[Troubleshooting]

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:hammer_and_wrench: :sos: https://forum.fxsound.com/t/troubleshooting/3105 :sos: :hammer_and_wrench:

If you’re having trouble getting FxSound to work properly, here’s a summary of the most relevant troubleshooting tips.

  1. The Bonus Presets can be downloaded here; there’s a pack of 59 extra Presets (with the 12 Bonus Presets included) shared here, and all previous versions of the purple FxSound are free to download on VideoHelp, while the Changelog page of the official website offers an overview of the changes made with each update;

  2. Download the latest available update and run its installer - currently v1.1.22.0, available from fxsound.com or the Microsoft Store. Your version number is shown in the Help tab of the Settings menu (located at the top right of the user interface);

  3. Download and install the latest available updates for your computer, Windows, and sound devices;

  4. If you’re having problems with a specific device, browse its manufacturer’s website first to find its manual, support pages, or troubleshooting suggestions for it, driver updates, or any proprietary software. It’s probably also worth taking a moment to try the results you get with other devices and different connection methods, to better locate the cause of your issue from the start;

  5. Find your machine’s specs, visit its page on its manufacturer’s website, and look for relevant driver updates that haven’t been installed yet. Using an automated updating method is easier ànd safer, and thus recommended. Updating your system incorrectly can cause serious damage, so if you lack the expertise to do this properly, skip this tip;

  6. If your problem is a lack of any sound output (a.k.a. a no-sound-type problem): first, take a minute to check all volume-related settings and sliders in your system. Next, try some different frequency settings for your devices, and see if you can find an optimal match-up. These settings are located in the Advanced tab of the device Properties (in Windows Sound), and changing them often makes a bigger difference than you’d expect. More info on supported bit depths and sampling rates in this thread;

  7. In the General tab of FxSound’s Settings, try changing the setting for automatic output device switching;

  8. Try running the program as Administrator;

  9. In Windows Sound Settings, you can restore an audio device to its default values by opening its Properties, and clicking “Restore Defaults” found at the bottom of the Advanced tab. Note that restoring the FxSound Speakers device to defaults should not impact your settings or Presets. Windows 10 & 11 also provide an option to default all devices at once in the Volume Mixer. Read more in this tutorial on howtogeek.com - thanks to @Hansk for sharing;

  10. If the problematic device connects via Bluetooth, try factory-resetting it or clearing the device’s Bluetooth memory, and completely removing, then re-adding it to your computer’s Bluetooth list;

  11. If the problematic device connects via USB, try turning off Power Saving from its Power Management tab in Device Manager;

  12. If FxSound is installed as the only sound enhancement program active during audio playback, the processing pipeline will be: Audio application [source] → Windows audio API’s → FxSound audio driver → FxSound application audio processing → Windows audio API’s → Audio hardware driver → Speakers. If other audio processing applications are installed, the pipeline becomes more complex, and isolating the issues becomes more difficult;

  13. FxSound currently only supports audio in the PCM format, from output devices with 2 to 8 channels. This means Mono a.k.a. single-channel devices, and non-PCM formats like Dolby Digital or DTS, are not supported;

  14. In Windows Sound Settings, FxSound should be set as the Default Device, because if FxSound is not your Default Device, it will not be able to process any audio;

  15. Alternatively, in Windows Sound Settings, you can try setting FxSound as the Default Communication Device (one of the most relevant tips for issues with live chat apps like Discord, Skype, Zoom, MS Teams, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.). This sets FxSound as both Default Device ànd Default Communication Device simultaneously, but, it will only show it as Default Device;

  16. In Windows Sound Settings: disable Exclusive Mode; disable Hardware Acceleration (found in the Advanced tab); and disable all Enhancements, for all devices;

  17. In Windows Sound Settings, under the Communications tab, select “Do nothing” as Windows’ response when detecting communication activity;

  18. In Windows Sound Settings, it often helps to disable all the devices that you don’t need (done via “Don’t allow” in Windows 11), including any hidden ones;

  19. FxSound’s UI graphics are built on an OpenGL-based framework. DirectX Extensions Viewer lets you check if your graphics hardware supports OpenGL and if OpenGL is enabled;

  20. If you’re experiencing laggy or choppy audio, downloading LatencyMon and running a scan (preferably with FxSound alternately On and Off) should help identify the cause;

  21. Try uninstalling and reinstalling FxSound, or, try downloading it from a different source and installing that version instead (if you downloaded from fxsound.com, try downloading from the Microsoft Store, and vice versa);

  22. Since the FxSound Audio Enhancer driver can be removed with relative impunity, you can remove the driver manually if necessary: instructions here;

  23. If you’re getting the “Oops! There’s a problem with your playback device settings” error pop-up, take a look here first. The two most frequent causes are a disabled FxSound Speakers device, and incorrect use or setup of Remote Desktop (RDP);

  24. The priority of FxSound’s process can be increased in Windows’ Task Manager utility (but at your own risk);

  25. If all else has failed, uninstalling with specialized full uninstaller software might be a last-resort option worth exploring;

  26. If the problem is exceptionally serious and persistent, Windows’ built-in System Restore function is able to revert your entire computer to an earlier point in time, provided there are Restore Points available. However, this is not something to go about lightly, and you should take the time to review if the rollbacks to your system are worth the gains. Either way, FxSound only installs one relatively simple driver, and, under normal circumstances, does not create problems of this magnitude.

Last, but not list: you’re always at liberty to explore other audio tools;

…List-ception! :sweat_smile:

Congrats for reading all the way to the end!
If you’re still having trouble after applying all relevant suggestions, feel free to make a new thread.
Please don’t forget to mention which versions of FxSound and Windows you’re running, as well as the brand and model names of the devices you’re having problems with, and any other audio processing applications you’re using.
You can also send me a private message using the “Message” button at the top right of my profile.

Good luck… and may the Fx be with you.

:level_slider: :computer: :headphones:

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