Stereo Mix on Windows 10 HP Pavilion Laptop

[benedettafdered]

Hello there! 
I'm searching the web trying to find an answer to my question: I have an HP Pavilion Laptop 15-cs2093nl with Windows 10 (64-bit), always updated and everything. But now that I need my Stereo Mix on my Audio Settings, it is not there! I need that because I need to record the audio that comes directly from my laptop and not from outside. I've tried everythig, believe me. I have Realtek High Definition Audio Driver (v. 6.0.1.8186). Can anybody help me with that? 

Thank you!

[Riddle_Decipher]

@benedettafdered Here are a few reasons why the stereo mix could be missing & how to fix it:

Windows is constantly getting rid of features they feel are unnecessary and Stereo Mix may just be another one. Still, Stereo Mix is also related to the audio driver you have installed and it may be possible to restore it. There are a few different causes which can cause it to go missing so check out the ones below for more info:

• The microphone is inaccessible – If your microphone device is not accessible for audio recording, Stereo Mix will be disabled as well. You need to allow apps to access your Microphone in Windows 10 Settings.
• Stereo Mix is simply listed as disabled – Stereo Mix may simply be disabled as a virtual audio device in Sounds settings so make sure you simply re-enable it to resolve the problem.
• Audio driver – Stereo Mix is only available for drivers provided by your manufacturer and you will have to update them if you are using the default ones made by Microsoft.

Solution 1: Make Sure Your Microphone is Available for Access

This problem can also appear if your microphone is not available for access. This automatically disables the use of Stereo Mix. This solution is the simplest and it can save you hours of effort so make sure you don’t skip this method when troubleshooting the Stereo Mix missing problem on Windows 10.

1. Click the cog icon in the lower-left section of the Start menu to open the Settings app. You can also search for it.

   Opening Settings from the Start menu

2. Scroll down until you see the Privacy section and make sure you click on it. At the left side of the window, you should see the App permissions section. Scroll down until you reach Microphone and click on this option.
3. First of all, check if the Microphone access for this device option is on. If it’s not, click on Change and set the slider to on.

   Providing microphone access

4. After that, switch the slider under the “Allow apps to access your microphone” option to On and scroll down in the list of installed apps on your computer. Switch the slider next to the apps you wish to provide access for on the list to on.
5. Restart your computer in order to see whether the problem still appears!

Solution 2: Show Disabled Devices

It’s quite possible that Windows 10 has somehow automatically disabled the Stereo Mix feature as a virtual sound device. It might be considered unnecessary or might have been disabled by a third-party app. This is quite a big mistake by Microsoft as hiding the device under Recording devices was definitely unnecessary. Make sure you check whether this is the cause of your problem!

1. Right-click on the Volume icon located at the bottom right part of your screen and choose the Sounds option. An alternative way would be to open the Control Panel on your PC and set the View by option to Large icons. After that, locate and click on the Sounds option to open the same window.
2. Navigate to the Recording tab of the Sound window which just opened up.

   Stereo Mix showing up as disabled

3. Right-click anywhere in the middle of the window and check the boxes next to the Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices options. Stereo Mix should now appear. Right-click on it and choose the Enable option from the context menu which will appear.
4. Make sure you try it out in order to see if it works!

P.S: Welcome to HP Community 😉

Let me know how that pans out,

If you feel I was helpful, simply click on Accept as Solution to help the community grow,

That said, I will have someone follow-up on this to ensure you've been helped,

Just in case you don't get back to us, 

have a good day, ahead.