[2023] Lost sound in EU4

YuraO said: I posted similar message in a bug report section but got no response for a few days.

Most likely because it's not a game bug - if it were everyone would get it!



DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .  

I don't see nay cause for this in those files; you have only one sound output and it uses the default MS driver, not some third party one that might have such problems.

If you plug in a USB headset do you get any sound then?

Run the game up then alt-tab out to Windows. Right click on the Speaker icon in the Windows taskbar, open volume mixer. Scroll across to the game; is it set to mute or a very low volume?  

Any chance you can borrow a headset or any other form of output, for the purposes of this test?

What if you make a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that - any different?

If not, please install and run the free utility Speccy. Send its output to a text file and attach that here please.  

YuraO said: have another headset with a 3.5mm jack, same story

It would need to be a different type of device to use a different audio driver, like a USB headset or speakers.

YuraO said: uhm, not sure how to do that

A quick google found this link:

Add or remove accounts on your PC - Microsoft Support

Learn how to add user accounts in Windows 10 and Windows 11. With an account, each person has separate files, browser favorites, and a private desktop. support.microsoft.com

That Speccy output shows some sounds hardware with no drivers, whch is unusual:

Audio
Sound Cards
High Definition Audio Device
AMD High Definition Audio Device
AMD Streaming Audio Device

The first one is the one we see in the dxdiag. I assume the AMD video card you have has audio n it too, woul dthat be right? Can you check with AMD for drivers for that?


The only other thing we see in Speccy there is a number of Failed or In Progress Windows updates, going back to April 2021. I'm not sure they are related to this problem, but it's not a good thing to see! You might want to look into that to, to get all the Windows updates applied.  

YuraO said: Wouldn't I also need to install the game for this user? Or will I be able to use it from the other user?

I'm not sure, to be honest. Either way is that a test you can do? Are willing to try?

YuraO said: Could speccy be wrong?

I don't think so; they are after all getting that info from Windows' own records! But as I say I don't have a lot of confidence that is anything to do with this sound issue.  

YuraO said: I completely removed the Paradox folder in my Documents... where else does this game leave its mark?

Only there and the Steam-EU4 folder, nowhere else.

I don't think it's the game, I think it's that Windows user profile. In what way it might cause this I do not know though! Maybe some app or utility is starting in the original profile but not in the new one, and it's getting in the way somehow? I didn't see anything like that in Speccy, but of course I don't know every possible app and utility.  

I don't know anything about diagnosing problems with particular Windows profiles I'm afraid.

My only further suggestion would be to do a Windows Reset, which is a lot to contemplate to get this game going properly, I know!