# Keeping names and icons

When Windows sees a device as new, Volume Locker keeps the device's Windows name and icon along with its settings. To turn this off, uncheck **Keep their name and icon** in the **Devices seen as new** submenu under **Preferences**. It needs **Keep their settings** to be on, and is greyed out otherwise.

When Windows creates a new endpoint for a device, the endpoint gets a default name and icon. Volume Locker writes the device's last seen name and icon to the new endpoint.

## Why you might turn it off

1. It relies on an undocumented Windows interface. Microsoft's [Core Audio documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/coreaudio/audio-endpoint-properties) says clients should read endpoint properties and not set them.
2. It can replace older names. Windows may reuse an earlier endpoint when a device returns to a port it used before, and the last seen name and icon replace whatever that endpoint had.
3. A copied icon only works while its file or resource still exists on the system.

## What gets copied

| Value | Property                    | Example                                                       |
| ----- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name  | `PKEY_Device_DeviceDesc`    | `Speakers`                                                    |
| Icon  | `PKEY_DeviceClass_IconPath` | `C:\Icons\headset.ico` or `%windir%\system32\mmres.dll,-3014` |

The icon value is a reference, so the image itself is not copied. Volume Locker does not copy driver descriptions, hardware identity, form factor, or any other property.

Volume Locker does not try to detect custom names or icons. It stores the current values in the device's fingerprint each time it sees a tracked device, and restores them as they are. A value is only written when it differs from the new endpoint's value.

## How it runs

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    OLD[Saved or cached fingerprint] --> MATCH[Accepted match]
    MATCH -->|Preference on: name and icon| NEW[New endpoint]
    MATCH -->|Always: locks and device order| STATE[Settings under the new ID]
```

1. The [matching tiers](./devices-seen-as-new.md#matching-tiers) accept a pair. The name and icon do not affect matching.
2. `IPolicyConfig::SetPropertyValue` writes each changed value as a `VT_LPWSTR` string.
3. Volume locks, unmute locks, and places in the device order move to the new ID.

## If a write fails

Volume Locker logs a warning with both endpoint IDs, and the settings still move to the new ID. It does not elevate privileges, edit the registry, or undo the match. Windows may also replace a written value later.