To prevent users on a Windows 10 computer from changing the speaker volume or muting it, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor. Here's a step-by-step guide using the Local Group Policy Editor:
- Press
Win + Rto open the Run dialog box. - Type
gpedit.mscand pressEnter. - Navigate to
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation. - Find and double-click
Prevent audio input and output devices from being uninstalled. - Select
Enabledand clickOK.
If you don't have the Local Group Policy Editor, or if you're using a version of Windows that doesn't support it, you can use the Registry Editor:
- Press
Win + Rto open the Run dialog box. - Type
regeditand pressEnter. - Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceClasses\AudioInput\001\EnumorAudioOutput\001\Enum. - Right-click an empty area, select
New > Key, and name itProperty. - Right-click the new
Propertykey, selectNew > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name itAllowVolumeAdjustment. - Double-click the new
AllowVolumeAdjustmentDWORD, set its value to0, and clickOK. - Repeat steps 4-6 for every subkey in the
AudioInput\001\EnumorAudioOutput\001\Enumfolder.
For multiple users with different levels of Windows knowledge, you can create a Group Policy Object (GPO) and link it to the Organizational Unit (OU) that contains the affected users. This way, you can manage the settings centrally.
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