I removed GSX and re-downloaded it. Executed it with Admin rights and still nothing! I am to assume that you no longer care and are quite happy to blame 'Windows 10' for the problem? That is the attitude that you appear to have chosen!
If that's not proof enough the problem doesn't have anything to do with GSX, I don't know what else could make you realize that.
IF the problem could be fixed by reinstalling GSX, it would meant there was something wrong with your previous install, so it WAS related to GSX. And IF the problem could be fixed by executing GSX with admin rights, it would meant GSX didn't work correctly with a standard user, so it WAS related to GSX.
But since, as I've said, the problem is caused either by audio drivers OR Windows not properly configured to stop playing with sound levels of other apps, fact it won't be fixed by reinstalling GSX ( why it should, since the problem is elsewhere ? ), only proves what I'm trying to tell you.
But that's not the only proof I have. The most important one are the countless user reports ( here and on the support email ) of those that FIXED the problem and, in 100% of the cases, it was fixed in two ways:
- using different audio drivers, for example switching from the manufacturer drivers to the Windows default drivers or vice-versa.
- turning off the option in Windows to lower volume of background apps and/or when notifications happens.
That's what everybody that fixed the problem reported. I guess that might be OTHER ( still unknown ) causes for this problem, for example 3rd party apps that has something to do with sound, like audio chat utilities, headphone drivers or support software, etc. Some of them do very QUESTIONABLE things, like doing what is call "global hook", which is the app intercepting audio and keyboard even when it's not used. Skype, for example, intercept CTRL+M GLOBALLY which means, if you have another application that uses that hotkey for some reason, if you use it there, it will also "mute" the microphone in Skype, that's an example of a very questionable hook of an app interfering with others. Some headphone support software take control of the audio device switching, which can affect audio output in other apps that assumed an audio device would stay the same.
In fact, there's nothing in the GSX code that handles switching audio devices while the program is running. If the audio device switches, you must selected the correct one in GSX and choose "Restart Couatl" so, if it switches inadvertently, you might not realized it has switched. That's the only thing I can think of that might be related to GSX, which we MIGHT improve in future versions.