win-wasapi: Use Stable IDs for audio devices by prgmitchell · Pull Request #13903 · obsproject/obs-studio

prgmitchell · 2026-09-16T23:53:43Z

Description

Store PKEY_AudioEndpoint_StableId separately and use it to recover device selections when their normal IDs no longer resolve after Windows or driver updates. This functionality is only available on Windows 11 24H2 and later. Related docs here.

Edited this to simplify into one helper and also properly handle backwards compatibility. My original approach allowed devices to continue to work after downgrading but the UI would not reflect this properly, this now stores both stable ID and the existing ID used.

Motivation and Context

Audio devices (input, output, monitoring) often break after windows or driver updates because it assigns a new device ID. PKEY_AudioEndpoint_StableId is meant to fix this.

How Has This Been Tested?

Tested various scenarios including ID migration, confirmation that manually editing the basic.ini file to use the previous ID still resolves back to the same device and it doesn't need to be selected, and even had a driver update I was able to do for one set of devices that reset the ID but maintained the stableId. Further testing needed though from others.

Types of changes

Tweak (non-breaking change to improve existing functionality)

Checklist:

I have read the contributing document.
My code has been run through clang-format.
My code follows the project's style guidelines
My code is not on the master branch.
My code has been tested.
All commit messages are properly formatted and commits squashed where appropriate.
I have included updates to all appropriate documentation.

prgmitchell · 2026-09-19T23:52:11Z

realized there was a backwards compatibility issue I didn't consider, updated the PR to clean up a bit and allow for someone to downgrade OBS without issues.

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:13:12Z


 #include <sstream>

+#include <util/windows/device-enum.h>


This should be grouped/sorted with (just above) the utility includes above, unless @PatTheMav has different guidance.

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:16:29Z

+			bfree(id);
+			bfree(stableId);


Free in reverse order of allocation:

Suggested change

bfree(id);

bfree(stableId);

bfree(stableId);

bfree(id);

I don't think you actually have to use bfree() with char * not allocated via our memory allocation functions. However, I think these have allocations inside get_audio_device_ids()? Is that correct?

yes these are created with get_audio_device_ids() and use OBS's allocator so I think the returned strings need bfree()

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:44:56Z

+	if (!id || !*id)
+		return false;
+	if (strcmp(id, "default") == 0) {
+		*device_id = bstrdup(id);
+		return true;
+	}


Suggested change

if (!id || !*id)

return false;

if (strcmp(id, "default") == 0) {

*device_id = bstrdup(id);

return true;

}

if (!id || !*id)

return false;

if (strcmp(id, "default") == 0) {

*device_id = bstrdup(id);

return true;

}

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:46:09Z

+		if (SUCCEEDED(hr) && value.vt == VT_LPWSTR && value.pwszVal && *value.pwszVal)
+			os_wcs_to_utf8_ptr(value.pwszVal, 0, stable_id);
+		PropVariantClear(&value);


Suggested change

if (SUCCEEDED(hr) && value.vt == VT_LPWSTR && value.pwszVal && *value.pwszVal)

os_wcs_to_utf8_ptr(value.pwszVal, 0, stable_id);

PropVariantClear(&value);

if (SUCCEEDED(hr) && value.vt == VT_LPWSTR && value.pwszVal && *value.pwszVal)

os_wcs_to_utf8_ptr(value.pwszVal, 0, stable_id);

PropVariantClear(&value);

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:56:45Z

 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include "Windows.h"
+#include <util/windows/device-enum.h>


This should be ordered after #include <qt-wrappers.hpp> unless @PatTheMav has other guidance.

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:57:05Z

+	bfree(resolvedId);
+	bfree(resolvedStableId);


Free in reverse allocation order.

RytoEX · 2026-09-23T16:57:56Z

+	bfree(id);
+	bfree(stable_id);


Free in reverse allocation order.

Store PKEY_AudioEndpoint_StableId separately and use it to recover device selections when their normal IDs no longer resolve after Windows or driver updates.

PatTheMav · 2026-09-27T10:03:04Z

Please avoid using force pushes during reviews and leave resolution of review comments to the reviewer per our contribution guidelines:

https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-request-review-guidelines

prgmitchell · 2026-09-27T17:48:25Z

Please avoid using force pushes during reviews and leave resolution of review comments to the reviewer per our contribution guidelines:

https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-request-review-guidelines

sorry, didn't realize these guidelines were updated last month.

PatTheMav · 2026-09-28T10:52:59Z

Please avoid using force pushes during reviews and leave resolution of review comments to the reviewer per our contribution guidelines:
https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-request-review-guidelines

sorry, didn't realize these guidelines were updated last month.

No problem, just a reminder that those changed.

PatTheMav

Seems good overall, don't have the means to test this on a live machine.

Only had code-style nits.

prgmitchell · 2026-09-28T17:31:11Z

@PatTheMav made the changes based on your comments and pushed as a separate commit to squash later, let me know if I misunderstood anything please.

Fenrirthviti added this to 33.1 Release Tracker Sep 17, 2026

github-project-automation Bot moved this to Ready For Review in 33.1 Release Tracker Sep 17, 2026

WizardCM added kind/bug Categorizes issue or PR as related to a bug. kind/enhancement Enhancements are not bugs or new features but can improve usability or performance. platform/windows Categorizes issue or PR as affecting Windows specifically labels Sep 17, 2026

prgmitchell force-pushed the useStableID branch from eed7671 to b54247c Compare September 19, 2026 23:49

RytoEX requested review from Fenrirthviti, PatTheMav, RytoEX and Warchamp7 September 23, 2026 16:10

RytoEX requested changes Sep 23, 2026

View reviewed changes

github-project-automation Bot moved this from Ready For Review to Requires Changes in 33.1 Release Tracker Sep 23, 2026

win-wasapi: Use Stable IDs for audio devices

05cab29

Store PKEY_AudioEndpoint_StableId separately and use it to recover device selections when their normal IDs no longer resolve after Windows or driver updates.

prgmitchell force-pushed the useStableID branch from b54247c to 05cab29 Compare September 26, 2026 00:35

prgmitchell requested a review from RytoEX September 26, 2026 00:35

PatTheMav requested changes Sep 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread plugins/win-wasapi/win-wasapi.cpp Outdated

Comment thread libobs/util/windows/device-enum.c Outdated

Comment thread libobs/util/windows/device-enum.c Outdated

Comment thread frontend/widgets/OBSBasic.cpp Outdated

Comment thread frontend/settings/OBSBasicSettings.cpp Outdated

Address Pats code-style nits (squash later)

af6dbb2

prgmitchell force-pushed the useStableID branch from 25ca396 to af6dbb2 Compare September 28, 2026 17:28

prgmitchell requested a review from PatTheMav September 28, 2026 17:31

PatTheMav approved these changes Sep 29, 2026

View reviewed changes

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prgmitchell commented Sep 16, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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Description

Motivation and Context

How Has This Been Tested?

Types of changes

Checklist:

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prgmitchell commented Sep 19, 2026

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PatTheMav commented Sep 27, 2026

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prgmitchell commented Sep 27, 2026

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prgmitchell commented Sep 28, 2026

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prgmitchell commented Sep 16, 2026 •

edited

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