Windows 10 Not Playing System Sounds. All Other Sounds Are Okay.

WareNetwork2000 · 27 Jan 2019

I've been using this computer for over a year and now all of the sudden I can't play system sounds.

I can hear other sounds on my games and software, but not the system sounds like when an error pops up.

When I open Volume Mixer, I click on the volume bar on "System Sounds" on the "Applications" section, nothing plays, but everything else plays fine.

I even tried changing the Sounds to Windows Default in the Sounds settings as well as setting System Sounds to full blast, but they still don't play.

When I created a new account and tested the system sounds, there, the system sounds played just fine, so this probably isn't a problem with my drivers.

I tried Microsoft's troubleshooting wizard and it doesn't work at all.

I really need to find a fix for this and I hope that you can help me. If you have a fix for this, please reply.

EyeInTheSky · 27 Jan 2019

Welcome to TenForums!

Something I've done before and quite silly to overlook, but did you look in the account where the system sounds aren't playing and make sure that the toggle isn't on for the muted position - you click the speaker icon to toggle it back and forth and in my photo, it is showing the muted symbol.

Windows 10 Not Playing System Sounds. All Other Sounds Are Okay.-sound-muted.jpg

This one too:

Windows 10 Not Playing System Sounds. All Other Sounds Are Okay.-one-too.jpg

WareNetwork2000 · 27 Jan 2019

The system sounds are not on mute, and since I can hear the system sounds on other accounts I know that it's not a problem with my speakers.

dalchina · 28 Jan 2019

Hi, you could check here:

Windows 10 Not Playing System Sounds. All Other Sounds Are Okay.-1.png

WareNetwork2000 · 28 Jan 2019

I have three options on the sound tab: No Sounds, Windows Default, and Windows Default Modified. I tried all of them, and none of them work. I should try looking at the sound settings on the default Administrator account since the system sounds work on that account, or maybe you can show me your sound settings if you want to.

dalchina · 29 Jan 2019

Try creating a new user for test purposes. If system sounds are ok then, it's not Windows corruption but a user profile issue- whether settings for that user or something else. Doing that also confirms the default user data is ok,

What happens if you test a system sound? (As per my screenshot).

Try using the settings in the drop down to unset and set again system sounds, i.e. rewriting the setting.

Do you have Win 10 Pro? Perhaps there's a relevant group policy setting..

This tutorial illustrates some relevant registry keys:
Change Event Sounds and Sound Scheme in Windows 10 | Tutorials

WareNetwork2000 · 29 Jan 2019

The sound works on other accounts, and when I test system sounds, they play fine.

I do have Windows 10 Pro but I don't know what group policy setting I should change.

dalchina · 30 Jan 2019

Thank you for your reply, and confirming you have Pro.

Have you checked the registry keys shown in the tutorial towards the end?

Have you ever set any group policies or used any so-called privacy tool or tweak tool for example?

You can examine your group policies and see if any are enabled. E.g. Windows key + R, gpedit.msc opens the group policy editor.

If any are set you may also see text in red in Settings "Some settings are managed by...."

I have searched for
disable system sounds by group policy
for you and found these which you can work through to see if there is anything that helps you.

Disable Windows 10 Sounds
How2 Disable windows sounds or Set default audio scheme to With group policy?

WareNetwork2000 · 30 Jan 2019

They don't work at all. I need more ways to fix this.

And I don't want to disable Windows Sounds. I want to enable Windows Sounds.

dalchina · 31 Jan 2019

Thank you for your reply. I cannot help you further, noting your demands.