Thanks steamer I'll give it a shot.

I have to admit, I like this new feature of Windows 7. Back in XP I always wished there was a way to individually change the volume levels for each application.

I just don't like how by default it seems to let the allow the application to control this. Seems kind of ridiculous that they would make this the default.

It used to happen occasionally whenever I went into the advanced options. If I had iTunes open, it would bring iTunes down with me. It's a pretty dumb bug. If you don't realize it's happening then you think maybe your volume just got turned down, so you jack your speakers up and then if you get an IM or a windows alert... BAAAAM!! Your ears bleed.

---------- Post added at 04:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:52 PM ----------

I didn't see the "recording and playback" area. Firggin windows has this idea that they can just rearrange the way things are organized in the control panel every release and call it a new "Feature" when all they're doing is jumbling everything up and confusing the shit out of you

But anyways. I went into the device manager to get to my audio device, and found a tab under "sounds" that reads "communication" that apparently has a question:

"Windows can automatically adjest the volume of different sounds when you are using your PC to place or receive telephone calls. When Windows detects communication activity"

* mute all other sounds
* Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%
* Reduce the volume of other sounds by 50%
* Do nothing

The second option is enabled by default. STUPID. I assume defaults to this because computers nowadays are coming with bluetooth standard and people are starting to rout their blackberry calls to their computer. But seriously. If someone isn't smart enough to know they need to reduce the volume of other programs to hear then they're fucking retarded.

What's even weirder is that voice communication over counterstrike automatically makes windows think it's on a phone call. DrRrrRR!!

Good job microsoft!