Sound driver needs update?

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Dell XPS 8930, Intel i7 9700

I have a confusing indication and am not sure what to do.

I have a program called Waves Maxx Audio, which came with my machine, which includes an equalizer, useful for my aging hearing. Last night I noticed the audio from a Netflix movie being unusually lacking in high-frequency, so I opened Maxx, which came up with a message saying my audio driver is out of date, please to check Windows update. All the controls are disabled, and the equalizer frequency settings are all aligned at the very bottom of their volume “poles”.

I believe my audio driver is Realtek; in any case, I have not downloaded some special one.

Windows update is on pause till the all-clear sign from Susan B., end-of-month. So, I closed my Windows user account, opened my admin account, and then SupportAssist (which allows program updates only through an admin account, though other functions work from user accounts). Checking for updates, it found none. From the same admin account I then opened Maxx, which opened just fine with no advisory, full functionality, and frequency settings the way I expected, with emphasis on the highs.

Do I need to wait for the Windows updates to resolve this?

Thanks.

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You can download the update package directly from Dell…

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=m96hh

 

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audio from a Netflix movie

I’m assuming you are watching Netflix using a browser.  If updating your audio driver doesn’t help, there are browser extensions that manage EQ well.

Here’s one for Chrome and chromium based browsers.  I use it occasionally.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/equalizer-for-chrome-brow/abikfbojmghmfjdjlbagiamkinbmbaic

Desktop mobo Asus TUF X299 Mark 1, CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X Skylake-X 8-Core 3.6 GHz, RAM: 32GB, GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB. Display: Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2 quad.

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Thanks for your replies. The QUESTION REMAINS why Maxx is working in my admin account but not my user account. Any further ideas?

I ended up going in circles. I did try downloading and installing the Realtek driver from the Dell site, even though it is dated 2019 and I keep my machine updated often. Installation made no difference re: Maxx.

So, I guess I’ll have to try to find another free program. I use Firefox, not Chrome, by the way, and yes, the Netflix movie was watched with it.

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I wonder if, in the user account, closing Maxx, and then running Maxx from the user account but with right click “run as administrator” would allow the full adjustments and maybe even fix it for the next time it is run as user.

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Cthru wrote:

…The QUESTION REMAINS why Maxx is working in my admin account but not my user account.

Hi Cthru:

When you log in to Windows, go to Settings | Apps | Apps and Features and search for “waves” and/or “maxx” do you find that your MaxxAudioPro app has the identical name, program icon (e.g., a blue “W” on a black background vs a white “W” on a blue background) and version number, regardless of what user account you use to log in to Windows?

When I purchased my Dell Inspiron 5584 laptop in 2019 it shipped from the factory with a custom application called MaxxAudioPro v2.x (a.k.a. Waves MaxxAudioPro for Dell 2019), but that application is no longer supported by Dell. However, my Inspiron 5584 support page <here> still lists the v2.0.54.0 installer (Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application_M85RR_WIN64_2.0.54.0_A04_02.EXE, released 11-Aug-2020) and this app still seems to work correctly on my system (e.g., it sets the sound level for the type of headphone I plug in and unmutes the sound on my system, then mutes the sound again when I unplug my headphones).

Your XPS 8930 support page <here> does not list a Waves or MaxxAudioPro application, although it might not be listed there if you’re using a “new-style” UWP (Universal Windows Platform / Microsoft Store) version of this app; however, I couldn’t find such a Waves UWP app when I searched the Microsoft Store today.  The “Compatible Systems” section for the Waves MaxxAudio Pro v4.0.47.0 installer <here> that OldNavyGuy recommended in post # 2661832 also does not list your XPS 8930 as a compatible model, so that installer would likely fail to run on your system.

Cthru wrote:

I did try downloading and installing the Realtek driver from the Dell site, even though it is dated 2019

I also noticed that the latest available Realtek Audio Driver v6.0.1.8248 (Realtek-Audio-Driver_T55WP_WIN_6.0.1.8248_A07_02.EXE, released 28-May-2019) on your XPS 8930 support page <here> states “This audio driver requires the Waves MaxxAudio Pro or Dell Optimizer application to be installed to have full functionality“.  Unfortunately, Dell Optimizer doesn’t appear to be compatible with any XPS computer models.

Note that my Insipron 5584 shipped in 2019 with a Realtek High Definition  Audio device.  It’s possible the Realtek audio device in your XPS 8930 is just too old and no longer meets the minimum system requirements for Netflix, which isn’t something you could fix with a MaxxAudioPro application update.
———-
Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.2.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0

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Cthru wrote:

From the same admin account I then opened Maxx, which opened just fine with no advisory, full functionality, and frequency settings the way I expected, with emphasis on the highs.

Right-click on the executable, select Properties, then the Compatibility tab.

Check the box “Run this program as an administrator.

Apply and OK.

Failing that, try the Waves MaxxAudio Pro update package.

The installer may have an option for “this user only” or “all users”.

 

 

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Old Navy,

The executable I have is

Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application_VWPKK_WIN64_1.1.67.0_A03_04.EXE

On the compatibility tab, it only offers up to Windows 8.

Is there a newer one to which yo can steer me for W10?

Thank you.

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That’s the installer.

I’m referring to the application’s executable.

The installer for Windows 10 is the link I posted earlier in #2661832

 

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the real problem is that Dell chose to use the older legacy style Realtek HD Audio drivers for the Dell XPS 8930 and similar older desktop PCs (like with XPS 8920 & 8910 models).

the Realtek audio drivers on Imacri’s Dell Inspiron 5584 laptop PC are in the newer, modern UAD/DCH format. download the audio driver EXE package for the Inspiron 5584 (I saw v6.0.8940.1 there) and view the contents inside a file archiving tool like 7zip, Winrar or Winzip. and then download the audio driver EXE package for the XPS 8930 (only has v6.0.1.8248) and view that package’s contents in 7zip/Winrar/Winzip. the audio driver listed for Cthru’s XPS 8930 machine is in legacy non-DCH, non-UWP or non-UAD format (meaning that driver uses a different structure than the one for the laptop; I know & see/experience the difference between the UAD and non-UAD based Realtek audio drivers).

At one time, Dell had a 6.0.9205.1 Realtek audio driver available in early October 2021 for the XPS 8930 desktop but Dell had to pull/remove it from their web site due to that version causing problems for other users who own an XPS 8930 – I’ll link to those two Dell forum topics.

XPS 8930, Realtek audio driver 2021, slow boot

XPS 8930, issue only some audio working

a suggestion in one of those Dell forum topics is to use a newer driver than 6.0.1.8248; mainly a 6.0.9107.1 version on the XPS 8930. here are the direct links to the 6.0.9107.1 driver packs from Dell that Cthru can try out on the XPS 8930:

6.0.9107.1 A19
6.0.9107.1 A20

these 6.0.9107.1 drivers use the older non-DCH/non-UWP/non-UAD format and bundles the Maxxaudio app (a non-UWP edition) inside a Windows Installer MSI file

also the suggestion from ONG to use the newer Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application will NOT work, unless a modern UWP/DCH based Realtek audio driver is installed in UAD format and the OP’s XPS computer uses the old style non-UWP based Realtek audio drivers.

UAD = universal audio driver

DCH = Declarative Componentized Hardware

Dell article – What are DCH drivers and why do you need to know about them?

Microsoft – Universal Windows Drivers for Audio
-this Microsoft article mentions about “universal audio driver” or UAD

3 users thanked author for this post.

satrow, Cthru, lmacri

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EP wrote:

also the suggestion from ONG to use the newer Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application will NOT work, unless a modern UWP/DCH based Realtek audio driver is installed in UAD format and the OP’s XPS computer uses the old style non-UWP based Realtek audio drivers.

Your source?

 

 

 

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Bravo! I installed the 6.0.9107.1 A19 Realtek driver and Waves is now happily opening (well, I don’t know if the software can be happy) in my user account without issue.

Many thanks.

I don’t know how to mark this as solved…

1 user thanked author for this post.

lmacri

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Cthru wrote:

I don’t know how to mark this as solved…

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OldGuyForum wrote:

EP wrote:

also the suggestion from ONG to use the newer Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application will NOT work, unless a modern UWP/DCH based Realtek audio driver is installed in UAD format and the OP’s XPS computer uses the old style non-UWP based Realtek audio drivers.

Your source?

 

 

 

no need to specify nor mention a source, ONG
have you even tried to view the contents of the Dell driver EXE download packages in a file archiving tool (like what I did)?

I know how both UAD/DCH and non-UAD legacy based Realtek audio drivers work because I have much more experience in how they are both structured, as I’ve used such drivers on many different computers.

that Waves-MaxxAudio-Pro-Application {like with newer XPS desktop model pcs like 8940 & greater} is a UWP based app, which requires a UWP aware UAD/DCH audio driver, as I said before.

UWP = Universal Windows Platform

Reference for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps – Microsoft

the 6.0.9107.1 driver that I mentioned contains the non-UWP edition of the Waves Maxxaudio software that works with the bundled audio driver and thus no separate Maxxaudio Pro app download is needed.

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a brief history lesson about the Dell XPS 8930 computer – this originally came out in late 2017 with 8th generation Intel CPUs:

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-xps-tower-special-edition-8930

it wasn’t until either near end of 2018 and throughout 2019 that a BIOS update was needed for the XPS 8930 to support 9th gen Intel processors as noted in this Dell forum thread:

https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/xps-desktops/xps-8930-support-for-intel-9th-gen-cpu/647f7d65f4ccf8a8debd3d6b

1 user thanked author for this post.

satrow

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