16 Best Solutions For Taskbar Volume Icon Not Working On Windows

The Windows Taskbar volume icon can suffer from many anomalies. For example, the volume control might not be responding to your mouse clicks, the volume slider might not show up when you click on the volume icon.

It is also possible that nothing happens if you right-click on the volume icon. In most of these cases, the audio works fine with all apps but the volume control causes trouble.

If your computer’s Taskbar Volume Icon is also not working, then, this article is the right place to be. We will give you all the details on how to fix the taskbar volume icon not working on Windows 10 problem.

By now, most Windows users know that the Start menu and the Taskbar have been buggy. So, it is quite common to witness parts of the Taskbar or Start menu become unresponsive. In addition to that, the immersive shell menu has been even slower as compared to the earlier Windows menus.

The speaker volume controls and its context menu use the immersive shell. So, if the Taskbar is stuck, none of the system icons in the notification area will respond. Keep reading to find out how to fix the Taskbar Volume icon not working windows 10 error.

taskbar volume icon not working Windows 10

Solutions To Fix Windows Volume Control not working

The given list explores a couple of different ways to get your Windows Taskbar Volume icon to get working back again. We recommend that you proceed in the order given below to troubleshoot the issue.

All of these methods have been tried and tested by Windows 10 users and have proven to be effective. Don’t fret, with the following list of fixes, you’ll be able to sort the volume icon issue in no time!

  1. Ensure That The Volume Icon Is Not Hidden
  2. Enable The Volume Icon Via Taskbar Settings
  3. Restart Windows Explorer
  4. Restart Audio Services
  5. Update Audio Drivers
  6. Run Audio Troubleshooter
  7. Reinstall The Audio Drivers
  8. Check If The Audio Manager Is Enabled
  9. Stop The SndVol.exe Process From Task Manager
  10. Alter The Font Size
  11. Reinstall the ShellExperienceHost
  12. Enable Legacy Volume Control Slider
  13. Restore the Volume Icon Using the Local Group Policy Editor
  14. Restore the Volume Icon Using the Registry Editor
  15. Execute An SFC Scan
  16. Add New User

Solution 1. Ensure That The Volume Icon Is Not Hidden

Perhaps, the volume icon along with some other system tray icons got hidden and so, you can’t access it anymore. Click on the upward-pointing arrow located towards the right of the taskbar. If the volume icon is there, drag it to the System Tray.

Solution 2. Enable The Volume Icon Via Taskbar Settings

Here are the steps you need to follow to enable the volume icon:

  • Right-click at any empty space in the Taskbar. From the menu that appears, click on Taskbar settings.
  • From the Settings window, keep scrolling and click on “Select which icons appear on the Taskbar options.”
  • Look for the volume icon setting and turn it On.
  • Restart your computer and check if the sound icon is there or not.

Solution 3. Restart Windows Explorer

The first method to try out while troubleshooting the Taskbar volume icon not working issue is to restart the file explorer shell. Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • Right-click on an empty space in the Taskbar and then, click on Task Manager
  • In the Task Manager window, go to the Processes tab. Keep scrolling down to find the Windows processes category
go to processes tab in task manager
  • Right-click on Windows Explorer from the list and click on Restart.
restart windows explorer from task manager

Check if the Taskbar volume icon is working now.

Solution 4. Restart Audio Services

Many users who have encountered this error report that restarting the computer’s audio service will fix the issue. Follow the given steps to restart your Audio service:

  • Go to the Windows search box and type in “services.msc”
  • Click on the Services option
click on services
  • Look for Windows Audio and right-click on it.
right click on windows audio
  • Click on the Properties option. A pop-up window will come up.
  • Ensure that the Startup Type is set at Automatic
  • Click on Stop and wait till the process stops
  • Click on Start
  • Restart your system to check if the problem is gone.

Solution 5. Update Audio Drivers

The Taskbar Volume icon might not work because your audio drivers are outdated. It’s always better to install the latest audio drivers from your computer manufacturer. You can initiate the update of audio drivers from the Device Manager. Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • Press the Windows + X keys and click on Device Manager
  • The Device Manager window will show up. All the device drivers installed in your computer will show up.
  • Next, expand the “Sound, video, and game controllers” tab
  • Right-click on the default audio device driver and click on Update Driver Software
  • Click on Search automatically for drivers to allow Windows update to download the latest drivers on the PC.
  • When the process is finished, reboot the computer and check if the volume icon is working.

Solution 6. Run Audio Troubleshooter

Another way to solve the Taskbar volume icon not working problem is by running the Audio Troubleshooter. Here’s how to do so:

  • Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings window.
  • Choose the Update & Security option
  • Select Troubleshoot from the left panel.
  • Click on Playing Audio and then, click on Run the troubleshooter.
  • When the troubleshooting is finished, reboot your system and check if the volume icon is working fine.

Solution 7. Reinstall The Audio Drivers

The audio drivers can become corrupted and as a result, the Taskbar volume icon might not be working. In this case, the easiest way to fix the problem is to reinstall the drivers.

Many users who have experienced the same problem have suggested uninstalling the Speaker audio device from the Audio inputs and outputs section. They have also recommended uninstalling your audio device from the Sound, video, and game controllers section.

  • Open the Device Manager
  • Press the Windows + X keys and choose the Device Manager option from the list that comes up.
  • Look for the problematic device and right-click on it.
  • Click on Uninstall device from the dropdown menu.
  • Select the Uninstall button to get rid of it.
  • Once the uninstall is finished, click on Scan for hardware changes icon from the top of the window. Else, you could try restarting your computer. This should reinstall your recently uninstalled drivers and then, the taskbar volume icon issue should be solved.

Solution 8. Check If The Audio Manager Is Enabled

The taskbar volume icon not working problem could also be due to the Audio Manager being disabled.

  • Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open the Task Manager.
  • Once the Task Manager opens, visit the Startup tab.
  • A list of all the startup applications comes up. Find Audio Manager from the list
  • Right-click on Audio Manager and click on Enable from the dropdown menu.
  • Restart your computer and check if the issue is gone or not.

Note: Some audio devices do not need Windows Audio Manager to work, so, if the Audio Manager is not on the list in your device, this fix is not for you.

Solution 9. Stop The SndVol.exe Process From Task Manager

Some users have reported that the process SndVol.exe causes the Taskbar Volume icon not working Windows 10 issue. If the volume icon is not working on your computer, you can try ending the SndVol process.

Think of this as a workaround and not a permanent solution. Hence, you’ll have to repeat the solution every time you encounter this error.

Follow the steps given below to end the SndVol.exe process:

  • Right-click on the taskbar and click on Task Manager.
  • The Task Manager will show a list of all the active processes.
  • Look for SndVol.exe or Volume Mixer. Right-click on it and click on End Task
  • Close the Task Manager.

Solution 10. Alter The Font Size

  • Go to Windows Settings and go to the System section
  • Set the “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” to some other value.
  • Log out and log back into your account.

Solution 11. Reinstall the ShellExperienceHost

The ShellExperienceHost package is responsible for the functionality of the Start menu and the Taskbar. So, reinstalling it might help to fix the Taskbar volume icon error. Follow the given steps to do so:

  • Right-click on the Start menu and click on Windows PowerShell. Click on Run as administrator.
  • Click on Yes if the UAC sends a prompt.
  • Run the following command to reinstall the ShellExperienceHost package: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
  • Once the command has been executed, restart your system and check whether the Taskbar volume icon is working.

Solution 12. Enable Legacy Volume Control Slider

If the new PowerShell experience is the reason behind the problem, try enabling the Legacy Volume Control Slider. Follow the given steps to enable the legacy volume control slider:

  • Press the Windows + R keys and type in “regedit.”
  • Click on the Registry Editor search result to open the Windows Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to the following address: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
  • Now, right-click on CurrentVersion and select New key. Create a subkey with the name MTCUVC.
  • The MTCUVC key will be selected. You have to create a new DWORD (32-bit) value called EnableMtcUvc.
  • That should enable the Legacy Volume Control slider. Close the Registry Editor window and reboot your computer.

Solution 13. Restore the Volume Icon Using the Local Group Policy Editor

  • Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run utility.
  • Type in gpedit.msc and press the Enter key. This will open the Local Group Policy Editor window.
  • From the left panel, click on User Configuration and then go to Administrative Templates.
  • Double-click on Start Menu and click on the Taskbar option
  • Double-click on Remove the volume control icon
  • Next, click on Disabled or Not Configured and click the Apply button. Then, click on OK and restart your computer.

Solution 14. Restore the Volume Icon Using the Registry Editor

  • Press the Windows + R keys and type in “regedit” and press the Enter key
  • In the Registry Editor Window, go to the following address: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  • Double-click on the HideSCAVolume entry from the right-hand side menu. Change the value to 0 and click OK
  • If you can’t find the HideSCAVolume key, you can create it.
  • Right-click anywhere in the right panel. Click on New and then, select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  • Name this key HideSCAVolume
  • Double-click on this key and change its value to 0. Click on OK.

Solution 15. Execute An SFC Scan

Sometimes the Windows files can get corrupted. And that will stop the volume icon from working fine. In this case, an SFC scan will repair the files and the taskbar volume icon should work again. Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • Press the Windows + X keys to open the Windows menu.
  • Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list that comes up.
  • If the Command Prompt is not available, check out the PowerShell (Admin)
  • When Command Prompt opens up, type in the following command and then, press the Enter key: sfc/ scannow
  • The scan will start now and take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Solution 16. Add New User

The current user profile can also cause an anomaly in the volume function working. If your Taskbar volume control icon is not responding to mouse clicks, this might be why. You can try adding a new user to check if that fixes the issue. Here’s how to do that:

  • Open the Windows settings by pressing the Windows + I keys
  • Select Accounts > Family & Other users from the left panel.
  • Click on Add someone else to this PC. Then, follow the on-screen instructions.
  • Log out of the current user and log in with the new user account. Check if there is any more problem with the volume slider.

Conclusion

That’s all from our side on how to fix the Taskbar Volume icon not working issue. Hopefully, the above solutions have helped your Taskbar volume icon to start working again. There are different ways to get the Taskbar Volume icon back working again. We recommend you try the above fixes one by one until your problem is resolved.