How do I get rid of the volume bar stuck on my screen?

What is the Volume Bar?

The volume bar is a visual indicator on the screen that shows the current system volume level. It appears in the top or bottom corner of the screen when the volume is adjusted up or down. The volume bar consists of a horizontal bar with a slider that moves left or right to visually indicate the volume getting louder or quieter.

The volume bar is a standard feature in operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. It provides quick visual feedback when using keyboard shortcuts or physical volume buttons to change the system volume. This allows you to easily see the volume level rather than just hearing it get louder or quieter.

Typically, the volume bar appears momentarily when the volume is changed, then disappears after a few seconds. However, sometimes the volume bar can get stuck on screen and not disappear. This can be annoying and get in the way of work and tasks on the computer. Fortunately, there are several potential solutions for getting rid of a stuck volume bar.

Common Causes of a Stuck Volume Bar

There are a few common causes for the volume bar getting stuck on your screen:

• Pressing the keyboard volume keys can sometimes cause the volume bar to get stuck if it doesn’t disappear automatically after a few seconds (source).
• Outdated, buggy, or corrupted audio drivers may prevent the volume bar from disappearing properly (source).
• Some third party audio software conflicts can also cause the volume bar to get stuck (source).
• Malware or viruses that affect the audio drivers or systems can lead to a stuck volume bar that won’t disappear (source).

So issues with audio drivers, third party software conflicts, malware, and using keyboard shortcuts are some of the most common culprits for a stuck volume bar on Windows.

Restarting Your Computer

One of the simplest solutions to try first is restarting your computer. This resets graphics drivers and other software that can sometimes get stuck causing the volume bar to remain fixed onscreen. Restarting your computer essentially performs a reboot, clearing any temporary glitches. According to Partition Wizard, restarting your PC will refresh the Windows UI and audio drivers, which often resolves the stuck volume bar.

To restart your computer, click the Start menu and select the Power button near the bottom-left. Then choose ‘Restart’ to reboot your machine. Once your computer has fully restarted, check if the volume bar disappears as expected. A simple restart fixes the stuck bar for many users. However, if the volume slider remains stuck, you may need to try other solutions covered in this guide.

Updating Audio Drivers

Outdated audio drivers can sometimes cause glitchy behavior like a stuck volume slider bar on your screen. To fix this, you’ll want to update your audio drivers to the latest version from the manufacturer. Here are the steps:

1. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting it.
2. Expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” section.
3. Right click on your audio driver and select “Update driver.”
4. Select “Search automatically for updated driver software.” Windows will search and install the latest driver.
5. Restart your PC and check if the volume slider issue is resolved.

If updating through Device Manager doesn’t work, you can also visit your hardware manufacturer’s website and manually download the latest audio drivers from there. Install them, restart your PC, and see if that fixes the stuck volume slider.^[1]

Updating audio drivers is a quick fix that often resolves glitchy audio issues like a stuck on-screen volume bar in Windows 10 and 11.

Checking for Malware

Malware and viruses can sometimes cause interface issues like a stuck volume bar. Malware may install programs that run in the background and interfere with system functions. Or it could make changes to the Windows registry that create problems.

Run a full system scan using your antivirus software to check for malware. Make sure your antivirus definitions are fully updated first. If you don’t have antivirus software, you can download free options like Avast Free Antivirus or Malwarebytes.

Also check for potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that often come bundled with freeware. Use a specialized tool like Malwarebytes AdwCleaner to scan for and remove PUPs.

If your scan finds malware or PUPs, remove them and restart your computer to see if that fixes the volume bar issue. Keep your antivirus software and definitions updated to prevent future infections.

Using Task Manager

One method to get rid of a stuck volume bar is to force close any hung audio processes through Task Manager. Here are the steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Alternatively, right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager.”

2. Click on the “Processes” tab.

3. Scroll down and look for any process related to your audio or sound drivers. Common processes include Audiodg.exe, Audioendpointbuilder.exe, or services related to Realtek, IDT, or Conexant audio.

4. Right-click on theaudio process and select “End task.” This will force close the program.

5. The stuck volume bar should now disappear. If not, restart your computer.

Ending the audio tasks essentially restarts the audio services in Windows. This resets any glitches that may have caused the volume slider to get stuck on screen. Be sure to only end programs related to audio, as force closing other processes could lead to instability or data loss.[1]

System Restore

One way to potentially fix the stuck volume bar is by using System Restore to revert your system to an earlier restore point before the issue occurred. System Restore allows you to undo system changes and restore your computer to a previous state without affecting your personal files.

To use System Restore to fix the stuck volume bar issue:

1. Type “System Restore” in the Windows search bar and open the System Restore utility.
2. Click “Next” to bring up a list of previous restore points.
3. Select a restore point prior to when you first noticed the stuck volume bar.
4. Click “Next” and then “Finish” to initiate the system restore.
5. Wait for your system to reboot into the restore point. This may take some time.
6. Once the restore completes, check if the stuck volume bar issue is resolved.

If an earlier restore point fixes the issue, then some software installation or system change after that point likely caused the problem. Using System Restore to revert these changes may resolve the stuck volume bar.

However, if System Restore does not help, you may need to resolve the issue through other methods like updating drivers or troubleshooting malicious programs. But reverting to an earlier restore point is one of the easiest ways to potentially fix the stuck volume bar without extra steps.

Reinstalling Audio Drivers

Sometimes a corrupted or outdated audio driver can cause the volume bar to get stuck on your screen. Reinstalling the audio drivers is an effective way to fix this problem. Here are the steps:

1. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting it.

2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.

3. Right click on your audio driver and select Uninstall device. Check the box to delete the driver software too if prompted.

4. Restart your PC and Windows will automatically reinstall the audio driver.

If that doesn’t fix it, you may need to completely remove the audio drivers before reinstalling:

1. Download the latest audio drivers for your model from the manufacturer’s website (for example, Realtek, Intel, Nvidia etc.)

2. Open Device Manager again and uninstall the audio driver.

3.Restart your PC and boot into Safe Mode.

4. Use a tool like Driver Sweeper to completely remove all traces of the audio driver.

5. Install the latest audio drivers you downloaded earlier.

6. Restart your PC normally and the volume bar should be gone.

Clean Booting

One method to fix the stuck volume bar is to perform a clean boot in selective startup mode [1]. This isolates the offending startup program or service that’s causing the volume bar issue. Here’s how to clean boot in selective startup:

1. Open the Start menu and type “msconfig”. Select System Configuration from the results.

2. Go to the Services tab and check the “Hide all Microsoft services” box. This prevents important Windows services from being disabled.

3. Click Disable all. This disables any remaining third-party startup services and programs.

4. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.

5. In Task Manager, disable any enabled startup items by right-clicking and selecting Disable.

6. Close Task Manager and click OK in System Configuration.

7. Restart your computer and check if the volume bar issue is resolved. If so, you can methodically re-enable startup items one by one until the problem reappears. That should help identify the problematic program.

Clean booting into selective startup mode isolates software and services that load at startup. This simple troubleshooting step can pinpoint conflicts that cause the stuck volume bar in Windows.

Last Resorts

If none of the previous solutions have worked, there are a few advanced troubleshooting steps you can try as a last resort before taking more drastic measures like reinstalling your operating system:

Run sfc /scannow in an elevated Command Prompt to scan for corrupted system files and replace them with cached copies that are intact. This can resolve issues that are being caused by missing or damaged system files (Source).

Update your graphics drivers to the latest available version. Outdated graphics drivers can sometimes cause interface glitches like a stuck volume bar. Head to your graphics card manufacturer’s website to download the newest drivers (Source).

As a last resort, you may need to reinstall your operating system if the issue persists after trying everything else. Back up your data, wipe your hard drive, and perform a clean OS installation. This should clear out any corrupted files or settings causing the stuck volume bar (Source).

Reinstalling the OS eliminates software issues and gives you a fresh start. But it can be time consuming to backup, wipe, and reinstall. Try all other solutions first before taking this drastic measure.