Mysterious audio software is controlling my sound

[maenforam]

Hi all,

I have a dell XPS laptop with a plantronics .Audio 655 USB headset. Because I have Dell's "QuickSet" software installed whenever I increase or decrease the sound using either the keyboard or the buttons on the headset, the dell QuickSet software will display bars corresponding with the audio levels.

Recently, some software was installed somehow, which when my headset is plugged it takes over the control of the sound. Pressing the volume control on the headset show a different bar, while when controlling from the keyboard it shows no bar (but the sound still changes). When the headset is unplugged, the normal dell QuickSet bar is shown.

The problem is that that software sometimes takes a minute to respond when I press the control button on the headset. How do I find out what software it is so that I can remove it? I tried right clicking on the bar but it doesn't allow me. I'm attaching a image of the bar.

In device manager I see SigmaTel and the plantronics driver.

This is driving me crazy, so I'm hoping someone can identify it.

Thanks!

 

[SIW2]

You might look in task manager and see if anything is running you don't recognise.

 

[maenforam]

I did, but there's nothing in the applications tab and there are enough processes in the processes tab that I don't know, so that I wouldn't know which one it might be.

 

[fireberd]

Use the System Restore and restore back to an available restore date when it did work. System Restore will not delete any user data or e-mails. It is not a complete reinstall, just a step backward.

System Restore can be accessed from Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools. Or, just type system restore in the search box.

 

[maenforam]

Unfortunately, I do not have any restore points.

This software is quite buggy, because it'll only display if certain programs are currently active. E.g. it won't show if the services window is active, but it'll show if firefox or task manager is active.

I looked through all the active services and didn't find any service which looked like it doesn't belong. I'm convinced this is part of some system software.

 

[fireberd]

Sounds like, unfortunately, time for a factory reinstall.