Audio volume very low after installing Realtek driver

[cwaters]

Earlier today, Windows Update prompted me to install two items: KB3035583 (recommended) and "Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - Audio Device, Other hardware - Realtek High Definition Audio" (optional). I installed both items.

After rebooting, the audio coming from my speakers could barely be heard. Changing the Windows 7 speaker icon (on the taskbar) to 100% didn't help much. The Volume Mixer applet lists the speaker icon and application icons at 100%. The Sound applet lists the speakers properties' levels at 100%. My speakers are set at their normal level; i.e., unchanged. I notice a red speaker icon on the taskbar which wasn't there before; presumably, the Realtek installation added this.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? I'm not sure if there was any Realtek software present on my system beforehand--so I'm not sure if this software is new (to my PC) or an update. The detail dialog box for the Realtek software says it was released in December 2014; this is the first I've seen it.

 

[hayquemorir]

Hi. The same issue here. Trying to uninstall the update but i do not know how to do that !!!

 

[Chris2005]

You should be able to find it here:

Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Installed Updates

 

[hayquemorir]

NOP. I had tried that before...but only update for Windows appears, not drivers.

 

[Chris2005]

NOP. I had tried that before...but only update for Windows appears, not drivers.

Do you remember what driver version you had prior to the update?

You should be able to download it and replace the updated drivers.

Also, you haven't touched your speaker's volume dial or anything?

 

[fireberd]

You can go to the Device Manager, and Display the Properties for the RealTek. In the Driver tab section there is an option to Rollback the driver. That should restore your original version.

The R2.75 driver (latest version) listed on the Realtek site was issued 5/2014 so there is no newer version. If you download this version, the first thing it will do is uninstall the current version, require a PC restart and then install the R2.75 version. That is what I'm using on all my Win7/8.1 systems with Realtek.

Realtek

 

[Chris2005]

I myself had an optional Windows update just earlier called:

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - Audio Device, Other hardware - Realtek High Definition Audio

Installation date: ‎4/‎6/‎2015 5:23 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Optional

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Audio Device, Other hardware software update released in December, 2014

More information:
Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP

Help and Support:
Product Solution Centers

My audio driver version is now 6.0.1.7404.

 

[fireberd]

That is later than the one on the Realtek site. Mine is 7246 as listed on my ASRock motherboard.

 

[cwaters]

You can go to the Device Manager, and Display the Properties for the RealTek. In the Driver tab section there is an option to Rollback the driver. That should restore your original version.

The R2.75 driver (latest version) listed on the Realtek site was issued 5/2014 so there is no newer version. If you download this version, the first thing it will do is uninstall the current version, require a PC restart and then install the R2.75 version. That is what I'm using on all my Win7/8.1 systems with Realtek.

Realtek

Thanks. My current driver version is 6.0.1.7404, 12/10/2014. When I pressed the Roll Back Driver button, the driver reverted (?) to version 6.1.7601.17514, 11/19/2010. After reboot, the volume is back to normal. Also, the red speaker icon is no longer present in the system tray.

The driver I've rolled back to is more than four years old. Should I download and install the R2.75 version?

 

[Chris2005]

You can go to the Device Manager, and Display the Properties for the RealTek. In the Driver tab section there is an option to Rollback the driver. That should restore your original version.

The R2.75 driver (latest version) listed on the Realtek site was issued 5/2014 so there is no newer version. If you download this version, the first thing it will do is uninstall the current version, require a PC restart and then install the R2.75 version. That is what I'm using on all my Win7/8.1 systems with Realtek.

Realtek

Thanks. My current driver version is 6.0.1.7404, 12/10/2014. When I pressed the Roll Back Driver button, the driver reverted (?) to version 6.1.7601.17514, 11/19/2010. After reboot, the volume is back to normal. Also, the red speaker icon is no longer present in the system tray.

The driver I've rolled back to is more than four years old. Should I download and install the R2.75 version?

The same driver you uninstalled is the driver I now use, but I never noticed any volume difference...

I have a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 rev. 4.0 motherboard.

I guess the driver for the rollback was the basic Windows driver, given the 7601, which is Windows 7 with Service Pack 1.

You could try the latest driver version offered by Realtek.

 

[cwaters]

I wonder why the 11/2010 rollback version (6.1.7601...) has a higher number than the 12/2014 version (6.0.1...)? Also, why did the 12/2014 version appear only now--nearly four months after it's release?

I see the R2.75 driver (from 5/2014) fireberd referred to on Realtek's site. The disclaimer on the site states: "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." My PC is a Dell Studio XPS 435 MT. Since Dell's drivers page for this model doesn't mention any Realtek updates, I suppose R2.75 is worth trying. If it doesn't work, I can always rollback again to 6.1.7601.17514 (11/19/2010).

 

[Chris2005]

I wonder why the 11/2010 rollback version (6.1.7601...) has a higher number than the 12/2014 version (6.0.1...)? Also, why did the 12/2014 version appear only now--nearly four months after it's release?

I see the R2.75 driver (from 5/2014) fireberd referred to on Realtek's site. The disclaimer on the site states: "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." My PC is a Dell Studio XPS 435 MT. Since Dell's drivers page for this model doesn't mention any Realtek updates, I suppose R2.75 is worth trying. If it doesn't work, I can always rollback again to 6.1.7601.17514 (11/19/2010).

It's a Windows driver, not a manufacturer driver. The 7601 indicates that it's Windows 7 SP1, if it were just Windows 7, it'd be 7600.

Ironically, I think the drivers offered by my motherboard manufacturer and Realtek are older than the ones offered by Windows update...

When I pull up the product page, I get this:

Intel® 7.1 channel High Definition Audio

Optional Creative PCI Express Sound Blaster® X-Fi ™ Xtreme Audio (D)† or Creative PCI Express Sound Blaster® X-Fi ™ Titanium (D)†

† Certain components may differ from the retail version.

Dell Studio XPS 435 Desktop Details | Dell

 

[cwaters]

Thanks for the explanation regarding the version numbers. It's a shame Microsoft and the driver authors can't work together to come up with a more consistent and helpful numbering system.

Did you quote the XPS 435 product page for my benefit? FYI, I have just the hardware on the motherboard (Intel HD audio), not the SoundBlaster card. It's my understanding that the Intel HD hardware uses the Realtek driver.

 

[fireberd]

The Studio XPS435 is a relatively old PC. I wouldn't use the Realtek drivers as they may not be compatible. I would only use the Dell supplied drivers.

I used to do a lot of support on the Dell forums and systems in that era (2008/9) were still using a lot of Dell proprietary hardware. It was iffy using non-Dell supplied drivers.

 

[cwaters]

The Studio XPS435 is a relatively old PC. I wouldn't use the Realtek drivers as they may not be compatible. I would only use the Dell supplied drivers.

I used to do a lot of support on the Dell forums and systems in that era (2008/9) were still using a lot of Dell proprietary hardware. It was iffy using non-Dell supplied drivers.

Thanks. That's the thing; Dell doesn't supply any audio drivers for this PC; the Realtek driver I'm currently using (now that I've rolled back to it) is the one that comes with Windows 7 SP1. The update to this, offered by Windows Update, resulted in the problem that led me to compose this thread. So, besides ignoring that Windows Update item, my current options are to stick with the Realtek driver that comes with Windows 7 SP1 or try the R2.75 update. What do you suggest?

 

[fireberd]

Windows (in all cases I've seen) does not install a manufacturers driver. If the sound chip is compatible it will only install the generic, basic function, High Definition Audio Driver (Codec). If Windows installed a Realtek driver it was through an update, not the basic Window 7 install.

The drivers offered by Windows are ones that have went through the Microsoft validation process. It does not mean that other drivers are not compatible or applicable, just that the ones offered by Windows update are ones that have passed the validation process. One drawback with those is that many times they are older versions than what is offered by the PC Vendor or hardware vendor.

Not every non-Dell driver is bad, just that we saw a lot of them that were.