Windows 10 Audio Effects Registry Keys Missing

So, I was using a batch file to toggle windows sound effects which stopped working a couple days ago. I checked the registry keys that my batch file uses to toggle the sound effects in windows and the registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio\Render are all gone. I'm on Windows 10 Pro 18362.356 with all the latest updates. I don't know if Microsoft moved these registry keys in an update or hid them. Can someone please check their registry and see if they still have these registry keys?

This is what mine looks like.


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I downloaded O&O RegEditor and I can see them. They must be hidden in Microsoft's registry editor.
Thanks!

Well I can see them, but I can't edit them in O&O RegEditor. I have a feeling Microsoft removed access to these keys in an update. I guess I'll just have to toggle the sound effect on and off through the UI.

dalchina said:

Permissions for those are restricted.. you could look into changing the key permissions... back up beforehand.

I tried that and I can't change the permissions because I can't see those keys in Windows Registry Editor. Changing the permissions on the render key does nothing.

dalchina said:

Don't know if that will help.

In O&O I can't change the permissions, it says access denied. In windows registry editor I can't see those keys. So I'm locked out of changing those keys.

fwwaahahaha

I worked around that problem by launching Registry Editor (regedit.exe) thru the PowerRun tool, djcyrax.
Letting PowerRun launch RegEdit with either SYSTEM or TrustedInstaller rights should give full access to those "locked" keys, including the ability to either edit or delete them (since Administrator users are prevented from editing/deleting those keys). I've been doing that for almost a few years w/out problems.