All sounds are gone once I launch the game

Age of Empires II: DE Ask for Help
1

Hi all,

for a few days I have a strange behaviour with AoE II DE.
When I have my bluetooth headset connected to my Win 10 machine and listen to music on youtube or anything else everything is working. As soon as I launch AoE II DE and the intro is playing, I do not hear anything anymore over my bluetooth headset, i.e. no youtube, no windows sounds and also no AoE II sounds. In the sound settings, nothing is changed, it is still showing my bluetooth headset as active sound device.
If I disconnect my bluetooth headset or switch to laptop speakers, I hear every sound again. If I turn back on my bluetooth headset, I do not hear anything.
If I close AoE II DE, I hear everything once again.

Somehow AoE II DE is muting my laptop completely.

What can I do?

Edit:
When I switch sound output settings to ‘Bluetooth Headset (Hands Free AG Audio)’ I am getting sound again, but the sound quality is bad.
But when I switch it back to ‘Bluetooth headset’, again the sound is gone. What is this Hands Free AG Audio thing and why is it like this?
I do not remember having any problem with this headset before and I have used it for quite some time, also for playing AoE IIRC.

2

Not sure the issue, but Windows OS has had fairly poor audio hardware management for probably decades. You probably just have to find the right combo of outfits and options Windows is needing to properly give audio.

I have to turn off Bluetooth from my phone or other devices for my computer to properly handle Bluetooth output to my earbuds/headset.

3

Hi all, I just experienced the same problem again. I googled a solution that works and in case somebody else (or me after I forgot the workaround) needs assistance, here is how to fix the problem:

I have a stereo headset with built-in mic connected via Bluetooth to my laptop. When I launch AoE II DE, the sound is gone (not only AoE II DE sound, but also Spotify, youtube, Windows system sounds, any sound output is gone). This is how to fix it:
Go to Sound settings. You will find that “Headphones (Stereo)” is inactive, instead ‘Headset Hands-Free Audio’ (or something like this) is activated as output device and input device. Once I close AoE II DE it goes back to sound output ‘Headphones (Stereo)’.
Workaround: Disable ‘Headset Hands-Free Audio’ for both input and output device. Then you will be able to hear sounds again with your Headphones in true stereo quality. However you will not be able to use the built-in microphone in your headphones. I do not mind about this, I just use my laptop mic.

Here you go.

1 Like
4

Wow, that’s quite a labyrinth. Glad you got it fixed! I hope things can be perfectly easy someday for Windows audio output/input stuff someday. Maybe Windows 12 or 13, for example