If you use Peace Equalizer with Equalizer APO, to make audio sound better on Windows 11, you will notice that your EQ settings stop working sometimes, everything resets itself, and your audio suddenly sounds completely different. Annoyingly, this is almost always because a Windows update purges the settings from your system, restoring everything to defaults. It doesn't happen with every single Windows update, but a good percentage of them will cause it to happen.
Takeaways:
- Is there a way to stop Windows Updates from breaking Equalizer APO and Peace Equaliser on Windows?
- What's the best way to fix Equalizer APO after it breaks from a Windows Update?
Table of Contents
You Need Both Programs for Everything to Work
Make sure you have the latest version of both of these installed:
- Equalizer APO
- Peace Equalizer, interface for Equalizer APO
Peace requires Equalizer APO to function and Installing Peace by itself won't actually do anything.
You also need to install Equalizer APO first.
If you need to reinstall either program, download them from their official SourceForge pages rather than third-party download sites.
Why Does Peace Equalizer Stop Working All the Time?
Windows updates can change or reset parts of the Windows audio system. When this happens, Equalizer APO is detached from the audio device it was previously configured to process. Reinstalling Equalizer APO or opening its configuration tool is usually enough to fix the problem.
Because of this minor change, it makes it look like Peace itself is broken. In reality, Peace is still working normally, but Equalizer APO is no longer processing your audio.
I've found that the process usually takes the following path:
- Windows Update
- Check Peace
- Open Equalizer APO Device Selector
- Repair or reinstall if necessary
- Verify your device
- Restart Windows
- Test Peace
How to Fix Peace Equalizer Resetting or Not Working After a Windows Update
Before completely reinstalling anything, try the simplest repair.
- Open the Equalizer APO Device Selector from the Windows Start menu.
- Depending on the version of Equalizer APO you have installed, this may be called the Configurator.
- Find the playback device you normally use, such as your headphones, speakers, DAC, or other audio output.
- Make sure the checkbox next to your device is enabled.
- If the device is already checked, select the device and look for the troubleshooting options.
- After making changes, apply them and restart Windows if prompted.
Reinstall Equalizer APO
If opening the Device Selector does not fix the problem, reinstalling Equalizer APO is usually the next thing to try.
- You do not necessarily need to remove everything first.
- After reinstalling Equalizer APO, open the Device Selector or Configurator again and make sure your headphones or speakers are selected.
- Then restart Windows and test Peace.
If Peace starts affecting your audio again, you should not need to change your EQ presets. If this didn't work, try uninstalling everything first, restarting, then installing it all again.
Check That the Correct Audio Device Is Selected
This happens to a lot of people who didn't set all of their devices to use the new EQ.
For example, you might normally use a USB DAC, but after an update Windows could switch the default output to your motherboard's speakers, a monitor, HDMI audio, or another device. You might also start using a new device which wasn't part of the original config so it won't be set up with the new sound settings.
- Windows Settings > System > Sound
- Check which output device is currently selected.
- Then open the Equalizer APO Device Selector and make sure Equalizer APO is installed on that same device. You can search Equalizer APO Device Selector from the Start menu, it will pop up.
Back Up Your Peace Presets
If you have spent a lot of time creating custom EQ settings, make sure you have backups.
Open Peace change to the Backup and Restoring tab, and choose whether you want to make a backup or if you want to restore a backup, then jump through the hoops. It's super simple.
