Quite often, many users, when any system failures occur, use the safe system boot mode, which is provided in Windows. But the trouble is: the sound is completely absent. Even trying to start the built-in Windows Sound service fails. Therefore, now the question will be considered on how to enable sound mode and soundcard driver support in safe mode.
Do I need sound in safe mode?
As you know, safe mode is not intended for everyday work, but for troubleshooting problems that arise in the system, if it is impossible to do this in the usual way in a fully functional OS. Accordingly, the sound in this case is not absolutely necessary, because after eliminating the malfunction or malfunction, the user still then restarts the system in normal mode.
But there are also situations where it is quite problematic to eliminate the problems that have arisen, the system in normal form does not boot, and a computer or laptop is required to work. If we add here that many in their activity require the same Skype, the problem we are considering (how to turn on sound on a computer in safe mode) becomes especially acute. And not all users, even of the highest level of training, know how to solve it. The methods we offer allow us to use some features of the safe mode, in particular, the operation of a sound card with driver support.
How to enable sound in safe mode: editing system registry settings
Since safe mode does not support drivers, and full functionality is available only to the main components of the system, the solution suggests itself: you need to connect the driver. As mentioned above, it is impossible to do this in a standard way, so you have to delve into the registry.
So, you can enable sound in safe mode of Windows 7 or any other modification of the operating system only through the registry editor, which is accessed using the regedit command in the Run menu (Win + R).
Here you should use the HKLM branch, and then the SOFRWARE section, in which you should first go to the CurrentControlSet directory, and then use the Control folder in which the SafeBoot directory is located (it contains all the parameter keys responsible for booting the system in normal safe mode or in a similar way, but with support for network drivers). Select the desired type. As a rule, the average user needs to use the Minimal directory, and for the terminals of the corporate network - Network.
In the right part of the editor you need to find four keys, changing the values of which will solve the question of how to enable sound in safe mode in any version of Windows. We draw attention to the following lines:
- AudioSRV.
- AudioEndPointBuilder.
- MMCSS
- {4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
On each key, you need to double-click to open the editing window and set new values that will be applied by default. For the first three, we set the value to Service, for the fourth - Sound, Video and Game Controllers. We save the changes and reboot the system again in safe mode.
Feasible side effects
Please note that using these parameters may cause some problems. For example, many users note that in the Minimal mode the sound may not be heard, but if the settings were made for the Network mode, everything is fine. But what’s even worse is the loss of sound during normal system boot. So, before making such settings, think a hundred times about their advisability.
How to enable sound drivers in safe mode: custom development
For those who, for whatever reason, do not express a desire to delve into the registry settings themselves, some enthusiasts have created a number of small applications that automate the process of turning on the sound.
One of the most famous is the ZMax Safe Mode Sound program, which is a regular executable script containing just one settings window. It has only two checkboxes to choose from (Minimal and Network), where you need to put a tick in the corresponding field, and the “OK” button to confirm the selected action. However, this utility is based on the use of a regular REG-file, which makes changes to the registry.
Instead of a total
As can be seen from all of the above, the question "how to turn on sound in safe mode and use the drivers for audio or game controllers" is solved quite simply. The question is different: is it necessary? Indeed, as already mentioned, in some cases, unforeseen problems with the lack of sound in the normal mode of operation of the system may arise. So, you will have to make such changes at your own peril and risk.