Controlling the Volume

Although a computer blaring loud music can be fun when you're relaxing or having a party, it's not a good idea when you're working on a notebook computer around other people in a crowded room or office. Fortunately, you can adjust the sound levels for your system and for each of your applications. You can also turn off the Windows startup sound if you don't want to announce to everyone in the room that you just turned on your computer. If your computer has more than one output device, you can specify which one is the default device while you're setting the volume levels for each device.

Set the Defaults

Click the Start button, type sound in the Search box of the Start menu, and click Sound to display the Sound dialog box.

On the Playback tab, double-click a device to display its Properties dialog box. Make any device-specific settings that you want to be the default settings for that device, including volume levels and enhancements, and click OK. Repeat for each device. (The settings that you can make in the Properties dialog box vary for different devices because of the different features of individual devices.)

Click the device that you want to set as the default device, and click Set Default.

On the Sounds tab of the Sound dialog box, clear this check box if you never want to hear the Windows startup sound when you turn on your computer, or select the check box if you do want to hear the sound.

Click OK.

Set the Master Volume Level

Click the Volume icon in the notification area of the taskbar.

Do either of the following:

• Drag the slider to adjust the volume.

• Click the Mute button to mute the sound or to turn off muting.

Click outside the Volume Control to close it.

See Also

"Associating a Sound with an Event" on pages 180181 for information about modifying which Windows sounds are used for specific events.

"Customizing the Taskbar" on pages 262263 for information about displaying the Volume icon if it isn't already displayed on the taskbar.

Set the Volume for Events and Programs

Click the Volume icon on the taskbar, and click Mixer to display the Volume Mixer dialog box.

Click Device, and specify which device you want to set the sound levels for if you have more than one device.

Adjust the volume for the device.

Adjust the volume for the event sounds used with Windows.

Adjust the sound level for each running program.

Close the Volume Mixer dialog box when you've finished.