NO SOUND in VLC: directsound error: cannot open directx audio device in Windows 10 64-bit

[wingardium22]

Recently my VLC crashed when I tried to open mp4 file and after cleaning cache files I had to reinstall to make it work. However, now I experience NO Sound at all.
I am using Windows 10 64-bit and I have tried VLC versions:

• 3.0.11 win64
  3.0.8 win32
  2.2.8 win64
  2.2.8 win32
  2.2.0 win32

with no effect.

I tried changing output sound settings in Tool > Preferences > Audio > Output > Output module into DirectX audio output and Device for my set (speakers UMC204HD 192k). I tried different settings as well.

When the video is started the messages start arising in Tools > Messages > Messages dialog:

directsound error: cannot open directx audio device
main error: module not functional
main error: failed to create audio output
directsound error: cannot open directx audio device
main error: module not functional
main error: failed to create audio output
avcodec info: Using D3D11VA (Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600, vendor 8086(Intel), device 416, revision 6) for hardware decoding

(The first 3 lines are repeated till the video is stopped).

I am not sure what may caused the issue but recently I used Tron Script, which starts programs like CCleaner and maybe something changed inside the Windows Registry.
Lastly, when I open files with Windows Media Player then there is a sound.

I will appreciate any form of help or assistance. Thank you!

[Hitchhiker]

Open vlc prefs and hit the big Reset Preferences button at the bottom. Save, exit and restart vlc. This will restore defaults which is sometimes enough to fix these kind of problems.

[wingardium22]

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I've already tried this solution and I've also reinstalled VLC couple of times and it also didn't work.

[Hitchhiker]

Try disabling Hardware-accelerated decoding. You'll find it in the Input / Codecs menu. As always, save and restart.

[wingardium22]

No improvement.

I tested also for each of the available settings:

• Automatic

• Direct3D11 Video Acceleration

• DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) 2.0

• Disable

[Hitchhiker]

I'm wondering if you have a similar system as mine which is an Acer machine and came with Dolby Home Theater preinstalled. If you have it as well right click the speaker icon in the systray and click Playback devices. Click the speakers setting in the opening menu and then click the Properties button.

In the next menu click the Dolby tab. You'll see something like the image in the screenshot. If the music icon isn't highlighted you won't have any sound.


(click to enlarge)

I'm not a big fan of so called 'registry cleaners', but if you do want to use them you should always make a backup of the registry before enabling them.

Similarly I'd advise you to enable Windows System Restore on Windows 10 so that in the event something goes pear-shaped you can wind back the clock to a time prior to making a change.

[wingardium22]

I have an Acer indeed (Aspire V3-772G), however I've reinstalled Windows in the past (like 4 years ago or so) (...)

Edit: OK, I get the last part wrong. I have Dolby Digital Plus tab in my speaker's configuration dialog, however there is only on/off switch.


I don't use my default notebook speakers*. I have an external ones plugged via Behringer UMC204HD interface. Inside properties of the speakers' settings I don't have a Dolby tab.


(*they might be dead /OR/ I accidently disconected them, by cutting the connector when I tried to fix another hardware issue /OR/ there is problem with drivers after Windows reinstall -> I am not even aware when it happened because most of the time I have been using external speakers plugged via mini jack output)

[Lotesdelere]

directsound error: cannot open directx audio device
main error: module not functional
main error: failed to create audio output
directsound error: cannot open directx audio device
main error: module not functional
main error: failed to create audio output

There is definitely an issue with Direct Sound audio on your computer.
As a workaround you can use Multimedia Device Output (WASAPI) or WaveOut output.

[Hitchhiker]

I have an Acer indeed (Aspire V3-772G), however I've reinstalled Windows in the past (like 4 years ago or so) (...)

That's interesting. I have the same machine!

However, I didn't avail myself of the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 after reading about all the controversy surrounding the 'free' offer and therefore I'm still on Win 8.1

Still, you might want to check in Windows Control Panel to see if Dolby Home Theater is present. Here's a pix of where to find it:



It should be there considering both machines are the same.

[wingardium22]

directsound error: cannot open directx audio device
main error: module not functional
main error: failed to create audio output (...)

There is definitely an issue with Direct Sound audio on your computer.
As a workaround you can use Multimedia Device Output (WASAPI) or WaveOut output.

Yikes! It worked!

I am still confused that I didn't checked this setting, and I almost didn't check it again. Thanks Lotesdelere for providing this workaround!

Here is an exact setting, if someone experience a similar problem:


However, I think that there still a problem with my software considering these directx errors. I cannot tell for sure but I also have an intuition that my local files play quiter than it used to be as opposed to media played from browser (youtube/spotify), but it may be as well caused by the audio mix or the speakers.

I have an Acer indeed (Aspire V3-772G), however I've reinstalled Windows in the past (like 4 years ago or so) (...)

That's interesting. I have the same machine!
(...)
Still, you might want to check in Windows Control Panel to see if Dolby Home Theater is present. (...)

Unfortunately, I don't have this setting in my Windows CP - maybe it is not compatible with Win 10 or just excluded?

However, I didn't avail myself of the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 after reading about all the controversy surrounding the 'free' offer and therefore I'm still on Win 8.1

My story of switching to Windows 10 is a little bit different and it actually saved my from buying a new machine at that time. During the time I was using Win 8.1 I started to experience total black or Windows blue screen on a daily basis. It happened mainly when the system was loaded with tasks. Then, when the Win 10 upgrade came - these all issues gone like with the usage of the magic wand

Thank you Hitchhiker for your input!

Back to the problem:
In an attempt to fix directsound error and to open VLC with default settings I tried:

• Reinstall Realtek HD Audio Drivers
• Update/reinstall DirectX from Microsoft website
• Install sound drivers for my notebook Acer Aspire V3-772G (however, I found and install only version for Win 8.1 64-bit)

Nothing of this helped. I wonder if this is rather a software or hardware problem.

[Hitchhiker]

Well, knowing that we both have the same laptop I would suggest changing the default graphics chip from the Intel 4600 to the Nvidia gpu. But because Nvidia has blacklisted vlc you have to use a workaround to achieve that goal which is to make a copy of vlc.exe and then call it something else i.e. vlc-new.exe for example. Place it in the same installation directory as the original.

Then open the Nvidia control panel and change the application to the renamed executable. Here's what it looks like on my system.



Might be worth trying reverting to the Automatic setting (or DirectX if you prefer) to see if anything changes afterwards.

By the way, I didn't suggest what Lotesdelere did because I got the impression from your opening post that you probably already tried the other output modules. Anyway, no harm done.