Windows audio device graph isolation definitely falls into the last category of intricate processes, since not everyone understands why this process is important with a mysterious name, and sometimes even increased processor load.
In the Windows Task Manager, you can find many different processes, the purpose of which is understandable by the very name. The purpose of the existence of others is less obvious, and the third is generally incomprehensible.
To do this, we publish separate articles describing the purpose of certain Windows processes. With their help, you can better identify yourself in a situation, solve a problem, or simply understand what is happening in the computer and what a process is responsible for.
What is the process of windows audio device graph isolation?
First of all, we note that this process is a standard component of Windows and not the result of installing an application. This is a kind of “audio engine” Windows. It manages digital signal processing, including various enhancements, effects, and sound enhancements in Windows itself.
Graph isolation of Windows audio devices is separated from the standard Windows audio service. The service isolation allows audio device developers to create parallel sound enhancement services without having to replace standard Windows Audio.
This, in turn, converts into better sound stability in Windows and the system itself. The default Windows audio service hides so deeply that its fall will drag the whole system along with itself and not only disable the operation of sound. Service isolation helps keep Windows from falling when an error occurs, or audio stops working.
Also, this arrangement provides the user with a way to disable any sound enhancements in the operating system, regardless of what hardware you use. For some strange reasons, the developers of this hardware do not always provide a similar option. So for your device Windows does it itself.
Keep it in mind that some audio equipment still replaces the process of “Isolating graphs of windows audio device graph isolation” with its own. Then, instead of the standard procedure, another one created by the developer of your sound card or other hardware will be displayed ( windows audio device graph isolation ).
Windows audio device graph isolation heavily loads the processor
Unfortunately, poorly written software to improve sound quality or a hardware driver can lead to more unpleasant results than just a periodic drop in sound in a computer.
Some users struggle with the fact that after the inclusion of various improvements, the process of isolating graphs of audio devices Windows starts to load the computer processor heavily.
Under normal conditions, this process does not load the CPU at all, and the amount of memory consumed does not exceed 3-4 MB. When you activate certain audio effects, these numbers may increase, but then fall back to normal.
Nevertheless, there are cases when the isolation of graphs of audio devices of Windows continues to load the processor, causing the user inconvenience and discomfort during the operation.
The good news is that such anomalies can be corrected relatively easily. In the end, the service is isolated and isolated so that the user can easily disable it if necessary.
Native Windows tool
If you have installed some software to improve the quality of sound, first of all, try to turn it off, if not, then use the built-in Windows tools.
- Find the speaker icon in the lower right corner (sound adjustment) and right-click on it. Select Playback devices.
- In the window that opens, find your playback device (speakers, headphones, TV or monitor), click on it with the left mouse button, and then click Properties in the lower right corner of the window.
- Another window will open. On it, go to the Enhancements tab and check the box next to Disable all enhancements – for some reason, this part of the window is not translated into Russian, and it also looks crooked.
- Click OK.
If after that the load on the processor has dropped, then you are on the right track. Try to disable individual improvements after that to determine which of them bends your processor.
If disabling improvements specifically for this device does not reduce the load, go to the next device and do the same procedure.
Windows audio device graph isolation virus
Isolation of graphs of Windows audio devices is not a virus. Yes, and it is unlikely that there were cases when the virus tried to impersonate the audio service of the operating system.
At least no one has heard of this. But this does not mean that this will not happen in the future. If you want to make sure once again that isolation of the graphs of Windows audio devices is not a virus, do the following:
- Open Task Manager, locate the process in the list, right-click on it, and select Open file location.
- Explorer should open the folder C: \ Windows \ System 32 and highlight the file audiodg. Right-click on it and select Properties.
- Click the Details tab. See if the signatures of your file match those on the screenshot (except for the version numbers of the file or product since 16299.64 is the version of Windows 10 with cumulative updates installed). If yes, then you can not worry about the safety of this process.
How to disable Windows audio device graph isolation
Disable Isolation of graphs of Windows audio devices without disabling the main Windows audio service is impossible. Yes, and you will not achieve anything except mute the computer.
If you still try to finish this process, Windows will first ask you if you are facing problems with the sound. And then start the built-in sound troubleshooting wizard. You can try to use it. But the wizard is unlikely to help if it does not contribute to disabling improvements.
# Option 1: Turn off the sound effects of Windows 10
Some options use custom output options. You can configure these parameters in the advanced sound settings.
- Open the following location: Start> Settings> System> Sound .
- Next, go to the properties of the device audio output and additional related features of the device.
- In the properties window that opens, activate the Disable all sound effects item in the Enhancements tab.
Turning off sound effects should reduce the load on the graph of audio devices on the processor. Changes will not take effect until the next playback start. Therefore, we further recommend restarting the Windows Audio service.
- Run the services.msc command in the Win + R window.
- In the list, we find the Windows Audio service in the context menu of which we select the Restartitem.
The Windows Audio service is responsible for managing audio tools for Windows programs. If this service is not running, the audio devices and effects will not work correctly. If this service is in disable mode, it’ll be impossible to start all services that are explicitly dependent on it.
After rebooting the current service, check whether the load remains on the processor. And you can also try to disable the exclusive mode in the device’s advanced properties, and the tab is optional. If the load remains the same, use the following solutions to the problem.
# Option 2: Windows 10 Sound Driver Update
The next solution to the problem, when the isolation graphs of audio devices load the Windows 10 processor, is there an update or full reinstallation of the sound card drivers.
Sound card drivers were copied in advance to the hard disk of the computer from a standard disk to the motherboard. This allows you to install drivers at any time without having to insert a disk.
- Right-click on the computer icon and select Manage in the context menu.
- Next, in the computer management window, go to the Device Manager.
- Now open the Audio inputs and audio outputs and in the context menu on the Speakers item click on the Update device driver.
- If you have a previously loaded driver of the current device in the system, in the opened window, select the item Run a search for drivers on this computer and search and install the drivers manually.
- In case you have never downloaded the latest version of the drivers before, select Automatically search for updated drivers. After that Windows will automatically search for drivers for the device.
If the Explorer is open in another folder or the signatures do not match, then most likely the file is not what it is trying to impersonate. In this case, it is best to use the antivirus to check and treat the computer.