Hi guys.... really, don't know if anyone can help me with my problem but I guess I just have to randomly ask around hoping somebody has expierienced the same problem I currently have with one of my PCs.

Some weeks ago I moved one of my PCs from one side of the desk to the other. Just made more sense there, and only installed it on the other side originally because some cables were too short. With new, longer cables, I was able to move the machine over. In the Process an audio Splitter adapter* broke, and while I was aware of that, it looked like the adapter continued to work, so I left the PC running like that.

*Reason I need the splitters is that I am running Monitor Speakers and a headset from the same Analog ports on my sound card

Now, a week later or so, I started noticing that SOMETHING would randomly turn up the volume in Windows. At random intervalls, the volume would increase a notch, until it reached 100%, but it still would randomly try to increase the volume further. You can imagine how annoying that is, especially with windows 10 constantly flashing the volume change indicator in your face when that happens. And of course I no longer have faith in using the headset. Windows just might decide to deafen my ears with a random windows jingle ;)

By now I have checked everything I can think of... I deactivated all the settings on all the sound cards in the system that hand over control to applications, deactivated the integrated sound chip on the mainboard (crappy and not needed anyway), I made sure Skype does not control the volume levels on its own, I even took the Sound Blaster card out of the system (Problem was still there with only the sound card of the GPU active), and put it in all the x1 PCI-e slots I have free in my system. No luck.

By now I am pretty certain its not a stupid config setting I missed.

Fun fact is I completly wiped both ssd and hdd and reinstalled windows and all the apps from scratch. Just after the reinstall the problem SEEMED to be gone... the random turning up didn't happen. Until I started reinstalling some apps. I think it was back by the time I started the re-install of 3D Coat.

Now, I am pretty certain that was just dumb luck and has nothing to do with re-installing a specific application. I will certainly test that, deinstall 3D Coat and see if the problem is still there... but how would that even work? How could an app, which clearly has NOTHING to do with audio influence the volume level in windows like that?

At the end of the day all I can come up with to explain the problem is that the broken audio splitter, while still working, did damage some hardware over time... don't know, maybe an electrical spike or something. I have in the meantime replaced the splitter with a new one (and one that will not break as easely anymore), but the damage might already be done. I am pretty certain the sound card is still fine, I get sound from it and the SB Software works fine with it. And the problem is still there when the Sound Blaster card is removed from the system.

I suspect that the mainboard might have taken a small, but irreparable damage to some component. Mainboards have usually been the first hardware component to break in all my years with selfbuilt rigs. How the mainboard could take damage when the sound card still seems to be fine IDK, but that sound like the most reasonable explanation to me.

Anyone that disagrees with my statement here?

Thanks for any help. Before investing another 200 bucks into a new mainboard I am looking into having just a little bit more confidence that I am not totally off here.

I doubt it's a problem at the mainboard level. I also doubt it has anything to do with your sound system, because the Windows volume control operates on the Windows mixer, long before it hits the sound card's software or hardware.

I'd start by trying a new keyboard. It could be that it's broken and sending VK_VOLUME_UP every so often. You could perhaps install a keylogger to see if it is in fact this key event being generated.

Well, I did try unplugging the keyboard before I had set up Windows anew. Problem was still ongoing.

But fair enough, I probably should try again after the re-install. Probably also see if its a driver issue.

Thanks guys for taking the time to post!

@ Daixiwen: PC was running almost 24/7 over the weekend while I tried different things and checked if it helped. Luckily its not my only PC, and its the gaming rig that is affected... couldn't play games without being annoyed by changing volume levels, but still was able to work on my 3D models and code on my work rig without any annoyance.

Its why my work rig is still running the original 2012 Hardware save a newer GPU and a bigger SSD, and Windows 7. Never change a running system. Unless you like to sort out trouble for weeks in the worst case... even if my suspicion that me moving the system has anything to do with the troubles I am facing might just be that, a suspicion :/

@EDIT:

For the guys that find this thread in the future looking for information on how I fixed my problems: they kinda fixed themselves... :)

Been running the PC now for some days without issues. What I did? Disconnect the Keyboard, test it with another one (no problems), reconnected the original keyboard to different USB Ports (no Problems), reconnected it to the original USB Port... Still no problems.

I am thinking by now that either reconnecting the keyboard must have fixed the problem, or it still hangs around waiting to strike again. No idea. Just glad I don't have to replace a not so cheap mechanical keyboard right now :)

Well, Windows 10 is not as bad as you may think...

Still not the best Windows ever. That would be Windows 7. Which incidentally happens to have almost 10 additional years of testing by actual users over Windows 10.

Until Windows 7 is so old that you can no longer install the latest Browser and gets not other security patches, I'd say don't bother. DX12 most probably is going to be equivalent at best to Vulkan, which runs on Windows 7 also, and I have to yet use virtual Desktops. Cluttering Desktops is not how I organize my work so ymmv.

Apart from some performance improvements I imagine are there, and faster startup which might totally be connected to newer hardware, and a fresh reinstall of the OS, I haven't seen anything that makes me believe Windows 10 is in any way superior than Windows 7. Its a sidegrade as far as I am concerned.