How to Fix Volume Control Icon Not Working in Windows 10

Are you unable to control volume using Windows Volume Control icon in the notification area? The problem with volume control icon can also appear all of a sudden without any seemingly visible reason. This post will discuss the most common reason why the volume control icon may be malfunctoning.

Reason 1 for Volume Control Icon Not Working: Pending Updates for Windows 10

The number 1 reason for Window’s volume control icon to malfunction is due to pending Windows updates which are waiting to be installed. Microsoft frequently updates Windows 10 for various reasons including fixing security issues. When the update is major and affects various components of the device, some of the features of Windows may stop working. This includes the volume control icon. In order to fix this problem, restart your computer by selecting Update and Restart option from Windows Power button which can be accessed by clicking the Windows icon at the bottom left corner (also known as the Start button).

Please ensure that the device is not turned off while it is being updated. Once the device restarts, try using the volume icon from the notification tray and it should be working again.

Reason 2 for Volume Icon Not Working: Windows Audio Service

Windows Audio service may hang or need to be restarted for the volume control icon to work again. Here are the steps to restarting Windows Audio Service.

1. Click on Windows Search icon and type in Services. Locates Services Desktop App and click on it.
   
   
2. Once the Services App opens, scroll down and locate Windows Audio. Single click on Windows Audio and you will be presented with an option to Stop and Restart the service under the Services (Local) column.
   
   
3. Click on Stop the service. The service will stop. Then click on Restart the service.
4. Try to use the volume control icon to ensure that the problem has been solved.

Other Ways to Control Volume When the Volume Control Slider is Not Working

Here are some other ways to control the volume directly from your device when the volume control icon is not working.

Pro Tip from a Visitor [Added on February 8, 2020]

In the comments section, one of our visitors named James Smith mentioned a fix which seems to be working for a lot of people. So, I am adding his tip in this article.

Step 1: Press Alt+CTRL+Del keys.

Step 2: Click on Start Task Manager.

Step 3: Ensure you are in the Processes tab.

Step 4: Scroll down and locate Windows Explorer. Right click on Windows Explorer and click Restart. This should cause the volume key to function again.

Using the Volume Mixer

1. Right click on the Volume Control icon in the notification area and select Open Volume Mixer.
   
   
2. Use the slider to control the volume from the Volume Mixer. You can control sound from Speakers, system and other other applicatons using the Mixer.
   

Creating a Shortcut to the Volume Mixer

As per a support post on Microsoft, you can also assign a shortcut key on your keyboard to pull up the volume control slider. To do this, right click on your Desktop and select New > Shortcut. In the field to type the location, copy and paste the following code:%windir%\System32\SndVol.exe -f 49825268

Click Next and assign a name for this shortcut. You can call it Volume Control. Click Finish. Once the shortcut has been created on the Desktop, right click on the shortcut and select Properties. Locate the shortcut key field and simply press the key on the keyboard (for example, F8 or F9) that you wish to assign as a shortcut for pulling out the volume control slider. Press Ok. From now on, pressing the assigned shortcut key will bring up the volume control.