Windows 8 Release Preview volume "bug"

[theyarecomingforyou]

I was watching some videos online on various websites - YouTube and GameTrailers - but for some reason after a few seconds the volume would automatically drop to virtually nothing. This stuck me as strange as I had never come across this issue with the CP or Win7. So I tried playing a video and looked at the volume mixer and low-and-behold after a few seconds it automatically moved itself down - I increased it again but it just did the same thing.

To cut a long story short I discovered that Windows was automatically reducing the volume. For some reason Windows 8 was detecting communications activity and automatically reducing the volume by 80%. Changing the option to "Do nothing" fixed this.

The question is, why was it doing this when - as far as I can tell - my system setup is exactly the same as before? I'm using the same web browser and plugins (I tried disabling them), the same audio drivers and the same applications. I have a webcam plugged in - as always - but I don't have any communications software installed (Skype, Live Messenger, etc). If I was in a webcam chat then such a feature would be understandable but this was just on the desktop without using the webcam.

[The_Observer]

Thank you!!! my sony wireless headphone have been doing this since i installed RP.

[articuno1au]

It might be that flash was enabling the mic on your system and that's what Windows was detecting.

Interesting bug all the same >.<

[Ace]

Are you sure it is a bug? Windows 7 does this too.

[+virtorio MVC]

Are you sure it is a bug? Windows 7 does this too.

The issue is that it's doing it when it's not supposed to.

[BumbleBritches57]

Yeah, Windows has issues with sound, Even Windows 7 does, install a MSI and listen to music, it distorts, run an app that requires UAC elevation, more distortion.

[theyarecomingforyou]

this is not win 8 rp specific this has been there since the early builds of windows7

I never claimed it was. The problem is that I have never come across it before with Win7 or Win8 CP, yet it was a major inconvenience with the RP.

Is it possible - as suggested earlier in the thread - that this is happening because Flash is now built-in to Windows 8? I'm just trying to ascertain why it's causing this issue, as if it is widespread it will certainly cause a lot of problems - especially for casual users.

[abecedarian paradoxious]

WIndows 7 has that, and I believe Vista did that too.

Or maybe it was Messenger that did that....

[The_Observer]

this is not win 8 rp specific this has been there since the early builds of windows7

Never had the problem before, didn't happen to me in Windows 8 CP or Windows 7. So for me its a Windows 8 RP problem. But thanks to the OP i know how to fix it now. Thanks OP