Certain programs play through headphones, others play through speakers

Question

(Windows 7 home edition 64 bit) I recently downloaded a new audio driver (it was the correct one), and after updating, there is a new option to individually adjust the volume for my computer speakers and my headphones. I thought this was cool but it turns out it's made my experience with the computer a damn misery. I use jack-in headphones to listen to music/watch videos, however after the driver install the headphones have become erratic at best. Certain things play through the headphones while others play through my speakers on the computer. iTunes and Google Chrome switch between the two between opening and closing the program, and sometimes won't play through either. The only way I can get certain programs to play through my headphones is by disabling my computer speakers in playback devices > disable, but then certain programs wont work at all because it says there's a playback issue (Foobar, iTunes, Skype) so, after two days of messing with this thing, I've come to ask for help.

If it helps, I can't set my headphones as default in sound because they're listed as "Communications Headphones", and I can only set them as "Default Communications Device"

Solution

Are you sure you can't set them as generic default playback device? I thought the same here but it turned out "Default Device" is selectable.

Try disabling exclusive access in the properties first.

Comments

[InterLinked]

Can you tell us how it go to be this way? Honestly, there are probably certain programs I only listen to using speakers and vice versa. Would be nice if there was a native Windows switch for this