Can I switch audio output from my computer speakers to my home stereo on and off?

Question

I recently connected my PC to my home stereo (5.1 surround sound). It is connected from a digital output on the back of my PC to a digital input on the stereo receiver via a coaxial cable. While it sounds great when playing movies/music through the surround sound, the connection has made my PC speakers obsolete, and now any sound (including windows shutdown music) is blasted through the home stereo speakers. My question is, is there a way to automatically switch between PC speakers and home stereo speakers without manually unplugging the cable every time?

Answer 1

Your PC audio card should have some sort of an application to control audio out. It is usually under the Start->Control panel -> Sound or it may be a separate application.