What Is Microsoft Sound Mapper and How to Fix

What Is Microsoft Sound Mapper?

When you install new audio software or if you have recently installed a new audio interface, Microsoft Sound Mapper (sometimes referred to as “MME-WDM Microsoft Sound Mapper”) becomes the default driver for playback and recording audio.

The ‘Sounds’ applet in the Control Panel doesn’t actually add a sound driver, but rather a virtual device that your software uses to record and play sound just as if a sound driver were installed. As such, the Microsoft Sound Mapper (also referred to as “MME-WDM Microsoft Sound Mapper”) is a very safe and frequently needed computer driver. 

However, it seems a report from the users in the community suggests there are a lot of complaints about the driver, including that they receive an error message saying “Microsoft Sound Mapper does not exist.” or “Windows Sound Mapper is missing”.

How to Fix “Microsoft Sound Mapper is Missing”

Any version of Windows that has Sound Mapper errors might cause the audio interface to stop working, which affects the output of your audio devices and is extremely frustrating for the users. Our article offers you a range of efficient hotfixes for restoring the Microsoft Sound Mapper and resolving any audio issues related to it.

Update your audio driver

An outdated or incompatible audio driver may cause your computer to not play audio, resulting in the Microsoft Sound Mapper error. If your issue is caused by an outdated audio driver, update it.

You may be running outdated or incompatible drivers on your computer, especially if Windows 10 has been updated recently. As a result, you may not hear the sound properly due to issues with Sound Mapper. Follow the steps given below to resolve the issue-

• On your keyboard, press Windows + X
• Click on Device Manager.
• The Sound, video, and game controller section needs to be expanded.
• Select Update Driver from the right-click menu of your audio adapter.
• Wait for Windows 10 to search for a driver update and install it automatically.
• Try restarting your computer to see if the issue is resolved.

Rollback your audio driver

Using Windows 10 in an older version and installing a new audio driver may result in the Microsoft Sound Mapper missing or not found error. By rolling back your driver to an earlier version or installing a previous version of the driver, you can avoid updating your system. This could be helpful to fix your drivers.

• On your keyboard, press Windows + X to open the Device Manager.
• Expand the Sound, video, and controllers section.
• Then select Properties from the right-click menu.
• Click on the Driver tab to see if a Rollback driver button is available.
• It’s simply a matter of clicking it and following the instructions on the screen.
• Try restarting your computer to see if the issue is resolved.

Try running the Windows 10 Audio Troubleshooter

Microsoft’s Windows 10 comes with a number of troubleshooters that aim to detect and fix issues. If you run the Audio Troubleshooter, you may gain more insight into why your Microsoft Sound Mapper is having issues.

• To open the search box, press Win + S. Type control panel into the box and click the result.
• Click Troubleshooting when you see items with large icons.

• Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Troubleshoot audio playback.

• You can finish troubleshooting by following the instructions on the screen.

• You will need a password or confirmation from the administrator if prompted.
• Try restarting your computer to see if the issue is resolved.

There is also another way to Troubleshoot in Windows 10.

• Open settings from the start menu.
• Click on Update & Security

• Go to Troubleshooter and click on additional troubleshooters

• Search for the appropriate troubleshooter to help resolve your issue.

Make your sound card the default playback device

The Microsoft Sound Mapper (also referred to as “MME-WDM Microsoft Sound Mapper”) cannot be used by some applications, which means you must set your sound card as the default device.

The soundcard is a device that can be slotted into a computer to allow the use of audio components for multimedia applications. To do this, perform the steps below and make your soundcard or headphones or any other devices that you have as the default device for audio playback.

• Right-click on the sound icon in the far right of your taskbar. If you don’t see it, try clicking on the arrow pointing upwards to show hidden tray items.

• Select Sounds from the context menu.
• In the new window, Go to Playback.

• Select the device you want to make your default for audio playback, then click on the Set Default button.

• Click OK to apply your changes and test if your issue is fixed.

Use the System File Checker (SFC scan)

System File Checker is a tool that comes with Windows. Using it, you can automatically fix corrupted system files and other problems.

• On your keyboard, press Windows + R.
• Then, type in “cmd” and hit the CTRL + Shift + Enter keys on your keyboard. In doing so, you launch the Command Prompt as an administrator.
• If prompted, click Yes to let the Command Prompt make changes to your device.

• Once the Command Prompt appears, type in the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow

• Allow the SFC scan to finish scanning your computer and repairing corrupt files. Do not close the Command Prompt or turn off your system while this is happening.
• After the scan has been completed, restart your device to check if the issue has been resolved. You can try to use the microphone mode to record and then by playing it you can check if the problems still exist.