.

(Customize system icons says the volume control is not active?!)

I have full control of the sound from all my audio programs. The only thing I've
done of late is to update the Soundblaster driver (as I was getting a crackling noise)

Any ideas?

Best Regards

Steven

Tepid · Jul 31, 2009

Shalom2010 said:
Sorry....that's the first thing I tried! (It says the volume control is 'Inactive'

Honestly, and not to sound cliche, but I think it's a driver issue. Can you try an older driver and see if the icon comes back? If yes, then it's a driver issue. If no, then it's possibly something else, (but doesn't mean it's not a driver issue, if for some reason the new driver broke something that would not be fixed by uninstalling) and I would not know where to begin looking as I don't have a soundblaster. You might try a system restore point to before you installed the new driver, if possible. Otherwise, another cliche answer would be to nuke and reload with the new driver to see if that fixes it. Depending on which build of 7 you are...

davehc · Jul 30, 2009

Right click the little white arrow (just to the left of the custom bar) and select properties. Your answer is, I think, there.

Shalom2010 · Jul 31, 2009

Sorry....that's the first thing I tried! (It says the volume control is 'Inactive'

davehc · Jul 31, 2009

I think it should offer "On" or "Off" if you followed the procedure, but who knows? (If it IS disabled. Anyway, I have played around with my sound config. Try this and see if there is any luck. Cancel that. Just read your post again. Yes you,ve tried it! Sorry.
Open the sound. (Quickest to right click the desktop - Personalize - Sounds)
Select the "Playback" Tab.
There may be an item there saying "show disabled devices" or a similar message. If there is, you' re in luck. Click it and enable it.

Tepid · Jul 31, 2009

Shalom2010 said:
Sorry....that's the first thing I tried! (It says the volume control is 'Inactive'

Honestly, and not to sound cliche, but I think it's a driver issue. Can you try an older driver and see if the icon comes back? If yes, then it's a driver issue. If no, then it's possibly something else, (but doesn't mean it's not a driver issue, if for some reason the new driver broke something that would not be fixed by uninstalling) and I would not know where to begin looking as I don't have a soundblaster. You might try a system restore point to before you installed the new driver, if possible. Otherwise, another cliche answer would be to nuke and reload with the new driver to see if that fixes it. Depending on which build of 7 you are using, new drivers could break things in older builds.

stueycaster · Aug 1, 2009

When you went into properties - "Notification Area Icons" did you click on "Turn system icons on or off"? There's a switch to turn the Volume Control on or off there.

If you tried that I'm sorry to waste your time. It's just that nobody mentioned that yet in this thread.

Update: I guess you did mention that didn't you. Sorry.

Windows 7 Help! My Volume Control has gone from the taskbar

Shalom2010

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Tepid

davehc

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Shalom2010

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davehc

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Tepid

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stueycaster

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