Audio devices disappeared after a OS update

Topic

New Reply

Hello,

So my latest windows trauma happened right after the last windows 8.1 64 bit based update. Although I have to admit there may be some other software installations that may have something to do with all this…

After the installation and reboot none of the drivers in ‘sound, video and game controllers’ were working! They were all there but they all had a yellow ‘?’ sitting on them…

(I had more drivers than what the picture said. Two of my monitors had audio so they had drivers, plus I had a couple of virtual Midi cable programs which carry audio drivers.) Plus HD Audio drivers and RME Sound card driver.

For my first attempt to trouble shooting sound problem suggested that I might be able to fix my problem by reinstalling the driver for High Definition Audio Devices.. (I presumed that this must be Realtec that came with my ASUS P9X79 WS)

So I select ‘apply this fix’ knowing that this can’t be that easy…
The result was, HD Audio Device had a driver problem: ‘NOT FIXED!’

A further analyzing the device status came up with this:
“Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)

So I removed the Acer, Phillips and Virtual cable drivers and I uninstalled and reinstalled these drivers: the Realtek and RME.
RME had no problem through out the installing process but had no effect on the problem what so ever…
Realtek on the other hand came up with a new error code:
Realtek HD driver could not be Installed !! Error Code: 0x000000FF

(Realtek HD Audio Driver Setup 6.0.1.7058)

So now I have no audio driver listed in my Sound Tab
I tried few stuff from googling like the error codes and no audio problems related stuff, but no dice!

Should I kill myself now or a little later?

PS Google was NOT my friend what so ever… That’s why I am here…

Thank you
C

SPECS

[/B][/B][/B]PC/Desktop Built Workstation.
Windows Pro 8.1 x64
Asus P9X79 WS
Intel i7-3930
Corsair Vengeance 64 GB
Zotac 4 GB GTX 680
RME Fireface UFX
Acer T272HL (touch screen), LG & Phillips (1920 * 1080)
Corsair AX1200i Digital ATX (PSU)

Corsair Force GT SSD
8TB Seagate x 2
8x HDD (ranging from 2 GB to 4 GB including externals)

Reply | Quote

Replies

I assume you can see the audio card/chip in Device Manager. Have you right clicked on it and selected Uninstall, then re-boot and let Windows sort out a driver?

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote

Thank you Paul. Yes I did all that! Hence, “the Google is not my friend”…

Reply | Quote

Maybe I should explain what I’ve done so far more clearly..

I have done all the preliminary work as a lay man can do. That involved pretty much reinstalling everything except bios & OS, which is updated to their neck… I suppose….
And RME was off at all times.

The failed Realtek reinstall was part of that adventure… Incidentally I forgot to mention that Realtek HD Audio Driver despite the failed message, appear to be installed in Programs and registry but after showing up Device Manager it disappears later on!

I believe the problem is in Internal High definition Audio Bus which is a Microsoft driver… Hence the Code 19 error…
That’s why I can’t install Realtek properly, and that’s why all the other drivers stopped working! But I don’t know how to get around those Windows Internal High definition Audio Bus drivers….. I did the ‘Uninstall’ and then ‘scan for hardware changes’ bit in Device Manager…
But it doesn’t go away! In Device Manager/ Details tab The Problem code is ‘00000013’ But none of the remedies I found on web helped…

Reply | Quote

Did you try changing the driver manually?

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote

I don’t know how to change the Internal HD Audio bus. Since it is part of Microsoft. The Device Manager update says it’s updated and uninstall also is not help. I decompressed Realtek driver I got from ASUS, using 7-Zip, but files I got out does not look like anything to be recognized as a driver.
45438-2
45439-1

Assuming by installing manually, you mean in Device Driver, instead of selecting; ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ using the other option; ‘Browse my computer…’

So yeah! I don’t really know which file I am suppose to choose to install.. I mean there are all these files but I have to choose one of them? There must be more to it than just that…

Also I have not tried any solution involving disabling the driver. As I said that I did disable and uninstall Audio controller and driver. But as soon as I selected scan for hardware changes, system put them right back!

Reply | Quote

…I decompressed Realtek driver I got from ASUS, using 7-Zip, but files I got out does not look like anything to be recognized as a driver…

Go to http://www.realtek.com.tw/

Click on “HD Audio Codec Driver” on the right-hand side, tick “I accept to the above” on the next page then click “Next”, download “64bits Vista, Windows7, Windows8, Windows8.1, Windows10 Driver only (Executable file)” (click the “Global” link on the right-hand side).

You don’t need to in-zip the downloaded file – just double-click it to run the installer.

The above should get you the latest version Realtek drivers R2.79 2015/6/25.

Reply | Quote

I considered that but when you go there to download drivers realtek warns you:

“Audio drivers available for download from the Realtek website are general drivers for our audio ICs, and may not offer the customizations made by your system/motherboard manufacturer. To be sure you obtain the full features/customizations provided in your original audio product, please download the latest drivers from your system/motherboard manufacturer’s website.”

Should I not accredit what they say?

Reply | Quote

…Should I not accredit what they say?

If the system is a laptop/notebook then the drivers are likely to have been modified by the OEM so best to use the drivers from the device manufacturer’s website. You have a desktop.

For desktop systems: on my own, and customers’ systems, I always install the latest drivers from the Realtek website.

During recent years since they came along I must have installed the applicable Realtek HD Audio drivers on desktop systems with Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI, etc motherboards several hundred times and cannot recall ever having any problems. In fact, in some cases with older motherboards when the audio had stopped working installing the latest Realtek audio drivers was all I had to do.

Reply | Quote

I considered that but when you go there to download drivers realtek warns you:

“Audio drivers available for download from the Realtek website are general drivers for our audio ICs, and may not offer the customizations made by your system/motherboard manufacturer. To be sure you obtain the full features/customizations provided in your original audio product, please download the latest drivers from your system/motherboard manufacturer’s website.”

Should I not accredit what they say?

Yes, but the important word is “may”. They don’t say it will be a problem, only that is may.

Reply | Quote

I did uninstall reboot install Realtek (from the Realtek site) The different outcome was that the Realtek installed without an error like it did with ASUS version… But there is still no audio. Another difference is that
All the other Microsoft items disappeared from the Device Manager Sound and game controllers… Unlike the first picture above, this one has two drivers. Realtek High Definition Audio and High definition Audio Device… Which is suppose to disappear after a third party Audio driver installed. In this case Realtek.
45452-0

Another difference was the version of the drivers.
From ASUS the version reads: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Setup (3.76) 6.0.1.7058 x64 Edition
From Realtek site it reads: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Setup (4.27) R2.79

Although I manage the install Realtek without am error,

I’m still getting the same code 19 error pointing Internal HD Audio Device…

Reply | Quote

Usually, if drivers fail after an upgrade it’s because they don’t support the new OS. In that case, you want to upgrade the drivers. Reinstalling won’t help unless the update process broke something or put in unsuitable ones.

Sometimes, it can be useful to reboot after installing new drivers. That will load them properly.

Have you checked the ASUS web site for your model? You mention ASUS version but not if this was the update. Sometimes large makers do use custom chips or configurations, such as when the audio subsystem is on the motherboard. In that case, you can’t compare generic version #s with model-specific versions.

Another option is what Paul suggested. Uninstall the drivers and either reboot or have Windows check for new hardware. (right click the computer name in Control Panel, Device Manager and select Scan for Hardware changes, then let Windows find a driver.) Windows drivers may be more generic but should get it working.

Although I have a friend who’s mic stopped working after the Win10 upgrade and updating the drivers wasn’t a fix. Generally, such things are addressed over time but not on older systems.

Reply | Quote