The user experience in Windows 10 is vastly improved over any previous version of Windows, and many Windows 10 users actually enjoy using their computers, as opposed to previous generations, when we were in more pain at times than at others.
There are many things to like about the Windows 10 desktop, but there is one aspect of life where Windows users appear to be envious of their Mac counterparts: Adjust Volume Using Hotkeys. But don’t give up! On a Windows 10 computer, you can get the same functionality.
I’ll show you three ways to add volume-control hotkeys to your Windows 10 machine in this article to Adjust Volume Using Hotkeys. One method is to use 3RVX, a volume-control-focused standalone app. 3RVX is a cool program with an on-screen display. The second option is to program a volume control hotkey directly using the powerful scripting language AutoHotKey. Finally, I’ll show you how to create a shortcut key that controls your master volume in a simple way.
Adjust Volume Using Hotkeys: Doing it with 3RVX
3RVX has an on-screen display (OSD) that you can customize in addition to allowing you to assign whatever hotkeys you want to Adjust Volume Using Hotkeys. You can even customize how the volume responds to your commands. On macOS, you can’t do that!
To begin, go to the developer’s website and download and install the most recent version of 3RVX. The current version is 2.9.2 (as of March 2019). Launch the application from the Windows Start Menu once it has been installed. The 3RVX settings will be displayed as a result of this.
Customize the volume adjustment hotkeys by going to the Hotkeys tab. There are no default hotkeys, so you’ll have to create your own.
To create a new hotkey, click the + button. Then, in the Hotkey Editor, click on the grey bar labeled “Keys.” You will be prompted to type a hotkey in a dialog box. Make an effort to use something that isn’t already associated with another system function. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, I recommend using the Windows key with a Mouse Wheel action.
After you’ve chosen a hotkey, you’ll need to assign it to a specific action. Select whether you want the hotkey you just typed to increase, decrease, or mute the audio from the Action menu in the Hotkey Editor. You’ll notice that you can also assign actions to change the screen brightness, open the CD tray, and other things.
Make sure to click the Apply button after you’ve added hotkeys for increasing, decreasing, and muting the audio. Close the 3RVX settings to try it out. When you type your hotkey, an audio icon overlay should appear on your screen, similar to the macOS version.
Select the General tab, which includes a Run on startup option, to run this program at startup. To save your changes, click Save.
Adjust Volume Using Hotkeys: Doing it with AutoHotKey
You may not want to add yet another single-purpose application to your system, or you may already use AutoHotKey for other tasks and simply want to add a script to give you volume control hotkeys to your AHK script library. AutoHotKey is a scripting and automation system for Windows that is extremely powerful. It’s completely free to download, and you can find it here.
Because explaining how to program in AutoHotKey is beyond the scope of this article, I’ll instead provide you with two basic scripts. The first script is the simplest of the bunch. If you paste this text into an AHK file and double-click it, you’ll get a simple hotkey control over the volume setting. The volume will be reduced by one step if you press Alt and the left arrow key, and raised by one step if you press Alt and the right arrow key. The following is the script:
+Left::SoundSet, -5
+Right::SoundSet, +5
Return
However, while this simple script is functional, it does not provide any feedback on the volume level! As a result, I’ve borrowed Joe Winograd’s script, which was written by an awesome AutoHotKey coder and guru.
Joe’s script displays the changing volume as a visual representation and also plays a sound that demonstrates the volume level as you move the Alt-left and Alt-right keys up and down. Joe’s script also adds a headphone icon to the tool tray, allowing you to monitor its progress.
Joe’s script is as follows:
#Warn,UseUnsetLocal
#NoEnv
#SingleInstance force
SetBatchLines,-1
SoundGet,Volume
Volume:=Round(Volume)
TrayTip:=”Alt+LeftArrow or Alt+RightArrow to adjust volume” . “`nCurrent Volume=” . Volume
TrayIconFile:=A_WinDir . “System32DDORes.dll” ; get tray icon from DDORes.dll
TrayIconNum:=”-2032″ ; use headphones as tray icon (icon 2032 in DDORes)
Menu,Tray,Tip,%TrayTip%
Menu,Tray,Icon,%TrayIconFile%,%TrayIconNum%
Return
!Left::
SetTimer,SliderOff,3000
SoundSet,-1
Gosub,DisplaySlider
Return
!Right::
SetTimer,SliderOff,3000
SoundSet,+1
Gosub,DisplaySlider
Return
SliderOff:
Progress,Off
Return
DisplaySlider:
SoundGet,Volume
Volume:=Round(Volume)
Progress,%Volume%,%Volume%,Volume,HorizontalVolumeSliderW10
TrayTip:=”Alt+LeftArrow or Alt+RightArrow to adjust volume” . “`nCurrent Volume=” . Volume
Menu,Tray,Tip,%TrayTip%
Return
With your choice of hotkey, you can now quickly adjust the volume on Windows!
Related: How to Clear Recent Files in File Explorer on Windows 10
Doing it With Shortcuts
This one comes from Melchizedek Qui, a Microsoft Answers forum moderator, and it’s a clever and straightforward solution.
- Right-click on an empty area of your desktop and select New->Shortcut.
- In the text box, type or cut and paste “C:\WindowsSystem32SndVol.exe -T 76611119 0” (no quotes) and hit Next.
- Enter a name for the shortcut – I called mine “Sound Control”.
- Click on Finish.
- Right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties.
- In the Shortcut Key area, type whatever shortcut key you want to use.
- Click OK.
Simply press your hotkey to bring up the volume mixer whenever you want to adjust your volume from the keyboard. The volume control can then be adjusted using the up and down arrow keys. Simple!
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