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TF2 - volume on other programs lowers?

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Mr.Guvernment

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
i listen to alot of online radio stations via Ie and such and today everytime i start Tf2 - the volume of the IE window with the streaming audio drops to almost nothing, i check all volume controls and everything is maxed out, yet the volume is lower, as soon as i kill TF2, bam! volume shoots back up!

Anyone else experience this?

one site I listen to is Edge102 - http://corusmedia.media.streamthewo...tp://www.edge.ca&platform=EMMISFM&active=true
 
Windows 7, always used vista before but never have i had this issue and it literally seemed to start tonight.
 
you can always drop the volume on tf2 and then up your master volume (on your speakers/headphones or whatever)
 
That's strange, I also listen to online radio (last.fm and winamp streams) while playing TF2, and I get nothing like that.

Win XP SP3 - Firefox 2

Maybe try firefox to isolate the source of the problem?
 
Its actually easy to do in Windows 7

Launch the TF2.exe and open the audio stack, set volume levels to your liking.

However I believe that browsers fall under "windows sounds"
 
it may be because of IE. If you use any other browsers they may not exhibit the same behavior. You can manually adjust the volume like jstutman suggested (and I suggested earlier) by right clicking on the Sound icon in your task bar and selecting the Open Volume Mixer option.
 
i have tried that and all volumes for IE and such are all maxed out but volume still drops\

i am thinking this could be an Windows 7 bug of some sort...
 
Steam Games lower volume in other applications

Yup, I have this same issue. I'm getting back into gaming and I play the STEAM games. I play TF2, CSS, L4D. I am on the Windows 7 beta as well. I didn't think this was a windows 7 beta specific issue, because I thought I've experienced this before, but I could be wrong. I play music from itunes or other media programs while I play sometimes, and the volume will lower to a low volume during joining the server, right near connection. "Sending Client Info" is the last stage of connecting to a server and this is when it happens. Now, it's clearly steam setting a volume limit. I usually Alt-Tab back to windows and check the volume mixer. What you will notice is the program you were using to stream audio (Internet explorer) in my case iTunes, may show the volume slider near the top where you left it, but that slider is ghosted out.. a phantom slider. If you look at the bottom, you'll see another slider that is where the volume really is. I always just slide the volume back up to where I want, and go back into my game. It will re adjust itself back down during map change, or server change. It's annoying but, but I know to just raise the volume back up and go back to my game. I'm sure a solution will present itself with an update from someone down the line.

volume_mixer.JPG
 
Yep, i got same issue. windows 7 (build 7000) and i dont use IE.

when i get in TF2 sound for all other programs lowers. When i exit, it all goes back to normal.

CSS & L4D don't have this problem.
 
ya i went back to vista and reinstalled and doesnt happen.

so a windows 7 issue it is then :d
 
I found this thread and these forums googling for this exact problem. I read a couple of sites with people having this problem before I discovered the solution on my own. This is not a bug, Windows 7 thinks you're communicating with other people, thus lowers the volume. Go to Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Sound -> Communications. Set this to do nothing. Problem solved. I knew there had to be a simple fix to this. I am now enjoying my music in TF2 and L4D again.

BTW, just in case it matters, I'm running build 7057 64 bit edition on my gaming computer, although this setting was also toggled on by default on my laptop running 7048 32 bit. I don't play games on my laptop, so this didn't become a problem until I booted it on my gaming comp.

Best of luck to you all, Windows 7 is awesome.
 
^^ nice find!!! interesting feature as well for them to implement, kind of annoying thought for windows to assume something,
 
Welcome to ocforums Jim Tolke! Really nice of you to join to post an answer for someone else. I hope you stick around.
 
EDIT: Dammit i didnt read the last post by Jim Tokle.
Well he already answered first, so all credit goes to him

~~~~~

Yep, i got same issue. windows 7 (build 7000) and i dont use IE.

when i get in TF2 sound for all other programs lowers. When i exit, it all goes back to normal.

CSS & L4D don't have this problem.

i found out the problem. it turns out its another one of those "its not a bug, its a feature" things.




  • Right-click on the speaker icon by the clock
2d862645186b625aa2a6f57d0ed064b0.png






  • Click on Playback devices
9b4315b7d7d38e0e58a945ec542628de.png







  • Go to the COMMUNICATIONS tab and select DO NOTHING from the dropdown box
6a3306547208621ce42e4678282076ea.png





~~~

I also made this handy instructions on this link if u want to show to friends:
>>> http://files.bortweb.com/how_to_stop_sound_lowering.htm <<<


i hope u useful to you
 
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