What is Classic Volume Mixer
In Windows 11 the old volume mixer was «removed» and instead a new mixer was added to the settings app.
I really don’t like this due to it’s HUGE size in comparison. Luckily the old exe is still available in system32, so we just need a convenient way to open it.
Thats what this is, this repo contains a super simple application which only purpose is to add a new icon in the system tray that can be used to launch the old mixer.
It also comes with a few optional quality of life improvements, you can turn them on and off if you right click on the icon
Installation
To install it open a powershell window and type the command
winget install PopeenCom.ClassicVolumeMixer
Alternatively you can download it from the releases page
https://github.com/popeen/Classic-Volume-Mixer/releases
Troubleshooting
If you get smartscreen error (blue box popup) this is because the file has not been signed and is still to new. You can click on «more info» and then «run anyway» to run it, this is only needed once.
You can find a VirusTotal of the published v2.1 here
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/31d1132de2d73ff2fc10732beafee0a84a15eb172ef3304e4d358a62e9c99729
Classic Volume Control for Windows 11 is my latest app that brings back the good old sound mixer to the latest OS from Redmond. In fact, the classic sound mixer is present in Windows 11, but there is no single option to launch from anywhere in the user interface. My app fixes that inconvenience.
Since Windows 10, Microsoft uses a new sound volume flyout. It is a touch-friendly panel of the Fluent Design. However, not everyone liked how it looks. Thankfully, there was a Registry tweak to Restore the classic sound applet for the volume tray icon.
With Windows 11, Microsoft made plenty of changes to the shell. Notification Center and Quick Actions are now two different flyouts. The latter is renamed to «Quick Settings», a new panel that hosts quick action buttons along with the brightness and volume slider. It appears when you click on the Network/Sounds/Power tray icons, which are now a single big button.
The tweak to restore the classic sound mixer has stopped working with the new taskbar. But the app itself remains available in the OS. So I made a convenient launcher for it.
Classic Volume Control is a freeware and portable app. Its key features are as follows.
Features
The icon fully replicates the behavior of the classic sound icon. So, if you prefer the classic volume mixer, you will feel home with this app.
Download Classic Volume Control
The app is available by the following link.
Download Classic Volume Control for Windows 11
Download the ZIP archive, extract its contents to any folder of your choice, and run the ClassicVolumeControl.exe file. The app will directly start and place its icon to the notification area. No installation required, it just works.
While I have created this app specially for Windows 11, it works on all modern Windows versions starting in Windows 7. If you have such intention, you can run it on Windows 10, say on version 21H2.
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by Patrik Johansson
Volume Mixer is a classic software program that allows users to adjust the volume of individual system sound sources.
Operating system: Windows
Publisher: Patrik Johansson
Antivirus check: passed
Last revision: Last week
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Volume Mixer
Volume Mixer is software designed to help users manage their audio settings on a Windows computer. It provides a convenient interface to quickly and easily adjust the volume of different applications, or to mute them if desired. Volume Mixer also allows users to customize the playback of audio in different ways, such as controlling the balance between the left and right audio channels, or setting the default playback device.
The Classic Volume Mixer provides easy access to volume control for multiple audio devices.
Features:
Volume Mixer provides users with a suite of features to help them customize their audio experience:
• Quickly adjust the volume of individual applications or mute them if desired.
• Easily control the balance between the left and right audio channels.
• Set the default playback device for all audio.
• Create different profiles for different audio settings.
• Link sound levels between applications.
• Customize the way audio is output to different devices.
• Manage multiple audio devices simultaneously.
• Support for Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10.
Conclusion
Volume Mixer is a valuable tool for controlling and customizing audio settings on a Windows computer. It allows users to quickly and easily adjust the volume of different applications, or to mute them if desired. Volume Mixer also provides users with the ability to set the balance between the left and right audio channels, or to customize the output to different devices. And with support for Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10, Volume Mixer is a great choice for users who need a comprehensive audio solution.
The Volume Mixer is a software application that is included in the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is used to control the volume levels of different audio devices, such as speakers, headphones and microphones.
Minimum hardware requirements:
1. A computer with a 1GHz or faster processor.
2. At least 512MB of RAM.
3. At least 50MB of free disk space.
Minimum software requirements:
1. Windows 7 or later.
2. DirectX 9.0c or later.
3. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 or later.
4. An audio device compatible with the Volume Mixer.
Allows customization of individual application sound levels.
User-friendly with easy navigation features.
Consumes minimal system resources.
Limited customization options for advanced audio settings.
Not compatible with all audio devices.
May cause minor lagging issues.
USER REVIEWS AND COMMENTS
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Carter Schwettmann
Classic Volume Mixer is a software for easily controlling and managing audio output. It has a user-friendly interface, allowing users to adjust sound levels on different devices. It also supports selecting multiple outputs at once. I found it easy to use and the sound level adjustments were very accurate. It is also lightweight and doesn’t take up much system resources. The software also supports hotkeys, allowing users to make quick sound volume adjustments. It is also very stable and I haven’t experienced any crashes. Overall it is a great audio mixer software.
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Thomas E********t
Using Classic Volume Mixer was really cnofusing at first, but after a few hours I got the hang of it!
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Luke J******j
This software provides users with a traditional volume mixer interface for their computer. It allows users to adjust the volume levels of individual applications, as well as mute or unmute them. The software also displays the current volume levels of each application and allows users to adjust the microphone input volume. Additionally, it provides quick access to the sound settings of the computer. Overall, this software aims to provide users with a simple and user-friendly way to adjust the sound settings of their computer.
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Reuben D*****z
Classic Volume Mixer software is a useful tool for customizing and adjusting audio levels on a Windows computer.
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Freddie
Allows easy adjustment of individual application volumes, providing neat control over audio output.
image/svg+xmlBotttsPablo Stanleyhttps://bottts.com/Florian Körner
Angus
Easy to use, customizable audio control.
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В статье «Как в Windows 11 восстановить классический микшер громкости» от 13 октября мы познакомились с бесплатной тулзой Classic Volume Mixer, реализующий быстрый доступ к микшеру громкости каким мы привыкли его видеть в Windows 8.1 и 10. Утилита, надо сказать, простая, даже слишком простая, а ведь было бы неплохо, если бы она умела немного больше, скажем, восстанавливать и другие классические элементы управления звуком.
Подобно Classic Volume Control — другой бесплатной программе от отечественного разработчика Сергея Ткаченко.
Будучи запущенной, эта утилита дублирует в системном трее иконку управления звуком, клик по которой левой кнопкой мыши вызывает классическую вертикальную панель управления громкостью, как и положено, со ссылкой «Микшер» в нижней части; клик же правой кнопкой манипулятора вызывает классическое меню с опциями доступа к звуковым настройкам. При наведении на иконку утилиты курсора появляется всплывающая мини-панелька с уровнем текущей громкости в процентах.
К сожалению, меню доступно только на английском языке, но это не должно стать особой проблемой.
В нём, то есть в меню, вы найдете опции вызова классического микшера (Open volume mixer),
окошка «Звук» на вкладке «Воспроизведение» (Sound applet), окошко «Параметры громкости» (Volume control options),
окошка «Звук» на вкладке «Звуки» (Sounds).
Пункты «About», «Start automatically» и «Exit» — служебные, второй добавляет утилиту в автозагрузку Windows, третий — завершает работу приложения.
Как и Classic Volume Mixer, Classic Volume Control является твикером, только более функциональным и гораздо более удобным.
Установки утилита не требует, цвет значка меняется в зависимости от выбранной системной темы, сам значок совместим с HiDPI и поэтому выглядит четким на всех современных дисплеях.
Скачать утилиту можно по прямой ссылке:
winaero.com/downloads/classicvolumecontrol.zip
Создавалась она изначально для Windows 10, но как показало тестирование, она отлично работает и в Windows 11.
Загрузка…
Windows 11 has a refreshed UI that has been well received, but there are certain changes that haven’t sat well with some users. One of them is the Volume Mixer that has been removed in favor of a unified sound menu. This guide shows you how to get the classic Volume Mixer back in Windows 11.
Why You Need the Volume Mixer
The primary benefit of the Volume Mixer is that it allows users to micromanage the sound of different apps. You can reduce the sound in your browser app while blasting the music app on full volume.
Accessing it is easy. The Volume Mixer flies out from the System Tray where it is always available – just a click away.
Also read: How to Increase the Maximum Volume in Windows
The Volume Mixer has a new home now and looks and feels different too. Left-clicking the volume button in the Taskbar now displays a single volume bar that is universal and works across the device. Other options, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, are seen as well..
Clicking on the arrow icon to the right of the volume slider allows you to select the sound output. However, if you right-click on the volume icon in the System Tray, you will see a hidden menu containing a shortcut to the new Volume Mixer.
Click on «Open volume mixer» to open the respective page in Settings.
The sound menus are divided into two parts: System and Apps. While this is functional and works just as well, it is not optimal and requires multiple clicks to reach.
Fortunately, there is way to get the old Volume Mixer back without needing to install a third-party app.
Also read: Windows Sound Not Working? Here Are 12 Fixes
How to Add the Old Volume Mixer to the Taskbar
- Press Win + R to open the Run prompt and enter the command below. Hit Enter to execute it.
- This will open the classic Volume Mixer you are familiar with and used in Windows 10 and earlier versions.
- In the Taskbar, right-click on the Volume Mixer icon and select the «Pin to taskbar» option.
- A shortcut to the classic Volume Mixer should be added to your Taskbar towards the right end of the list. You can now access the Volume Mixer directly with a single click on Windows 11.
Also read: 10 Major Improvements in Windows 11 over Windows 10
Add Volume to System Tray in Windows 11
While the Taskbar shortcut is good, there are two problems with it: it is still not available in the System Tray, its original home, and while this method works now, it may not in the future.
Fortunately, someone from the Windows community saw this coming and developed an alternative, aptly naming it Classic Volume Mixer. It is open source and free to download on GitHub.
- Extract the ClassicVolumeMixer.exe file and place it in the Startup folder for it work. To do that, press Win + R to open the Run prompt again and enter the command below.
- Place the ClassicVolumeMixer.exe in the folder that opens.
- Reboot your computer. There should be a new but familiar icon in the System Tray.
Also read: 12 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to Windows 11
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between the new and old Volume Mixers?
None. They both offer the same functionality. The only difference is the location of the new Volume Mixer, which is hidden deep in Windows Settings.
2. How do I remove the Classic Volume Mixer from my System Tray?
Nothing was installed on your computer. It just taps into the system32 folder to add the shortcut back to System Tray. To remove Classic Volume Mixer, simply delete the ClassicVolumeMixer.exe file from the Startup folder and restart.
A C.A. by profession and a tech enthusiast by passion, Gaurav loves tinkering with new tech and gadgets. He dropped out of CA in the final year to follow his passion. He has over seven years of experience as a writer covering consumer tech and writes how-to guides, comparisons, listicles, and explainers for B2B and B2C apps and services. He recently started working out but mostly, you will find him either gaming or streaming.
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