Mono audio (ease of access) plus Listen to Microphone (audio control)

I wish to have my Windows 10 (20H2) machine listen to microphone (relay audio from sound input device to sound output device) and be in Mono audio mode (combine left and right input sound streams and send the combined result to both left and right output sound stream) at start-up.

The "Turn on Mono" setting does not appear to take effect until after an (any?) application using windows sound is started. The "listen to microphone" setting IS in effect at start-up (however, the audio flow is still stereo, which is not intended.)

Here is the step-by-step:

1. Start Windows 10, no audio-based application running
2. Ease of Access > Audio > Turn on Mono
3. Sound Control Panel > Recording > (double click on) Microphone > Listen > [x] Listen to this Device

4. Reboot.

5. At this point, the "Turn on Mono" setting does not appear to be in effect (left and right audio channels are still distinct)

6. Start (any) windows sound application

7. At this point, the "Turn on Mono" setting DOES appear to be in effect (left and right channels are merged at input, and the merged audio is presented to both left and right audio outputs)

8. Stop the windows sound application

9. At this point, the "Turn on Mono" setting DOES appear to be in effect (left and right channels are merged at input, and the merged audio is presented to both left and right audio outputs)

Repeatable beginning at step 4.

I imagine this is not intended behavior, and I'm wondering if it's an oversight in Windows 10?

Thanks for any advice or attempts to duplicate this sequence.

Dave

Thank you for the reply.

Would you be able to attempt replicate the step-by-step I posted, particularly observing for mono behavior after start-up, but before any application is running?

My posting did not include a test for mono status after operating the mono control panel setting; only that the mono status was not actually active after a reboot, when it should be.

Upon first reboot after the settings change, the audio channels are not merged, as I can verify that the channels are independent (I feed audio source only from "left", and the output is only in "left" ("right" is silent input, silent output), even when Mono setting is applied). Once an application runs after start-up, the audio source feeding only "left" input is now observed on both "left" and "right" outputs.

Thank you again for any assistance, or any advice where I can proceed.

Dave

I just tested as you suggested:

1. Pre-start state is MONO is ON
2. Start computer to Windows 10 20H2
3. Audio flow is in stereo mode (left and right channels separated from input to speaker)
4. Access ease of use > sound
5. Switch MONO to OFF
6. Audio flow is in stereo mode (left and right channels separated from input to speaker)
7. Switch MONO to ON
8. Audio flow is in mono mode (left and right channels combined from input to speaker)

This tells me that there is an inbuilt windows software process responsible for copying input to output, which is failing to check the MONO flag when it starts at start-up time.

Here is the result of the test (it failed to solve issue):

1. Start system
2. Audio is in the unintended state (MONO is selected in settings, but audio flow is stereo)
3. Run Turn_ON_mono_audio.bat (clicking on the batch file) previously downloaded and saved to desktop. note running this does require dialog box interaction to allow system change.

(Note running this does require dialog box interaction to allow system change, so I'm not sure if this would be something I could run silently each time at start-up, if it solved the issue, which it did not.)

4. Audio is in the unintended state (MONO is selected in settings when checked at this point, but audio flow is stereo)
5. Run a sound application
6. Audio is in the intended state (MONO is selected in settings, and audio flow is mono)
7. Exit the sound application
8. Audio is in the intended state (MONO is selected in settings, and audio flow is mono)

9. Run Turn_ON_mono_audio.bat (clicking on the batch file) previously downloaded and saved to desktop.
10. Audio is in the unintended state (MONO is selected in settings when checked at this point, but audio flow is stereo)

(note I am certain I was not running Turn_OFF_mono_audio.bat, as I did not download that batch file at all).

Thanks again,

Dave

The user account ("user") has administrative privileges, however, UAC pop-up still was encountered. Does this agree with the requirements for running the script?

Thanks again all your questions and suggestions!

Dave