DisableAbsoluteVolume on Windows 10

Question

There are some settings that I need to be able to set at runtime, without a reboot. Using X-Mouse Controls as a guide, I've found a way to programmatically use SystemParametersInfo() to set up active window tracking (SPI_SET_ACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING), not raising windows on focus (SPI_SET_ACTIVEWNDTRKZORDER), and the active window tracking timeout (SPI_ACTIVEWNDTRKTIMEOUT).

All three of these settings are available through registry keys, but altering the values in the registry would necessitate a reboot. Using the SystemParamtersInfo() call on the other hand, obviates this reboot.

Here's an example of one of the calls:

public static void SetActiveWindowTracking(bool enabled)
{
    bool result = NativeMethods.SystemParametersInfo((uint) SPI.SPI_SETACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING, UiParamNoOp, enabled.AsUIntPtr(), SpifWrite);

    if (!result)
    {
        throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
    }
}

The next setting I want to tackle is disabling Bluetooth absolute volume. This setting is available in the registry, at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Bluetooth\Audio\AVRCP\CT. However, if I simply alter this value, I will have to reboot to enable my new setting. I am interested in altering this setting without rebooting, similar to the three settings above. Is there a function I can call, either SystemParametersInfo(), or something similar, which will give me the capability of twiddling this setting without a reboot?

BTW, I'm working in C♯ with WPF. I am, however, open to other solutions.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Take a look at this Windows Audio Core lib for options and I added 3 ways to do it.

Just execute this as a batch file/CMD at Startup or here on SO

- Option 1: Via registry update / powershell, needs reboot

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Bluetooth\Audio\AVRCP\CT /v DisableAbsoluteVolume /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

---

- Option 2: Via code PInvoke

// Declare your PInvoke
private const int APPCOMMAND_VOLUME_MUTE = 0x80000;
private const int WM_APPCOMMAND = 0x319;

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr SendMessageW(IntPtr hWnd, int Msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
// Now call it
 SendMessageW(this.Handle, WM_APPCOMMAND, this.Handle, (IntPtr) APPCOMMAND_VOLUME_MUTE);

---

- Option 3: Without interop and no 3rd party libs, just windows audio core lib credit simon from here

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace SetAppVolumne
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            const string app = "Mozilla Firefox";

            foreach (string name in EnumerateApplications())
            {
                Console.WriteLine("name:" + name);
                if (name == app)
                {
                    // display mute state & volume level (% of master)
                    Console.WriteLine("Mute:" + GetApplicationMute(app));
                    Console.WriteLine("Volume:" + GetApplicationVolume(app));

                    // mute the application
                    SetApplicationMute(app, true);

                    // set the volume to half of master volume (50%)
                    SetApplicationVolume(app, 50);
                }
            }
        }

        public static float? GetApplicationVolume(string name)
        {
            ISimpleAudioVolume volume = GetVolumeObject(name);
            if (volume == null)
                return null;

            float level;
            volume.GetMasterVolume(out level);
            return level * 100;
        }

        public static bool? GetApplicationMute(string name)
        {
            ISimpleAudioVolume volume = GetVolumeObject(name);
            if (volume == null)
                return null;

            bool mute;
            volume.GetMute(out mute);
            return mute;
        }

        public static void SetApplicationVolume(string name, float level)
        {
            ISimpleAudioVolume volume = GetVolumeObject(name);
            if (volume == null)
                return;

            Guid guid = Guid.Empty;
            volume.SetMasterVolume(level / 100, ref guid);
        }

        public static void SetApplicationMute(string name, bool mute)
        {
            ISimpleAudioVolume volume = GetVolumeObject(name);
            if (volume == null)
                return;

            Guid guid = Guid.Empty;
            volume.SetMute(mute, ref guid);
        }

        public static IEnumerable<string> EnumerateApplications()
        {
            // get the speakers (1st render + multimedia) device
            IMMDeviceEnumerator deviceEnumerator = (IMMDeviceEnumerator)(new MMDeviceEnumerator());
            IMMDevice speakers;
            deviceEnumerator.GetDefaultAudioEndpoint(EDataFlow.eRender, ERole.eMultimedia, out speakers);

            // activate the session manager. we need the enumerator
            Guid IID_IAudioSessionManager2 = typeof(IAudioSessionManager2).GUID;
            object o;
            speakers.Activate(ref IID_IAudioSessionManager2, 0, IntPtr.Zero, out o);
            IAudioSessionManager2 mgr = (IAudioSessionManager2)o;

            // enumerate sessions for on this device
            IAudioSessionEnumerator sessionEnumerator;
            mgr.GetSessionEnumerator(out sessionEnumerator);
            int count;
            sessionEnumerator.GetCount(out count);

            for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
            {
                IAudioSessionControl ctl;
                sessionEnumerator.GetSession(i, out ctl);
                string dn;
                ctl.GetDisplayName(out dn);
                yield return dn;
                Marshal.ReleaseComObject(ctl);
            }
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(sessionEnumerator);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(mgr);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(speakers);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(deviceEnumerator);
        }

        private static ISimpleAudioVolume GetVolumeObject(string name)
        {
            // get the speakers (1st render + multimedia) device
            IMMDeviceEnumerator deviceEnumerator = (IMMDeviceEnumerator)(new MMDeviceEnumerator());
            IMMDevice speakers;
            deviceEnumerator.GetDefaultAudioEndpoint(EDataFlow.eRender, ERole.eMultimedia, out speakers);

            // activate the session manager. we need the enumerator
            Guid IID_IAudioSessionManager2 = typeof(IAudioSessionManager2).GUID;
            object o;
            speakers.Activate(ref IID_IAudioSessionManager2, 0, IntPtr.Zero, out o);
            IAudioSessionManager2 mgr = (IAudioSessionManager2)o;

            // enumerate sessions for on this device
            IAudioSessionEnumerator sessionEnumerator;
            mgr.GetSessionEnumerator(out sessionEnumerator);
            int count;
            sessionEnumerator.GetCount(out count);

            // search for an audio session with the required name
            // NOTE: we could also use the process id instead of the app name (with IAudioSessionControl2)
            ISimpleAudioVolume volumeControl = null;
            for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
            {
                IAudioSessionControl ctl;
                sessionEnumerator.GetSession(i, out ctl);
                string dn;
                ctl.GetDisplayName(out dn);
                if (string.Compare(name, dn, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) == 0)
                {
                    volumeControl = ctl as ISimpleAudioVolume;
                    break;
                }
                Marshal.ReleaseComObject(ctl);
            }
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(sessionEnumerator);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(mgr);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(speakers);
            Marshal.ReleaseComObject(deviceEnumerator);
            return volumeControl;
        }
    }

    [ComImport]
    [Guid("BCDE0395-E52F-467C-8E3D-C4579291692E")]
    internal class MMDeviceEnumerator
    {
    }

    internal enum EDataFlow
    {
        eRender,
        eCapture,
        eAll,
        EDataFlow_enum_count
    }

    internal enum ERole
    {
        eConsole,
        eMultimedia,
        eCommunications,
        ERole_enum_count
    }

    [Guid("A95664D2-9614-4F35-A746-DE8DB63617E6"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface IMMDeviceEnumerator
    {
        int NotImpl1();

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetDefaultAudioEndpoint(EDataFlow dataFlow, ERole role, out IMMDevice ppDevice);

        // the rest is not implemented
    }

    [Guid("D666063F-1587-4E43-81F1-B948E807363F"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface IMMDevice
    {
        [PreserveSig]
        int Activate(ref Guid iid, int dwClsCtx, IntPtr pActivationParams, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IUnknown)] out object ppInterface);

        // the rest is not implemented
    }

    [Guid("77AA99A0-1BD6-484F-8BC7-2C654C9A9B6F"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface IAudioSessionManager2
    {
        int NotImpl1();
        int NotImpl2();

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetSessionEnumerator(out IAudioSessionEnumerator SessionEnum);

        // the rest is not implemented
    }

    [Guid("E2F5BB11-0570-40CA-ACDD-3AA01277DEE8"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface IAudioSessionEnumerator
    {
        [PreserveSig]
        int GetCount(out int SessionCount);

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetSession(int SessionCount, out IAudioSessionControl Session);
    }

    [Guid("F4B1A599-7266-4319-A8CA-E70ACB11E8CD"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface IAudioSessionControl
    {
        int NotImpl1();

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetDisplayName([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] out string pRetVal);

        // the rest is not implemented
    }

    [Guid("87CE5498-68D6-44E5-9215-6DA47EF883D8"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    internal interface ISimpleAudioVolume
    {
        [PreserveSig]
        int SetMasterVolume(float fLevel, ref Guid EventContext);

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetMasterVolume(out float pfLevel);

        [PreserveSig]
        int SetMute(bool bMute, ref Guid EventContext);

        [PreserveSig]
        int GetMute(out bool pbMute);
    }
}