By default, you should discover a book icon and a agglomeration of other system icons in the notification area (i.e. bottom-correct corner of the taskbar) of every Windows 10 computer. The volume icon lets y'all easily accommodate your computer's output volume, troubleshoot sound problems, and fifty-fifty manage external audio devices.

If the volume or sound icon is missing or you tin't find it on the taskbar anymore, refer to the troubleshooting solutions we've listed beneath.

These solutions are not simply specific to the volume icon. Yous can also employ them to restore other arrangement icons missing from your PC'due south taskbar.

one. Cheque the Taskbar Configuration

Commencement things kickoff—you need to make sure your computer's taskbar is configured to accommodate the volume icon. Follow the steps below to (re)add the volume icon to the taskbar.

1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings from the card.

two. Scroll to the Notification expanse section and click Turn system icons on or off.

3. Make sure Volume is toggled on.

If Book is enabled only the icon is still nowhere to be found on the taskbar, turn information technology off and dorsum on. That could help restore the missing volume icon in Windows. Otherwise, continue to the next pace.

4. Return to the Taskbar settings folio and click Select which icons appear on the taskbar.

5. Toggle on Volume on this page. If already enabled, plow it off and back on.

A faster alternative is manually unhiding the book icon. Tap the pointer-upwards icon on the taskbar and drag the volume icon to the notification expanse.

ii. Restart Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer powers the taskbar, Outset Menu, File Explorer, and Action Center on your Windows ten computer. If the book icon is missing, restarting Windows Explorer might help.

Launch the Windows Task Manager using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut. Locate Windows Explorer (or explorer.exe) in the Processes tab and click on it. Finally, tap the Restart push at the bottom-left corner of the Task Manager window.

That would refresh both the taskbar and notification center and hopefully restore the missing audio icon.

You lot can too restart Windows Explorer using the Windows Command Prompt.

1. Correct-click the Start/Windows icon at the bottom-left corner of your screen and select Control Prompt (Admin).

2. Type the command beneath into the Command Prompt console and press Enter.

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

The control will terminate Windows Explorer and your estimator's screen will go blank.

3. Blazon the control below in the console and press Enter.

explorer.exe

Your desktop and taskbar icon volition reappear on the screen. Proceed to the next solution if this doesn't restore the missing volume icon.

iii. Update Audio/Sound Driver

Outdated drivers tin can mess with your computer's sound configurations and cause other related hardware bug. We recommend updating your computer'due south commuter to the latest version.

ane. Right-click on Start and select Device Manager from the Quick Access bill of fare.

ii. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers category and right-click your audio card or audio device. Select Update driver to proceed.

3. Select Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows will search your computer and the net for a new version(southward) of your audio commuter.

If the volume icon is still missing, uninstall the audio driver. You don't have to worry near breaking annihilation; Windows will automatically reinstall the driver.

Right-click on the driver, select Uninstall device, and select Uninstall on the alert prompt.

To immediately reinstall the deleted driver, select Action on the carte bar and select Scan for hardware changes.

That would refresh the Device Manager and reinstall the audio driver. If the commuter isn't reinstalled, restart your figurer and check once more.

It's also worth mentioning that a bad, unstable, or poorly-developed driver with bugs could also mess with your reckoner's sound configurations. If the volume icon is still missing on your reckoner afterwards installing a new version of your audio driver, you should roll back to the previous version.

Double-click the sound driver to launch the driver's Properties window. Navigate to the Commuter tab and click the Roll Dorsum Commuter button.

4. Bank check Windows Group Policy Editor Settings

The Group Policy Editor is an advanced environment where you lot can configure and customize your Windows desktop experience. By default, every Windows PC has a policy setting in the Group Policy Editor that lets users remove the volume icon from the system control surface area.

Your reckoner volition not display the book or sound icon if this policy setting is active. Follow the steps below to check the status of the volume icon setting and disable it.

one.  Launch the Windows Run box using the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.

2. Type gpedit.msc into the dialog box and select OK.

3. In the User Configuration section, expand the Administrative Templates category and select Commencement Menu and Taskbar.

[17-group-policy-editor-windows-10]

4. Scroll through the policy settings on the page and locate Remove the volume control icon. Double-click on it to check its status.

5. If the policy setting is enabled, prepare it to either Not Configured or Disabled.

Select OK to save the change and ostend if that restores the missing volume icon. If cypher changes, restart your computer and check once more.

5. Update Windows

A problems in your computer's operating organisation could also crusade this problem. If none of the troubleshooting solutions above resolved the problem, installing the latest Windows 10 update might help. Aside from bug fixes, Windows updates also ship with driver updates.

Connect your PC to the cyberspace and become to Settings > Update & Security to cheque if whatsoever Windows update is available for your computer.

Restore the Missing Volume Icon

The volume icon is a convenient shortcut to many sound-related settings. If the volume icon is missing on your Windows ten computer, at least one of these tips should restore the icon to the taskbar. Equally mentioned earlier, y'all tin also apply these tricks to restoring other missing system icons to the taskbar.

If the volume icon is notwithstanding missing, there could be a problem with your computer'south taskbar. In that case, you tin can ready the problem by re-registering the taskbar using the Windows Powershell. We've explained how you tin can exercise that in this guide on fixing Windows x taskbar.