Sound effects volume settings always reverts to max

[Norstaera]

And it's driving me crazy (some might say I'm already there). It doesn't matter whether I'm launching the game or loading a save - this setting always reverts to max, no matter how many times I've changed it. This is my first v. 1.6.1170 playthrough. I use Bethini to set my .ini's. I am trying a couple of new mods that I didn't use on v. 1.6.1130, but I can't see where they mess with sounds at all.

What's weird, to me, is that only one sound setting reverts. The others all stay where I put them. I'm at level 17, and this is the only recurring issue.

• I've checked SSEdit for conflicts that might pertain.
• I've checked conflicts in Vortex.
• I've searched the game directory for 'sound' and 'volume' to see if there are any .ini files which might change the setting and override skyrimprefs.ini.  I'll try another search if I know what term to use.
• I've rerun Bethini.
• I've searched the web trying to find answers and haven't found anything.

Any help or guidance will be much appreciated.

 

[7531Leonidas]

Did you search your computer for an extra skyrimprefs.ini?  Once you do, you should make sure that it isn't set to 'read-only'. 

[scorrp10]

Audio menu slider settings are saved in Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\SkyrimPrefs.ini, section [AudioMenu]

For example, mine looks like this:

[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID7=0
fVal6=1.0000
uID6=0
fVal5=1.0000
uID5=0
fVal4=1.0000
uID4=151039367
fVal3=0.5000
uID3=466532
fVal2=0.7000
uID2=554685
fVal1=0.8000
uID1=1007612
fVal0=1.0000
uID0=94881

The top value is self-explanatory, that is your master volume.
The other 8, however, are pairs fValx / uIDx.   fValx is the volume (0.0=min, 1.0=max) and  uIDx is the FormID of a Sound Category form in decimal.

So what you want to do is convert these uID number to hexadecimal.   Can use Windows Calculator app in Programmer mode for this.
So lets see what are those values (with leading 0's added to pad them to 8 digits)
uID0=94881  = 000172A1
uID1=1007612 = 000F5FFC
uID2=554685 = 000876BD
uID3=466532 = 00071E64
uID4=151039367 = 0900AD87
The fact that first four of these start with 00 means they are defined in Skyrim.esm.   
In SSEEdit, I expand Skyrim.esm, Sound Category.   There are a number of forms in there, many of them are actually derivatives of other categories, and only some of them have the "Should Appear on Menu" flag.
Namely:
00017A21 - AudioCategorySFX ($Effects)
00071E64 - AudioCategoryMUS ($Music)
000876BD - AudioCategoryVOCGeneral ($Voice)
000F5FFC - AudioCategoryFST ($Footsteps)
The Master category (000EB803) is there as well, but I suspect the game has it hard-coded, which is why .ini file does not store uID for it.

Now, of special interest is uID4.    It starts with (09), meaning it is from a mod.   In my load order, mod index 09 is 'Realistic Water Two - Resources.esm', and indeed it has a Sound Catagory Entry:
0900AD87 - AudioCategoryRWTWaves (RWT Waves), flagged 'Should Appear on Menu'.   And yes, when I go into Audio menu in the game, there is an "RWT Waves" slider there.

Also of interest is the fact that there are three empty 'slots' (uID 5,6,7).   They provide space for other mods, but I wonder if that means that there are only 8 slots, and what happens if you have more contenders than slots.

Now, on to your actual problem:
When I go into audio menu in the game, and change a slider,  I can see my SkyrimPrefs.ini updated with the new value the moment I exit the Settings menu.   If your SkyrimPrefs.ini is write-protected, or is being used by some other app (BethINI maybe?), then Skyrim might not be able to alter it.   That could be one reason.    However, if file updates, it is likely something else.   If you post here your SkyrimPrefs.ini [AudioMenu] section, that may shed some light.

 

[Norstaera]

After I edit the settings:the SkyrimPrefs updates
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal0=0.1500
fVal1=0.1000
fVal2=1.0000
fVal3=0.1500
fVal4=0.1000
fVal5=1.0000
fVal6=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID0=94881
uID1=1007612
uID2=554685
uID3=466532
uID4=235020666
uID5=0
uID6=0
uID7=0

Next time I load the game or a save:
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal0=1.0000
fVal1=0.1000
fVal2=1.0000
fVal3=0.1500
fVal4=0.1000
fVal5=1.0000
fVal6=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID0=94881
uID1=1007612
uID2=554685
uID3=466532
uID4=235020666
uID5=0
uID6=0
uID7=0

As you see, Effects is the only setting that changes back to the default value. As for the mod, fval4/uid4, I've been using the same version of that mod for at least 4 years. I've only had the issue with Effects this playthrough.

Is there any reason I couldn't make a patch in XEdit to change the default value to what I want? It doesn't explain why but maybe that would at least be a workaround?

[Norstaera]

My Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini are not set to read-only. Something is causing the game to ignore the value in SkyrimPrefs.ini for effects and resetting the value to 1, whether directly or forcing the game to only look to Skyrim.esm for the value. At least, those are the only explanations I can come up with. Don't know why. 

Searched my entire C drive and couldn't find another SkyrimPrefs.ini file. I made a patch. I even set up my Papyrus settings to log everything, checked  and SkyrimPrefs.ini to make sure it had the correct values, loaded the game, changed the effects volume again, volume reduced, reloaded the save, volume back up to full. Didn't see anything in the Papyrus log but saved a copy with an identifier so I can look at it again or share it.

I'm going to try re-validating my game files, though I doubt it will do anything. If that doesn't work, then I guess I'm in for the tedious process of removing one mod at a time to see what happens. Although, since there aren't a lot of new mods that shouldn't take but so long. *sigh*

[scorrp10]

Ok, so the game can write to your ini file just fine.    And it is not like you got mod-defined volume categories using up all the available slots.     Just to be sure - check your SkyrimCustom.ini if it has AudioMenu section.
Try a couple experiments:

Have the folder with SkyrimPrefs.ini  opened on the desktop.   Edit the file, set fVal0 to the value you want, and save.   
Start the game, load a save.
Alt-tab from game. Re-open the .ini file - did it get fVal0 updated back to 1.0?
Go into the settings menu, audio settings, What is SFX volume set to?  If it shows max, set it to what you want and exit menu.   
Re-check the ini file again - did it get updated to the value you set.?
Save the game.   Re-check the .ini again.   Same or back to 1?
Exit the game.    Re-check the .ini.   Same or back to 1?
Start the game again and load the save you just made.   Check SFX volume in menu.

Experiment 2 - Again change the .ini to value you want.    
Start the game, and when main menu appears, open console and type "coc qasmoke".    You will get loaded into test area.   Check SFX volume in the menu.
What I am getting at, is that it is possible that one of your mods has a script that runs when a game is loaded.   Something along the lines of:

SoundCategory Property AudioCategorySFX Auto
Float SavedSFXVolume
; getting the value
SavedSFXVolume = Utility.GetINIFloat("fVal0:AudioMenu")

; restoring the value
AudioCategorySFX.SetVolume(SavedSFXVolume)
Utility.SetINIFloat("fVal0:AudioMenu", SavedSFXVolume)

And unfortunately, it would be really hard to hunt down exactly which mod/script is responsible, especially if author of that mod did not include source files.

[Norstaera]

19 hours ago, scorrp10 said:

tart the game, load a save.
Alt-tab from game. Re-open the .ini file - did it get fVal0 updated back to 1.0? The .ini didn't change but the sfx volume is back to max
Go into the settings menu, audio settings, What is SFX volume set to?  If it shows max, set it to what you want and exit menu.   
Re-check the ini file again - did it get updated to the value you set.? yes
Save the game.   Re-check the .ini again.   Same or back to 1? same
Exit the game.    Re-check the .ini.   Same or back to 1? same
Start the game again and load the save you just made.   Check SFX volume in menu. back to max

On to experiment 2. Yep, when I entered the test area from the main menu the sounds were all where I wanted them.

19 hours ago, scorrp10 said:

What I am getting at, is that it is possible that one of your mods has a script that runs when a game is loaded.

That's what I was afraid of. I guess it's time for tedium. Thanks for your help. You've given me a starting point for future search.

[scorrp10]

At the very least, try using GrepWin to scan scripts under both scripts/source and source/scripts for 'setvolume' and 'inifloat'

[Norstaera]

Never heard of it. How is it better than the standard Windows search function?

Edit: nvm, I dl'd and man, it's so much faster! Thanks for the tip. And I found the mod causing the issue and reported it, so hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Edited Sunday at 03:11 PM by Norstaera
answered my own question

[scorrp10]

Good to know.  So which one was it?