Windows 8 Bible

Controlling Sound Volume

Before we get into Windows Media Player, you need to know a few things up front about music and video. In particular, you want to get your sound working and under control, so you can listen to whatever you like, without blasting your eardrums out!

Before you get started, make sure that you can control the volume of your speakers. At any given time, you’re likely to have at least three volume controls available to you. Whichever control is set the lowest wins, in the sense that it puts an upper limit on the other volume controls.

If you have powered speakers, you need to make sure that the speakers are plugged in and turned on and connected to the Speaker output jack on your computer. If the speakers have a Mute button, make sure that it’s turned off. If the speakers have a volume control button, that needs to be turned up.

You can control the volume of sound coming from your computer’s speakers using the Volume Control icon in the Notification area. It looks like a little speaker with sound waves coming out. Pointing to that icon shows the current volume setting as in the left side of Figure 24.1. Clicking that icon displays a volume control slider and a Mute button, as in the right side of Figure 24.1.

FIGURE 24.1 Volume control icon and slider

To adjust the volume, just drag the slider handle up or down the bar. To mute the sound, click the Mute button ...