Microsoft to users: You'll download Windows 10, and you'll like it

Recommending a sound card is difficult because people's taste in sound is highly subjective. Over on OCN, it causes some seriously heated debates that rival those caused by religion and politics (where those are permitted; most forums ban them because of the rancor they cause), especially from the hardcore audiophiles (aka audio snobs).

The only thing I can suggest is trying one or more to see what YOU like. An option to an actual PCI or PCI-e sound card is a USB DAC (Digital to Analog converter). which performs pretty much the same function as a sound card. When I got my sound card (ASUS Xonar Essence STX; the newer STX II is supposed to better but also costs more, especially if you get it with the optional daughterboard for speaker systems larger than 2.0 or 2.1), I bought it locally from a place that has a generous 30 day return policy (no restocking fee) so I could easily return it if I didn't like what I heard. If you buy to try, be sure to get whatever you buy from someplace that has an equally generous return policy.

Realtek driver installed is 6.0.1.6657 which is old (2012)

I show .....7399 :/

Keep in mind with drivers, as well as other software, newer isn't always better. I don't automatically use the latest and supposedly greatest, especially if everything is already working to my satisfaction, unless the update is security related.

I guess it doesn't work none of the sound modes switch :/

Works now somehow the speakers were not checked in realtek as the default device

groze said:

Indianatone said:

I leave my machines on 24 / 7 as they are doing scans malware/virus/defrag overnight. In the winter they also keep the room warmer. In the spring / summer when we have thunderstorms and it's hot I switch them off. When I fist saw the message to update to 10 I was going to shut down to avoid the patches and checked for updates and got the upgrade to 10. I ended up staying up till 2AM to remove the BS. The registry settings were over ridden but with the Group policy should not be. I wonder what magic combination M$ will come up with next.

Off topic comment

Actually Indianatone, we are suppose to get thunderstorms this week. Comcast internet drives me up the wall sometimes. A lot of times I have internet disconnect issues with them. I am currently on a internet special with them that was extended tell sometime next year.

Yeah I saw the forecasts and will act accordingly. In the town I live in we have Metronet. Fibre to the home. Up to 1GBs available ($99 per month). I have 100 down and 25mbs up. Really nice not to have to deal with Comcast. They sent me a whole fancy booklet with offers but I am not moving from Metronet as their customer service is great and the speed is fantastic. I may call Metronet and see if I can get a freebie with Comcast targeting me. I had Comcast after they bought out Insight in 2005 and it was fine at first but when the rest of the town got on line it slowed way down. Never again. If you have Metronet in your time I would give them a try. Their cheapest internet is still very fast.

Glad you got it working Mike.

Not really sure why it stopped might of been the update you posted about
Not really sure a default device was ever checked before it still worked I tweaked the dance mode a little and left it alone :)
I could only change it in wmp :/
I read on toms hardware it was NVidia hd audio but that wasn't it for me anyway and I was about to uninstall the win update you posted about I forget which one
But yes all good now :)

Sorry about the off topic Nigel I see you lurking

My problem with the Realtek Audio came about with installing the first run of KB 3097877.