How to Fix the Steam Teamspeak Volume Conflict

I found a helpful article on-line, which I would like to share with you:

This fix goes beyond the Teamspeak and Steam VOIP issues seen on Windows 7 systems.  However, this applies to a majority of users.  Could help other VOIP apps, like Ventrilo or Mumble.

The Problem:
Volume in Teamspeak seems OK; then you start up a game in Steam.  The volume then drops to the point you can hardly hear other users, perhaps not at all, depending on the in-game volume.  If you look at your Volume Mixer, you’ll see the volume bar for Teamspeak has been lowered.

The Reason:
Windows 7 is trying to be nice, and lowering your volume when it detects another communication device.  It’s designed for PC based phone calls, much like how a Bluetooth phone will turn down/off the sound in your car radio for incoming calls.  In our case, Win 7 thinks your Steam VOIP is an incoming call, turning down Teamspeak.

The Solution:
Tell it to stop, who takes PC phone calls anyways?

  • Goto Control Panel
  • Select Sound
  • Select Communications Tab
  • Switch it to “Do Nothing”
  • Select OK<

Disable VOIP Volume Thingy

Note: it should not come as a surprise that this issue also exists under Windows 8/8.1.

Via The Computer Gamer

Posted in Problem Solving, Steam, Windows by

Disable onscreen keyboard in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 thinks that my laptop has a touch screen and therefor deems it necessary to display a little keyboard icon on my task bar, with which I can summon an onscreen keyboard.

Unfortunately, neither does my laptop in fact have a touch screen nor am I interested at all in using that idiotic onscreen keyboard.

So, how does one get rid of that icon? After searching the Interwebs I’m convinced that as of writing, there is no practical solution available. The only way to get rid of the icon (which is a toolbar, by the way), is to disallow any and all toolbars on the task bar.

While not everyone may be pleased with this solution, I’m fine with that. So without further ado, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Start Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
  2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. Add a new 32-bit DWORD key named “NoToolbarsOnTaskbar” and give it the value of “1”
  4. Log out and log back in

Now the little booger will stay away (along with any and all other toolbars you might have had enabled).

Via Permanently remove Touch Keyboard toolbar from taskbar?

Posted in Problem Solving, Windows 8.1 by