Sound Control panel takes 2 minutes to open; HDMI sound inconsistent

[djpaige9]

Brand new Windows 7 Home Premium (6 bit) computer. When I click on the Sound control panel item, sometimes it takes 1-2 minutes to open. But that's kind of minor (although I'd like to know how to fix it), because sometimes the HDMI sound to my HDTV works fine, and sometimes it doesn't work at all. The only sure fix is to reboot the computer, which isn't really what I want to do every time I want sound coming from the HDTV speakers.



More details: if I reboot the computer, and then switch from the monitor to the HDTV for my video output, I can open the Sound control panel (opens at normal speed) and then I select the HDTV to be the default sound device; and everything is good. At some point, I stop watching the HDMI output to the HDTV, switch the video to my main monitor, and the sound now comes out of the computer speakers. Great. That's what I want. I can even turn off the HDTV, come back 20 minutes later, switch the video back to the HDTV and the sound goes through the HDTV speakers. Switch back and forth a couple of times and everything works as expected. Great. That's what I want.



But at some later point in time, it stops working, and I don't know what triggers this. At this later point in time, I switch the video from the monitor to the HDTV, but now the sound remains with the computer speakers, if I try to open the sound control panel, it takes 1-2 minutes, and when it finally opens the sound control panel no longer lets me select the HDTV to be the default sound device. What's wrong? How do I fix this?

 

[fireberd]

I had the slow opening sound panel/playback section for a while. I tried several things and all of a sudden the problem went away. Not sure what fixed it but I have updated the AMD video card drivers several times, no audio driver updates. The only common point is that I too have an AMD video card (HD7770).

In most cases, if the PC "speakers" (sound card) is set as the default audio playback device and then an HDMI cable is plugged into the PC it will automatically switch to the HDMI sound (and make it the default playback device), and if the cable is disconnected it automatically switches back to the speakers. If you are having problems accessing the sound panel, this is another option (for most) until you get the slow opening panel issue resolved.

 

[djpaige9]

Maybe my words weren't 100% clear, but when you say

In most cases, if the PC "speakers" (sound card) is set as the default audio playback device and then an HDMI cable is plugged into the PC it will automatically switch to the HDMI sound (and make it the default playback device), and if the cable is disconnected it automatically switches back to the speakers.

that's exactly what happens when things behave normally.

But after an unknown period of time, this behavior stops, and the sound only comes out of the computer speakers even when the HDTV is turned on and video is sent to the HDTV via HDMI. That's when the control panel opens very slowly, and when it does open, I cannot select to use the HDTV as my speakers, the selection is greyed out.

Any ideas?

 

[fireberd]

Check memory and running services the next time that happens. Sounds like something is hogging the memory and/or CPU time.

 

[djpaige9]

Apparent solution:

This is an empirical solution, it has worked for me, but I can't explain the cause and effect, if anyone can explain why this works, please speak up!

My solution is to open the Sound Control panel immediately on starting Windows, and LEAVE IT OPEN! At this point, with the sound panel staying open, regardless of whether I am using the monitor, or the HDTV via HDMI cable, the sound works as expected. When I switch to the HDTV, the sound switches properly. When I switch back to the monitor the sound switches properly. This success is very repeatable.

I have tested this for two weeks, and the original problem did not appear. When I closed the sound panel (as a test), the original problem re-appeared within hours.

 

[fireberd]

As I mentioned, I can't say what fixed mine, but all of a sudden the delay problem went away.