No sounds from HD Native after switching user accounts (macOS Sierra)

[Focuret]

Hey guys, back again with another question: when logged into one account with system output set to HD Native, everything is fine. But if I log out of that account and into a new one, I cannot get audio unless I restart the computer. Is this just the way it is or is there a work around?

I'm on a MacBook Pro with an HD Omni and Native.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by Focuret

Hey guys, back again with another question: when logged into one account with system output set to HD Native, everything is fine. But if I log out of that account and into a new one, I cannot get audio unless I restart the computer.

Are both accounts administrator accounts?

[Focuret]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

Are both accounts administrator accounts?

Yep. It's really weird that just switching causes it to not work. It's recognized in the system sound output but there's no sound, not even on the Out meters on the Omni. If I want to get sound I have to restart.

[Chief Technician]

Have you looked at the system.log file (/Applications/Utilities/Console) for any entries related to core audio when the problem occurs?

[Focuret]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

Have you looked at the system.log file (/Applications/Utilities/Console) for any entries related to core audio when the problem occurs?

So it only happens when I log out of one user and then log into another user. If I remain logged into one user's account and switch to another, without logging out, it's fine.

I logged out before logging into another account to see and this is all that's in the log for CoreAudio:

	ASL Module "com.apple.coreaudio" claims selected messages.
Dec 10 12:49:18 ITAN-ABDULZ coreaudiod[242]: AvidCA_PlugIn::HandleConnectionChange. Component: com.avid.AvidAudioServer isConnected: 0
Dec 10 12:49:49 ITAN-ABDULZ coreaudiod[242]: AvidCA_PlugIn::HandleConnectionChange. Component: com.avid.AvidAudioServer isConnected: 1

Any ideas?

[Chief Technician]

ITAN-ABDULZ is the name of your Mac.

It looks like its going from no connection (0) to connection (1). Why its not actually outputting audio is another matter.

This seems like a permissions issue. Is the user it works with the user account you used to install it? What happens if you uninstall it as the user who can play via CoreAudio, then install it as the user who cannot play via CoreAudio? Does the problem remain with the user who has the problem now, or does the problem switch to the other user?

[Focuret]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

ITAN-ABDULZ is the name of your Mac.

It looks like its going from no connection (0) to connection (1). Why its not actually outputting audio is another matter.

This seems like a permissions issue. Is the user it works with the user account you used to install it? What happens if you uninstall it as the user who can play via CoreAudio, then install it as the user who cannot play via CoreAudio? Does the problem remain with the user who has the problem now, or does the problem switch to the other user?

Both accounts can play via CoreAudio. It's only when I log out of one account then log into another account that the audio ceases to output. For example,

• The only user logged in is UserA
• UserA logs out and is presented with the select user screen
• I select UserB and log in
• Now there is no sound output

At this point if I log out of UserB and then login to UserA there is still no sound output. I have to restart.

On the other hand, if the only user logged in is UserA and I don't log out but rather just switch and log in to UserB -- so now both users are logged in -- the audio still works. So there's some problem about logging out of a user account that breaks it.

[Focuret]

Also, restarting the HD Omni, unplugging and replugging Thunderbolt it all different ways does not seem to help. The only thing that seems to do the trick is restarting the computer.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by Focuret

if the only user logged in is UserA and I don't log out but rather just switch and log in to UserB -- so now both users are logged in -- the audio still works. So there's some problem about logging out of a user account that breaks it.

Which is why I suggested installing it as UserB and seeing if the same problem occurs with UserA. It is either a permissions issue (UserB can't start it), an initialization issue (UserB tries to start it and fails), or both.