Fixing missing sounds in Skyrim SE (Windows 10 + Boot Camp)

fix-skyrim-missing-sounds.md

Problem: Skyrim Special Edition + Windows 10 + Boot Camp works normally, but many sounds (music, player voice/dragon shouts, weapon drawing/attacking, etc.) are missing. Any sounds added by third-party mods are similarly silent.

Cause: An obscure bug in Skyrim SE that expects the game data (including sound) to be stored on a volume with a Master Boot Record (MBR). Boot Camp drives, however, must be GUID-formatted.

Solution: Create a virtual MBR volume and run the game from there.

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Create the virtual disk

1. Launch the Computer Management app from the Start menu.

2. In the left pane, right-click Storage → Disk Management, and select Create VHD.

   • Specify VHDX for format, and Dynamically expanding for type.
   • Save the file somewhere convenient, e.g. C:\Games\SkyrimSE.vhdx.

3. The new virtual disk must be initialized.

   • Right-click its label in the bottom section of the middle pane and select Initialize Disk.
   • Specify MBR (Master Boot Record) for partition style.
   • Click OK.

4. Right-click the unallocated space on the virtual disk and select New Simple Volume. Click Next to begin the wizard.

   • Click Next to accept the default volume size.
   • Assign a drive letter, then click Next.
   • Enter a volume label, but accept the other default format settings, and click Next.
   • Click Finish to format (and mount) the partition.

Move Skyrim to the virtual disk

1. Create a folder on the virtual disk, e.g. S:\Steam.

2. Go to Steam → Settings → Downloads. Under Content Libraries, click Steam Library Folders.

3. Click Add Library Folder and select (e.g.) S:\Steam. Close the Library Folders window, then close the Settings window.

4. In your Steam library, right-click Skyrim SE and select Properties, then go to the Local Files tab. Click Move install folder. Choose (e.g.) S:\Steam, and click Move Folder.

5. Wait for the files to transfer—even on an SSD, it will take a little while. Once the transfer is complete, close the Move Folder window and the Properties window.

Final steps

1. Run SkyrimSELauncher.exe at least once to update the Windows registry. This is necessary for tools like LOOT to find the new location.

2. Reconfigure your mod manager with Skyrim SE's new location, and redeploy modded files as necessary.

3. Steam will have "validated" the game files in the process of moving them. If you had cleaned the vanilla ESMs of ITM records with SSEEdit, you will need to do so again.

4. Press Win+R (for Run), enter shell:startup, and click OK. A File Explorer window will open. In this folder, create a shortcut to (e.g.) C:\Games\SkyrimSE.vhdx, so that the virtual disk will mount every time Windows starts up.

This fix works for me! Thank you!