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#1
Sound on Laptop and Desktop Randomly Stops Working and Working
So recently the sound on my desktop and my laptop has stopped working. For seemingly no reason. I really don't understand it.
I first noticed it with my desktop. The sound just randomly stopped working. But not...entirely. It's really strange and complicated what's been happening, so bare with me while I try to explain it as best I can.
PC:
First time sound stopped working on PC. Restarted computer, sound came back, no issues.
Second time I woke up to find VLC frozen. Sound wasn't working. I restarted VLC. No sound. Found out that there was no sound on the computer at all. When I'd try to increase the volume on VLC, it would only change within an interval of ten percent. So it was at 50 percent initially. Would not let me go below 50%, but not above 10%. Sound didn't work anyway. Restarted, sound returned VLC working fine.
Third time I was playing Dragon Age: Inquisition. Sound worked fine, using my headset (Turtle Beach). Went to speakers to lay down and watch some shows on VLC. No sound on speakers. Switched to Turtle Beach again, sound returned. Restarted VLC, now suddenly no sound on VLC OR speakers. Had to restart computer, no issues after restart.
Laptop:
First time sound stopped working, used the "disable audio and reenable audio driver," didn't solve anything. Restarted, sound came back. Sound stopped working again same day, restarted, sound came back.
The next time I restarted the audio driver (Realtek) and then I shut down Explorer and then restarted explorer via the task manager. Audio started working again.
Did same steps today, sound not working. Will have to, of course, restart my laptop.
One thing I noticed? If there is something currently playing, the sound won't go out for it even if sound goes out elsewhere. So I had VLC running constantly, and I could hear the sound from VLC while suddenly the sounds from everything else on the computer stopped working. However, once I restarted VLC, sound stopped. Only until restarting the computer...or waiting for it to work again, does the sound come back.
Other Info:
I find it weird that this is something happening to both my desktop and laptop at the same time. I did a malware bytes sweep of my desktop, found nothing. Drivers are up-to-date.
My desktop is custom built. I can't remember the MOBO right now, but it's only a couple years old. The laptop is about 5 or 6 years old at this point. The computer seems to recognize that speakers are hooked up, but when I would try and do tests, it would say it cant' do sound tests.
So it HAS to be a driver problem it seems, and not a MOBO issue. Especially since my desktop the sound comes via USB.