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JettStone's avatar
JettStone
Iron Contributor
Sep 24, 2026

Windows11 Volume mixer resets custom app volumes after restarting Explorer

After setting a custom volume for a single app in the volume mixer, restarting Windows Explorer resets the volume for all apps to 100%. This issue persists and affects both UWP and Win32 apps. There...
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Jamony's avatar
Jamony
MCT
Sep 27, 2026

Restarting Explorer can recreate shell-hosted audio sessions, but resetting applications to 100 percent is unexpected. Windows provides per-app controls in Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer, yet Microsoft documents no policy guaranteeing those values survive an Explorer restart.
First, confirm the same output device remains selected before and after the restart. Install the Windows cumulative update and the audio driver from the device manufacturer, then reboot. Test with one Win32 app and one Store app. Restart Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder; if that behaves differently, the comparison helps isolate Explorer.
Next, reproduce the issue in a clean boot or local profile to exclude audio utilities and profile corruption. Avoid the Volume mixer Reset button because it intentionally restores defaults. If reproducible, report it in Feedback Hub with the build, driver version, apps, and a reproduction trace. Use each app’s own volume control as a temporary workaround.