Audio louder than usual until volume is changed

DaveTheRave said:

OK! I now have full-quality audio and have not been able to reproduce volume spikes on iTunes or YouTube. So it looks like a good fix. Don't want to use too many CAPS and !! because I thought I was here before yet still had issues, but for now, it sounds very good. All I did was download and install the Realtek HD audio driver for my Dell 2720 from the link in your post, Andrei. As far as I can tell, that's the same driver I had originally, so something must have broken, and the reinstall fixed it. So Thanks!

I also deleted all the folders with the Vista64 audio driver files I unzipped from your link. I doubt that it ever installed, but don't want to take a chance with a conflict. Also, after I installed the RealTek audio driver and rebooted, I got a flag from Windows saying my antivirus program had been turned off. So I just turned that back on. I've seen that happen before, don't know why, always wonder if I'm being hacked.

Anyway, thanks again for everybody's patience and help, I think I've got a good fix, but if anything changes, I'll post again. Hope I can help others out in the future as you've helped me.

No problem! I'm glad that that you finally solved your problem. This shouldn't happen again, but you have to be sure that you will not overwrite the current driver with Windows Updates. To do this, just follow this simple guide here. For a better understanding of what this guide does: it disables the automatic driver installation that Windows executed through Windows Updates, which, if not disabled, will update you audio, video, etc. drivers to the last version provided by Microsoft. Have a good day!

andrei9696 said:

No problem! I'm glad that that you finally solved your problem. This shouldn't happen again, but you have to be sure that you will not overwrite the current driver with Windows Updates. To do this, just follow this simple guide here. For a better understanding of what this guide does: it disables the automatic driver installation that Windows executed through Windows Updates, which, if not disabled, will update you audio, video, etc. drivers to the last version provided by Microsoft. Have a good day!

Good tip. I have changed those Windows update settings. And one Day Two, my audio still sounds great, and I still cannot trigger a volume spike in iTunes, YouTube or even the Windows email bong. All is well!

I have also been getting this audio problem since I upgraded to Windows 10. I noticed another tab under Sound in the control panel called Communications:


I tried setting it to "Do nothing" as you can see here and rebooted the PC and started Spotify backup again, which is where I've been noticing this problem, and the sound worked the way it should. This probably needs more testing. Does this solve the problem, or does it just help under limited conditions?

Never mind. That didn't help. Tried it again today and had to manipulate the volume to get the volume to a normal level. Just hoping.

Yes, this setting works when you have a phone or Skype call. It shouldn't help in your case. Another poster solved it buy uninstalling the audio drivers, restarting and reinstalling latest audio drivers. Also hide the relevant updates so they won't get replaced by Windows Update.

Starry173 said:

Never mind. That didn't help. Tried it again today and had to manipulate the volume to get the volume to a normal level. Just hoping.

Yes, I also clicked that "Do Nothing" box and thought I had solved the issue for a day or two. But the audio spikes came back. After weeks of trying various complicated suggestions, the Final Solution was elegantly simple:
1. Uninstall your audio driver (in my case, it was a Realtek driver)
2. Reboot computer
3. Download and install the latest version of the audio driver for your computer (in my case, it was a Realtek that seemed to be the same version I had deleted; I downloaded it from a link posted by someone in this Forum, Andrei9696. Spapakons and Andrei are very helpful).
4. Reboot again (just to be sure).

And I have not had a single volume spike since!

Don't forget the most important part: Hide any driver updates to prevent Windows Update replacing the driver again!

spapakons said:

Don't forget the most important part: Hide any driver updates to prevent Windows Update replacing the driver again!

Yes, right! I did that as well.

I uninstalled the drivers and installed the latest...from July 2015 instead of June 2015...from Dell. I know other people said that didn't work for them, but I though I'd try it. All of my Maxx Audio stuff appeared, so it looks like I got a successful install. And so far it works. We'll see.

Starry173 said:

I uninstalled the drivers and installed the latest...from July 2015 instead of June 2015...from Dell. I know other people said that didn't work for them, but I though I'd try it. All of my Maxx Audio stuff appeared, so it looks like I got a successful install. And so far it works. We'll see.

Let us know if the spikes return. The Dell driver I uninstalled (which came with the PC) included MaxxAudio Pro, but the one I replaced it with (which I thought had the same version number, but maybe not) does not show MaxxAudio Pro, which I believe is a Dell custom add-on. I DO have MaxxAudio functionality with the new driver, but the Dell add-on called "Pro" no longer shows up in my Control Panel. I don't care, because the new driver solved the issue of volume spikes, and my audio still has that MaxxAudio high quality.