Aug 3, 2015 - Until they fix it, the easiest solution is just to use the skype online beta, which for some reason. Next find 'Sound, video and game controllers'.
If the sound volume on your Windows computer has become too low, here are some possible solutions that you can use to fix the problem. The issue may be caused due to a software or it could be hardware-related. Windows comes with some essential settings that need to be perfect to get good sound quality. If your computer volume is too low on Windows 10/8/7, follow these steps and see if anything helps you fix that issue.
Computer sound volume too low
Go through the list and then decide which of the suggestions you’d like to try first.
1] Update the Audio driver
This is probably the first thing that comes to our mind. Whichever sound system you are using it is imperative that you have the latest device drivers installed on your computer. So update your drivers. You may use a third-party driver updater software or better still, you may use the tool for your brand of PC like say, Dell Update Utility, HP Support Assistant, etc. You will probably see these utilities pre-installed on your system.
2] Clean speakers physically
If you have been using the same speaker for a long time, there might be dust on it, which often blocks the sound from playing smoothly. Check if your speakers are clean from the inside as well as outside. If not, make it clean and test whether it is giving better performance or not.
3] Check with another device
If you are getting this problem with a Bluetooth speaker or a wired speaker that comes with a woofer, you should connect that device to another device so that you see if the problem lies in your computer or the speakers itself.
4] Communications settings
This is an inbuilt Low Volume feature that helps users get better audio when you use your computer to place or receive phone calls. It can reduce your sound by up to 100%. Open the “Sound” settings window. You can search for that in taskbar search box if you are using Windows 10. Otherwise, right-click on the volume icon in your system tray and select Sounds. After that, switch to Communications tab. Here, make sure Do nothing is selected. If not, select that option and save your change.
5] Loudness Equalization
This is another setting that you need to check. If this option is not activated, you will hear comparatively lower volume. Again open the “Sound” settings. In the Playback tab, select the playback device and hit the Properties button. After that, go to Enhancements tab. Select Loudness Equalization and save your changes.
6] Increase Media Player sound
Sometimes, even if you increase the volume using the volume icon in your system tray, you will end up getting a very low sound. That’s because two different volume levels work when you play an audio track, i.e., Speaker’s volume and the Media Player’s volume. Even if you increase the speaker’s volume, the media player uses the same volume level.
There are two ways to increase that media player’s volume. First, you can open the media player you are using and check if the volume level is set to 100% or not. Second, you can open the Volume Mixer from the system tray, and do the needful.
7] Audio Troubleshooter
Press Win+I keys to open Windows Settings and go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot. On the right-hand side, you should find Playing Audio. Select it and click on Run the troubleshooter button and follow the on-screen instructions.
Hope these suggestions will be helpful to you to fix your problem.
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When making Skype calls on a Windows machine, you may have come across a very annoying feature. Before a Skype call starts, your computer’s audio levels are totally fine. You’d can open Skype and message people without any problems. As soon as a Skype call starts, however, your computer’s audio volume takes a sudden and highly noticeable drop. The actual Skype call will be at normal volume, but everything else will seem much quieter.
This kind of behavior can be very irritating, especially for users that go through Skype’s options and settings and find no way to turn it off. There’s a good reason for this: the audio drop has nothing to do with Skype whatsoever! It’s built in to Windows itself and isn’t an official Skype feature. So, before you complain to Skype about the lack of options, give these steps a try and see if they work.
What’s Going On?
What’s actually happening here? First of all, it’s good to realise that Windows has an option that handles this. If Windows detects a telephone call being made by your computer, it can drop the volume by a set amount. This drop can range from a 50% drop to a total muting of all other system sounds. When you make or receive a Skype call, your computer is detecting that you’re currently in a phone call. This causes Windows to drop the volume by however much the option states it should drop.
But hold on a minute – what if you’re sure you’ve never touched, or even seen, this option before? The problem we’re experiencing at that point is a Windows machine being set up to drop the volume by default. This explains why this feature is currently activating, yet you have zero recollection of actually telling Windows to perform this action for you. Thankfully, the option is very easy to get to, so we can tell Windows not to drop the volume (or, if you like the feature, drop it even further!).
How to Turn It Off
First, access the Control Panel. If you’re using Small or Large Icon view, click the option that reads “Sound.” If you’re using Category View, first click on “Hardware and Sound,” then “Sound”.
For Icon View.
For Category View.
This will open the Sound window. From here you can set a lot of different options for your speakers or your microphone. We’re not here for any of those, however; the “Communications” tab is what we want.
Here is the option that’s been dipping your audio every time you make or receive a Skype call. You can see you have a few options to pick from, but the one you’re most likely to want to pick is “Do Nothing.”. Select it, then OK out of the window.
Enjoying Less Frustrating Calls
What makes this particular problem so nefarious is how it appears to be a problem with Skype. Sometimes, however, the problem lies with how the operating system handles software rather than the software itself. Turning this option off means that you can enjoy listening to music, watching videos, or playing games while talking to your friends or family. Happy chatting!
Image credit: skype
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