How do I fix the wave volume on playback control?

[LightningDove]

Every time I try to watch any video on my computer, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc., the Wave volume indicator slides down and we have no sound. I keep having to go to sound devices to turn it back up. At first it would work for a couple hours, now its not working at all. How do I fix it and keep the volume up?

[Nepomuk]

Hi LightningDove and welcome to bytes.com!

I'm a little confused; when searching for "Wave volume indicator" all I get is stuff that has to do with economics and prices but nothing that sounds like it could have anything to do with your problem. Do you mean the volume settings of your computer? If so, what OS are you using and which flash player? Also, have you tried the HTML5 version of youtube and checked whether it works there?

[LightningDove]

Thank you for replying to me. I'm sorry. Yes, it's the volume settings of my computer. The sound keeps turning off, so I go to Control Panel, Sounds & Audio Devices, then click Audio tab, then volume. A box titled "Playback Control" appears. There are five different volume control choices. The one titled "Wave" is the one that keeps turning off. I put the volume up as high as it will go and it doesn't stay there. A friend of mine told me to install a new sound card. It didn't make any difference. My son tells me I need to reinstall Windows. Maybe I have a terrible virus?

[cgiAlexis]

Basics:

• Need to know your motherboard make and model.
• If you have a separate sound card, make and model.
• Which speakers/headphones you have plugged into which ports on motherboard and sound card.

Also what version of Windows are you using? Press Windows+Pause-Break to quickly bring it up and tell us what type of windows, what version, what service pack and wether it's 64-bit or 32-bit.


Could you post an image of your un expanded volume control and your expanded volume control please. To get this, single click the volume control icon for unexpanded, and then click expand on your Wave control to expand out to tell us what is trying to play back on that card.

From your description it does sound like you have 5 playback devices, which helpfully can be the one card describing itself as 5 simultaneous outputs to windows.

The reason for this is that your problem could come from:

• 32 bit to 64 bit driver crossover problems
• Multiple sound cards fighting for primacy
• Jack detection gone wrong
• Malware trying to hide "Windows error" sound or just trying to mess with your day

Possible solutions are:

• Run Spybot Remove and Destroy from www.safer-networking.org
• Remove the headphones from the front jack ;)
• RMA the dodgy mobo or sound card
• Find correct drivers

[Earless]

I have the same issue in Windows XP Pro. Only when I'm on line the wave slider goes to zero. Push the slider up and the sound comes back. After awhile it snaps down. This is hapining deep in the system affecting Microsoft Master Volume.

[cgiAlexis]

Only when you're connected to the internet?

This sounds like malware trying to hide error 'ding's because the coder managed to suppress the error box.

The funny thing that the rarer case is that you are having a network adapter / audio device driver conflict that is causing windows to unhook the audio device in order to maintain connection.

Solution:

1. Update XP to latest version + SP
2. Download latest adapter, audio device drivers and Spybot Search and destroy with the latest offline update
3. Reboot into safe mode with no networking
4. Scrub old drivers however you can, reboot into safe mode no network
5. Install Spybot S&D, update and scrub machine for malware
6. You will naturally reboot during this process so after that, install your drivers again
7. Test computer for a while while the network adapter is still disabled
8. Then enable the adapter and see what happens
9. Comodo internet security offers a free complete download of their firewall and on-access antivirus that gives you a lazy way to see all incoming and outgoing connections

[Earless]

Thanks for your help. I rebooted with a "Windows Defender Offline" CD and ran the scan. It found and removed TROJAN:DOS/ALUREON.J and a few other items and the problem went away. Seems like the problem was in the MBR (master boot record).

[cgiAlexis]

Damn, that I could I would go back and change all my entries for Spybot S&D to "Spybot S&D or Windows Defender Offline".

I'm going to have to try Defender in future, I've never placed much stead in the anti malware tool made by the company that has a number of high profile malware exploit flaws across it's software catalogue.

Any joy so far @LightningDove or did you give up and scrub the HDD and start from scratch?