volume setting

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My Toshiba laptop's volume control setting has now vanished - most vexing and I am the only user (it's at my private flat). OS is Vista. Why? Weirder, I've tried plenty to restore the volume control setting that used to reside in the task bar (bottom of screen) - it's gone.

I've searched online, control panel options, and plenty more....to no avail. Sigh. Any advice?

I should clarify: There is volume. But the volume setting is now permanently set (at a really low volume setting) since it's vanished.

I've had the same thing happen with Vista a couple of times. Simply re-booting fixed it.

Run SndVol.exe

I'd guess in the Control Panel there are settings for the volume and a check box to make the sound adjustment option visible on the taskbar. Someone or some program probably turned it off.

About the control panel: I positively went through all options and volume control is non-existent. After any changes, I do restart/reboot (and I did in this case too). To no avail.

Next, about volume control on the taskbar: No. I live alone. Plus, I've not made any changes to my laptop, at all.

For the last few weeks (?) or so, I've had plenty of peculiar computer-glitches, which I fix myself. For one example, one day I turned on my computer and there's no desktop icons - vanished. But the heck?

Still, I have no volume control. Sigh.

Virus?


Still, run SndVol.exe.. (windows-button + r -> sndvol.exe)

Vista did that(the missing icons) to my brother as well recently. They were actually still present in that you could click on them. The wallpaper disappeared as well, but only on the first monitor. Very odd bug.

Maybe your robot was messing with the Toshiba?

heh heh...I suspect so! Plus, yesterday was Halloween - - Toshiba possessed

I'll try kra17's tip (thank you). Keeping my virus/spyware programme's up-to-date.

I had the same problem around a year ago with Vista and couldn't find it anywhere or get it to reappear. A system restore got it back again however. I've no idea why is suddenly vanished.

Is it Windows' own volume icon or does Toshiba provides its own icon?

For Windows' native icon, you should be able to bring it back by:
right-click taskbar → Properties → Notification Area
System icons → Volume

If Toshiba provides its own program, you may have to prevent Windows from hiding icons by disabling "Hide inactive icons" on that same dialog.

Thanks all, and thank you, CloudWalker - fixed! I'd been scoping out all options on taskbar....sigh.

Anyway, laptop has been mysteriously changing plenty of my setting as of late

You are welcome. What other settings has change? Generally, these settings should not change by itself. It sounds almost like your laptop is possessed.

I suspect so.... <sigh> Recently all my desktop icons vanished. I'd changed no settings. And other 'minor' changes, like inserting new a new menu bar. I'll need to check my anti-virus programmes. Now each time I start-up, I get a 'Tweak' message and I that programme is apparently not deletable.

Okay, with XP....

Control Panel

Sounds and Audio Devices

"Volume" Tab....check the box next to "Place volume icon in the taskbar"

I'll try and check back later from home to see how it is on Windows 7 (which I figure copied Vista).

This should hold true no matter what sound card/chipset or software your PC is running.


***

Okay, for Windows 7 (and Vista).

Start Button

Right-Click on gray area to get the "Properties" box...click it.

"Taskbar" tab - Notification area, click "Customize" button.

The ability to display the volume control icon should be there.

Maybe something odd is happening with your hard disk, years ago I had a 95 machine which for some reason was chnaging settings in odd ways, this went on for several weeks before I worked out that the hard disk was failing. So maybe consider a surface scan of the harddisk to check that nothing odd is happening.

BTW labpet is a nice person so I hope that it is not a hard disk which is about to fail.