If you right-click on the volume icon on the Taskbar, you can find an Open volume mixer option. Clicking this option opens the actual Volume mixer panel. If you use Windows 11, it opens the Windows Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer.
However, if you use Windows 10, you might find a dedicated panel on the Taskbar. Nonetheless, if it is not functioning as described, you need to follow these solutions.
Fix Volume Mixer not opening on Windows 11
If Volume Mixer is not opening on Windows 11/10, follow these steps: To learn more about them, continue reading.
1] Open from Windows Settings
If you need the Volume mixer panel urgently, and it doesn’t open from the Volume icon’s context menu, you can open the same from Windows Settings. For that, you need to press Win+I to open Windows Settings and go to System > Sound > Volume mixer.
2] Restart Windows Explorer process
Restarting the Windows Explorer process might be handy for you. For that, do the following:
Right-click on the Start Menu on Windows 11.Select the Task Manager option.Select the Windows Explorer process.Click the Restart option.
Now check if you can open the Volume mixer or not.
3] Update/Reinstall driver
At times, the Volume mixer depends on the audio driver you have installed. If the driver has some problems, you might not be able to open the Volume mixer on your computer. Therefore, it is recommended to update the driver first and check if that resolves your problem. If not, you must uninstall it and reinstall the driver. It is possible to do these using Device Manager.
4] Run Playing Audio Troubleshooter
Playing Audio is an in-built Troubleshooter in Windows 11/10 that you can run to fix all the audio-related issues. In this case, you can use this Troubleshooter to fix the Volume mixer problem. For that, do the following:
Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.Find the Playing Audio Troubleshooter and click the Run button.Follow the screen instructions if it displays an error.
After that, restart your computer and check if you can open the Volume mixer or not.
5] Start Windows Audio service
If the Windows Audio service is stopped for any reason, there is a chance of getting this issue on your computer. To ensure if the Windows Audio service is running, do the following:
Search for the services and click the individual result.Double-click on the Windows Audio service.Check if the Service status is Running or Stopped.If Running, close all windows.If Stopped, click the Start button.Click the OK button.
Next, restart your computer and check if it resolved your problem or not. Apart from the aforementioned solutions, you can also try these:
Restart computer: At times, restarting your PC solves countless problems. If there is a bug in your system, it might get resolved by restarting the PC.Windows Update: If you use the Insider Preview build and start getting this error after installing the latest update, it might be a bug. In that case, you need to wait for the next patch.System Restore point: If nothing helps, System Restore point is the only option for you.
How do I manually open a Volume Mixer?
To manually open the Volume Mixer in Windows 11, you need to open Windows Settings first. For that, press the Win+I keyboard shortcut. Then, go to System > Sound. Here you can find the Volume Mixer option. You can click on it to open the respective panel.
Why does my Sound Mixer not open?
If there is some bug or driver issue, you might not be able to open the Sound mixer or Volume mixer on your computer. If it happens to you, you can follow the aforementioned guides one after one to troubleshoot the issue. Read:
Windows Taskbar Volume Control not workingHow to open the old Sound settings panel in Windows 11.
