# Sound Only Works One Program At A Time



## Bad_Boyl2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Currently I own a Dell Studio XPS, running MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1.

I have the following playback devices, as listed by Windows:









The problem is that the sound only works with one application at a time, meaning, if I open iTunes first, and then Skype, only the sound on iTunes will work. If I close both, then open Skype first, and iTunes second, then only the sound from Skype can be heard. This has happened with every program so far, such as Google Chrome (watching a video on YouTube), video games, and VLC Media Player. I've had this problem for as long as I can remember, as this computer is fairly new.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I'm willing to divulge any more information required. I didn't want to overload this post with information that might otherwise be useless, or just serve to confuse people trying to answer and resolve my problem.


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## RaytheBear (Sep 14, 2010)

Just a thought: Click on your Communications Tab in the Pic you provided and make sure that there is No Radio button on: Mute all other sounds.

Ray


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## Bad_Boyl2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks Ray,

I currently have it set to "Reduce the volume of other sound by 80%", but I don't think it's neccesarily that setting that is causing the problem. I should not have it set to mute other sound, right?

Thanks,
Luis


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Can you play audio from any other two sources like two Youtube videos in seperate browsers?


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## Bad_Boyl2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Ok, so I tried several different situations of the above:

1) I opened two tabs, in the same browser, in the same window. I could hear the YouTube videos from both tabs, simultaneously

2) I opened Mozilla Firefox and then Google Chrome. I could only hear the YouTube video from Mozilla Firefox, and not from Google Chrome

3) I opened 2 windows of the same browser, Google Chrome. I could hear both videos from both windows, of the same browser, simultaneously

Hope this information helps,
Luis


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## Bad_Boyl2 (Mar 24, 2011)

BUMP... I really need this fixed, and I've been pretty patient for responses  The problem is the same, nothing has changed since I've started this thread. So please, any help is welcome


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I'll take a shot, but really have no clue. In that screen shot in your initial post select Speakers and click on Properties. On the Advanced tab I have both selections under Exclusive Mode checked and do not have the same problem you do. But, my thought is that there may be some some other "junk" in your registry that makes the system think that Skype, iTunes, etc., are trying to take exclusive control. So, try not allowing exclusive control.

I've attached a screen shot in case your Properties - Advanced is different from mine.


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## Farodsbro (Mar 28, 2011)

Very similar problem on my computer. The sound from all my applications will work when I have a specific application open, and then they will either all die or they were all turn into this horrible crackling noise when I have any other application open. If I exiot the application where the sound works, a different seemingly random application gains control of the good sound, and the others remain terrible. Please help!

Also, my properties are the same as TerryNet's, so that doesn't seem to be the issue for me.


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## Bad_Boyl2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Sorry for the wait, I had only just gotten around to answering. Thank for posting a reply 

I was aware of the "Exclusive Mode" under Speaker Properties, and I double-checked it, and all the options were unticked.










It could be a registry error, like you stated. I was thinking of downloading the 3rd party application RegSeeker to help with the problem, partly because I don't know how to vaigate through the folders in RegEdit in Windows.

If you have any suggestions on how I should go about this please do divulge me your intellect  I seldom edit the registry, and only have done so manually on purpose once, so I have little experience on how the system works. One thing for sure I do know  I must be VERY careful.

EDIT: Oh, and please, if you have any particular keywords that you think I should search for then please do contribute  It is a lot of registry entries, and this may take a while to find a viable one -.-

I'll reply back here if I am unable to find anything of use, or if of course, I am able to solve the problem.

Luis


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I don't have any ideas on what, if anything, to look for in the registry. I, along with many people on the forum, have no trust in registry cleaners. If you use one (or do your own edits) be absolutely sure to have the registry backed up in case the program makes things worse.


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