SimAudioFixer

The definitive solution for audio device renumbering issues in iRacing and SimHub

Problem It Solves

Tired of iRacing and SimHub losing your audio settings every time Windows renumbers your devices? SimAudioFixer creates a stable "fingerprint" for each device and automatically updates configurations when GUIDs change.

Features

Smart Detection: Identifies devices by hardware ID (VID/PID), not by temporary GUID
Automatic Updates: Patches app.ini (iRacing) and ShakeITBassShakersSettingsV2.json (SimHub)
Active Monitoring: FileSystemWatcher detects when iRacing/SimHub modify files
Notifications: Alerts you and asks if you want to reapply your configuration
Dark Mode: Fully dark interface so you don't get blinded at 3 AM
Auto Start: Option to run silently at Windows startup (no UAC prompts!)
Automatic Backup: Saves a backup before modifying files

Installation

Using the Installer (Recommended)

Download SimAudioFixer-Setup.msi from Releases
Run the installer (requires administrator privileges)
Launch SimAudioFixer from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut
Optionally enable "Run at Windows startup" from the tray icon menu

From Source

Clone and build:

git clone https://github.com/xilonoide/SimAudioFixer.git
cd SimAudioFixer
dotnet build SimAudioFixer.Installer -c Release

The MSI installer will be at:

SimAudioFixer.Installer\bin\Release\SimAudioFixer-Setup.msi

Administrator Privileges

SimAudioFixer requires administrator privileges because:

SimHub is typically installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\ which requires admin access to modify
The app will show a UAC prompt when launched manually
Auto-start runs without UAC prompts using Windows Task Scheduler with pre-authorized elevated privileges

Usage

First Time Setup

Open SimAudioFixer from the desktop icon or system tray (accept UAC prompt)
Go to the Soundcards tab to see your detected devices
In the iRacing tab:
- Select the folder where app.ini is located (if not in the default path)
- Assign each device to its role (Main, Spotter, LFE, etc.)
- Press "Save Configuration"
In the SimHub tab:
- Select the folder where ShakeITBassShakersSettingsV2.json is located
- Assign the device for Bass Shaker
- Press "Save Configuration"
Press "Apply Changes" to patch the files

Daily Use

SimAudioFixer runs in the system tray. Right-click the icon to:

Apply Changes: Force manual update
Configure Devices: Open the main window
Run at Windows startup: Enable/disable auto start
Exit: Close the application

Silent Mode

To run without interface (ideal for scripts or startup):

SimAudioFixer.exe init

This applies all configured patches immediately and exits.

Architecture

How Device Fingerprinting Works

The core innovation of SimAudioFixer is the stable device fingerprint. Instead of relying on Windows GUIDs (which change unpredictably), we create a composite identifier:

Fingerprint = SHA256(HardwareId + "_" + DataFlow)

Components:

HardwareId: USB vendor and product identifier (e.g., VID_1234&PID_5678)
DataFlow: Whether the device is for rendering (output) or capture (input)

This fingerprint remains stable across:

Windows reboots
Driver updates
Windows updates that renumber devices

Project Layers

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    SimAudioFixer.WPF                        │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────┐  │
│  │ ViewModels  │  │   Views     │  │     Services        │  │
│  │ - Main      │  │ - MainWindow│  │ - TrayIconService   │  │
│  │ - Soundcards│  │ - Tabs      │  │ - StartupManager    │  │
│  │ - iRacing   │  │ - DarkTheme │  │   (Task Scheduler)  │  │
│  │ - SimHub    │  │             │  │ - DarkMessageBox    │  │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    SimAudioFixer.Core                       │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────┐  │
│  │   Models    │  │  Services   │  │       Utils         │  │
│  │ - AudioDev  │  │ - Scanner   │  │ - IniFileParser     │  │
│  │ - Fingerpr  │  │ - Mapper    │  │ - BackupManager     │  │
│  │ - Mapping   │  │ - Patchers  │  │                     │  │
│  │ - Config    │  │ - Watcher   │  │                     │  │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Data Flow

Scan: NAudioDeviceScanner queries Windows Audio API (WASAPI)
Fingerprint: AudioDeviceFingerprint creates stable identifiers
Map: AudioDeviceMapper associates fingerprints with roles (Main, Spotter, etc.)
Patch: IracingConfigPatcher / SimHubConfigPatcher update config files
Watch: FileWatcherService monitors for external changes
Notify: TrayIconService shows balloon notifications to alert user

For Developers

Requirements

.NET 8 SDK
Visual Studio 2022 or Rider

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/xilonoide/SimAudioFixer.git
cd SimAudioFixer
dotnet restore
dotnet build

Run Tests

dotnet test

114 tests covering all core functionality:

Unit Tests (9 test files)

Models: AudioDevice, AudioDeviceFingerprint, DeviceMapping, AppConfiguration
Services: AudioDeviceMapper, IracingConfigPatcher, SimHubConfigPatcher
Utils: IniFileParser, BackupManager

Integration Tests (2 test files)

EndToEndPatchingTests: Full workflow testing for iRacing and SimHub patching
FileWatcherIntegrationTests: File monitoring, debouncing, pause/resume functionality

All tests use:

xUnit as the test framework
FluentAssertions for readable assertions
Moq for mocking dependencies
coverlet.collector for code coverage

Project Structure

SimAudioFixer/
├── SimAudioFixer.Core/           # Business logic (no UI dependencies)
│   ├── Models/
│   │   ├── AudioDevice.cs        # Represents an audio device
│   │   ├── AudioDeviceFingerprint.cs  # Stable device identifier
│   │   ├── DeviceMapping.cs      # Role-to-device association
│   │   └── AppConfiguration.cs   # App settings persistence
│   ├── Services/
│   │   ├── IAudioDeviceScanner.cs    # Interface for device scanning
│   │   ├── NAudioDeviceScanner.cs    # NAudio implementation
│   │   ├── AudioDeviceMapper.cs      # Manages device-role mappings
│   │   ├── IConfigPatcher.cs         # Interface for config patchers
│   │   ├── IracingConfigPatcher.cs   # Patches iRacing app.ini
│   │   ├── SimHubConfigPatcher.cs    # Patches SimHub JSON
│   │   └── FileWatcherService.cs     # Monitors config file changes
│   └── Utils/
│       ├── IniFileParser.cs      # INI file read/write
│       └── BackupManager.cs      # Backup creation/restoration
│
├── SimAudioFixer.WPF/            # WPF UI application
│   ├── ViewModels/               # MVVM ViewModels
│   ├── Views/                    # XAML views
│   ├── Services/
│   │   ├── TrayIconService.cs        # System tray icon and notifications
│   │   ├── StartupManager.cs         # Task Scheduler integration
│   │   └── DarkMessageBox.cs         # Themed message boxes
│   ├── Themes/
│   │   └── DarkTheme.xaml        # Dark mode styles
│   └── app.manifest              # UAC elevation manifest
│
├── SimAudioFixer.Tests/          # xUnit test project
│   ├── UnitTests/                # Unit tests for Core
│   └── IntegrationTests/         # End-to-end tests
│
└── SimAudioFixer.Installer/      # WiX installer project
    ├── SimAudioFixer.Installer.wixproj  # WiX project file
    ├── Package.wxs               # Installer definition
    ├── Assets/
    │   └── icon.ico              # Application icon
    └── README.md                 # Installer build instructions

Building the Installer

To create the MSI installer:

dotnet build SimAudioFixer.Installer -c Release

Output: SimAudioFixer.Installer\bin\Release\SimAudioFixer-Setup.msi (~51 MB)

This automatically builds and publishes the WPF application first.

The application is self-contained - it includes the entire .NET 8 runtime, so users don't need to install anything else.

See SimAudioFixer.Installer/README.md for more details on the installer project.

Key Design Decisions

Self-Contained Deployment: The application includes the entire .NET 8 runtime (~156 MB), eliminating dependency issues and simplifying installation.
Task Scheduler for Auto-Start: Instead of the Startup folder, we use Windows Task Scheduler with "Run with highest privileges" to avoid UAC prompts on every Windows boot.
Static FileWatcherService.Current: Allows ViewModels to pause file watching during their own writes, preventing infinite loops.
Fingerprint-based Mapping: Device roles are stored with fingerprints, not GUIDs, ensuring mappings survive device renumbering.
Backup Before Patch: Every config modification is preceded by a backup, allowing recovery if something goes wrong.
Embedded Resources: The application icon is embedded as a manifest resource, ensuring it works correctly in single-file deployments.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

Fork the repository
Create a branch for your feature (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
Write tests for new functionality
Ensure all tests pass (dotnet test)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
Open a Pull Request

Code Style

Use meaningful variable and method names
Add XML documentation comments to public methods
Follow MVVM pattern for WPF code
Keep Core layer free of UI dependencies

Files It Modifies

iRacing

File: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\iRacing\app.ini
Section: [Audio]
Keys: devSpeakerId, devSPCCId, devLFEId, devMicrophoneId, devVoiceChatId (and their corresponding Name values)

SimHub

File: C:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub\PluginsData\Common\ShakeITBassShakersSettingsV2.json
JSON Path: OutputManager.ChannelsSettingsV3[0]
Fields: Name, OutputId, InstanceId, HardwareID1/2/3

Troubleshooting

Not detecting my devices

Make sure devices are connected and recognized by Windows
Only WASAPI-compatible devices are detected
Try refreshing devices with the "Refresh Devices" button

Cannot write to SimHub config

SimHub must be closed before applying changes
If you get "Access Denied", make sure you accepted the UAC prompt
The app needs administrator privileges to write to Program Files

Cannot write to iRacing config

iRacing must be closed before applying changes
Check that the app.ini file is not read-only

Notifications don't appear

Check that Windows notifications are enabled for SimAudioFixer
Verify "Focus Assist" is not blocking notifications

Auto-start not working

Open Task Scheduler and verify "SimAudioFixer" task exists
Check that the task is set to "Run with highest privileges"
Try disabling and re-enabling "Run at Windows startup"

UAC prompt appears on every startup

This should NOT happen if auto-start is configured correctly
The Task Scheduler method should bypass UAC
If it still happens, recreate the startup configuration

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

This project is built with these amazing libraries:

NAudio - Audio device enumeration and WASAPI support
CommunityToolkit.Mvvm - MVVM framework and helpers
Hardcodet.NotifyIcon.Wpf - System tray icon support
Microsoft.Toolkit.Uwp.Notifications - Windows toast notifications

Special thanks to:

The iRacing and SimHub communities for inspiration and feedback
All contributors and testers

Like this project? Give it a star on GitHub!

_{Made with ❤️ for the simracers community}

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 1 Commit
SimAudioFixer.Core		SimAudioFixer.Core
SimAudioFixer.Installer		SimAudioFixer.Installer
SimAudioFixer.Tests		SimAudioFixer.Tests
SimAudioFixer.WPF		SimAudioFixer.WPF
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SimAudioFixer.sln		SimAudioFixer.sln
logo.png		logo.png

License

xilonoide/SimAudioFixer

Folders and files

Latest commit

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SimAudioFixer

Problem It Solves

Features

Installation

Using the Installer (Recommended)

From Source

Administrator Privileges

Usage

First Time Setup

Daily Use

Silent Mode

Architecture

How Device Fingerprinting Works

Project Layers

Data Flow

For Developers

Requirements

Build from Source

Run Tests

Unit Tests (9 test files)

Integration Tests (2 test files)

Project Structure

Building the Installer

Key Design Decisions

Contributing

Code Style

Files It Modifies

iRacing

SimHub

Troubleshooting

Not detecting my devices

Cannot write to SimHub config

Cannot write to iRacing config

Notifications don't appear

Auto-start not working

UAC prompt appears on every startup

License

Acknowledgments

About

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