Stereo Mix doesnt appear on my friends pc!

[bgradionetwork]

Hello,
I am trying to help my friend get stereo mix enabled on his pc... we followed the general steps, going through control panel, showing disabled devices and it still does not appear on his pc.

He has restarted his pc and everything, nothing has worked... he lives in Canada, I live in the usa, I do not know what other options to use. He has a Logitech USB headset, he is using Windows 7 Home Premium and he is using a desktop pc. Please help me help him! I have a headache trying figure this out!

Also it has been so long since I have been on this forum!

-Brandon ~ bgradionetwork owner/ceo/founder!
Any assistance asap would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Did he EVER have stereo mix with this particular motherboard with Windows 7?

If not, his motherboard sound chip probably does not support stereo mix. Some do, some don't. Less do than might have 5 years ago.

His alternatives are to get another motherboard with a sound chip known to support stereo mix, use an add-on sound card that is known to support stereo mix, try older drivers that might have been designed for Vista or XP, or use workarounds like running cables from sound card output to microphone input.

 

[bgradionetwork]

His pc was designed for Windows XP... he upgraded it... Thanks for the quick reply... is their a place he can download it separately or something?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

His pc was designed for Windows XP... he upgraded it... Thanks for the quick reply... is their a place he can download it separately or something?

Download what separately?

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Hope this is what you are looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e24c8i6xloU
THW

 

[bgradionetwork]

Like get stereo mix from a website or something... if it is not on his pc by default like it should, is there a way to download it externally?

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Watch the you tube in post #5
THW

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Like get stereo mix from a website or something... if it is not on his pc by default like it should, is there a way to download it externally?

I mentioned the alternatives.

"Stereo Mix" is not something you can download outright.

He can fish around the internet trying to find and download older sound drivers for whatever motherboard he may have. That may take a lot of hours and trial and error and ultimately fail.

Or do any of the other things I mentioned.

The quickest method takes money----buying another sound card or another motherboard. You should be able to buy an external USB soundcard for 30 or 40 bucks that would work. I've got one myself, although I don't use it anymore. Behringer UFO-202.

Some people have luck running the cables as I mentioned, but I've never used it and don't know if it always works.

 

[fireberd]

Stereo Mix (could also be called System Mixer) is an integral part of the drivers. Its not an "add on".

Is there Windows 7 specific drivers for this unit? or just the generic, basic function, Windows installed HD Audio Codec.

There are 3rd party (pay program) programs that will emulate Stereo Mix.

Here is one program I found doing a Goggle search. I KNOW NOTHING about the program or validity. Just one that come up on a Google search.

 

[bgradionetwork]

ok... is possible also that Stereo Mix IS on his pc, but a setting or something wont let it show under disabled devices? Are other ways to access it as well? I only did the general way, I do not any other way, is there, like a place in the control or somewhere else?

P.S I sent him the youtube video in the meantime!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

ok... is possible also that Stereo Mix IS on his pc, but a setting or something wont let it show under disabled devices? Are other ways to access it as well? I only did the general way, I do not any other way, is there, like a place in the control or somewhere else?

P.S I sent him the youtube video in the meantime!

The only way I know to make it show up is by right clicking in the white space to show "disabled and disconnected devices". Apparently, you've already done that.

It's no accident that Microsoft forces you to do that rather than showing disabled and disconnected devices by default. It's intentional. You didn't see that on XP. It's done in an attempt to make it difficult to record what you hear due to pressure from certain organizations that don't want you to do that. Microsoft has yielded to the pressure.

Some motherboard sound chips DO support Stereo Mix on Windows 7. Mine does (Realtek). Others don't. The difficulty has arisen only in the last few years.

It's a function of the sound card drivers. Either they support Stereo Mix or they don't, subject to whatever workaround you or others can dream up.

 

[bgradionetwork]

that is crazy... I never even imagined some pcs didn't accept it..... I just assumed when I used to use that every pc has it, like everyone has Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player that no body wants cant get rid of!

 

[fireberd]

The Right clicking in a blank area in the Recording Panel and checking to show Disconnected and Disabled devices is the only way I know.

As previously mentioned there are systems that the Stereo Mix (System Mixer) is not made available. This is a hardware limitation and not a software limitation. The only way to get it would be to install a separate sound card that is Windows 7 compatible and has the Stereo Mix function.

 

[bgradionetwork]

Wow... so what you are saying is that stereo mix is on EVERY computer, but not every computer will allow to appear and be activated? That is nuts!

 

[fireberd]

Stereo Mix is NOT on every computer. If the chip used by the motherboard or PC vendor does not have it then you can't enable it.

BUT, we have no idea what hardware your friend has so all we can do is talk in generalities. Without the specific system information we are mostly shooting in the dark. However, as this had XP on it, there is a very good chance its not fully Windows 7 compatible, and/or the hardware sound chip it not fully compatible.

 

[bgradionetwork]

I meant that every WINDOWS software has it. The chip just doesnt process it so it moght as welll not be. It does but it doesnt exist! Thanks for the help btw

 

[ManyBeers]

The Right clicking in a blank area in the Recording Panel and checking to show Disconnected and Disabled devices is the only way I know.

As previously mentioned there are systems that the Stereo Mix (System Mixer) is not made available. This is a hardware limitation and not a software limitation. The only way to get it would be to install a separate sound card that is Windows 7 compatible and has the Stereo Mix function.

Wow! Thank you Thank you. That did it.