If you’ve bought a surround sound system for your home theater or are planning on getting one, then you best ought to prepare your Windows 11 PC to have the best sound experience from the very beginning. In this article, we have discussed how to install Dolby Atmos on your Windows PC, or how to fix issues with it if you already have it installed.
What is Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a virtual technology developed by Dolby Laboratories that adds height and depth to the existing 7.1 audio setups. In simple words, using Dolby Atmos makes the user seem like the audio sounds are coming from all directions, making it a 3D experience. The Dolby Atmos technology was initially introduced to the theater and cinema industry. However, due to such high demands, it was later published for the public to be used as a domestic product. Although Dolby Atmos is free to use, a one-time license needs to be purchased. However, you can have a 7-day free trial before making the purchase. If you want to install and set up Dolby Atmos on your system then you do not need to purchase any supporting or specialized hardware. It can work on top of your current setup. However, it is advisable to use hardware that supports surround sound, like a 7.1 speaker system, or headphones that support surround sound. Let us now continue to see how to install it on your PC.
How to Install Dolby Atmos on Windows
Dolby Atmos can be installed on your Windows computer through the “Dolby Access” app available on Microsoft Store. However, once it is installed, you need to set it up through the app as well as your Windows setting.
Install Dolby Access
Follow these steps to install Dolby Access on your PC: Your connected headphones are now ready to experience Dolby Atmos. However, a little tweaking still needs to be done inside the Windows Settings app, which is discussed in the section below. However, if you want to set up your home theater system, click on the “Dolby Atmos for home theater” button and follow the on-screen instructions.Set up Home Theatre Now that Dolby Atmos is installed, you must activate it on your preferred sound output device (headphones or home theater).
Activate Dolby Atmos
Now, you must activate Dolby Atmos for your output device’s spatial sound qualities for an immersive audio experience. That can be done in 2 ways.
From Settings App
From Sound Settings
You have now successfully enabled Dolby Atmos on your headphones/theater system. You may now continue to experience the best audio quality available to the domestic user. However, if you have performed the steps above and had no impact on the audio quality, there might be some issues with your audio drivers or setup. Let us see how to fix that.
How to Fix Dolby Atmos on Windows
There can be a number of issues why Dolby Atmos is not working on your Windows PC which include the following:
An outdated or corrupted sound driver.The exclusive-control mode is disabled.The Dolby Access app is missing or corrupted.The license for Dolby Access has expired.
Below you’ll find several solutions to fix the problem. After performing them, you can check if the “Dolby Atmos” option is visible again in your Sound settings and is working again.
Run Audio Troubleshooter
The Windows OS comes with built-in troubleshooters that automatically scan and detect any issues with the associated hardware or software. Here is how to run the audio troubleshooter in Windows 11: Now check if Dolby Atmos is working on your PC. If not, then there are still a few things you can do.
Update Sound Driver
Attempt to update your sound driver to the latest available version, as this might fix the issues with Dolby Atmos. Here is how: Once the driver has been updated/reinstalled, check to see if Dolby Atmos is now working. If it isn’t then continue to perform the remaining possible solutions. However, if you find that the latest driver is already installed, then we suggest that you check for the latest driver on the OEMs website and install it manually, or reinstall the current driver.
Enable Exclusive Mode
It may be possible that the audio output device is being shared by multiple apps and programs, causing an issue with Dolby Atmos. In this case, you must ensure that you allow exclusive control of this device to apps, and give those apps precedence over the others. Follow these steps to enable Exclusive Mode: Now that Exclusive Mode is enabled, check to see if Dolby Atmos is now functional.
Reset Dolby Access
As we mentioned earlier, there is a possibility that there is something wrong with the Dolby Access app which is preventing Dolby Atmos from functioning correctly. In this case, try resetting the Dolby Access app using these steps: Now check to see if this resolved the issue for you.
Check License for Dolby Atmos
It may be possible that your Dolby Access trial has ended and now you must purchase a license for it for Dolby Atmos to work. Here is how to check whether the license for Dolby Atmos has expired or not: If the expiry date has surpassed, then you must now purchase a license for it. You can purchase a license for Dolby Atmos through the Dolby Access app.Purchase a license for Dolby Atmos Also see:
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