HDMI Video connection disables soundcard

Hi,

Windows driver assignment disables Soundmax HD sound drivers for Asus X-FI Sound card, when a HDMI video cable is plugged in, and instead loads another for the screen speakers.
Unplugging the cable, and then do a "Scan for hardware changes" in device manager, still only finds the wrong one.
Video card is Ati HD5850 (that features sound streaming through HDMI)
Screen is Acer GD245HQ that has no build in speakers.
Sound drivers AD1988_AB_AUDIO_V6585 Win 7-64bit (that used to work)
Reinstalling the SoundMax drivers is not possible, as the installer can't find the X-FI card, any more.
Any idea how to fix this ?

Breydel, welcome to the Seven Forums.

You left out one rather important bit of info from the specs you listed, the make and model of the motherboard. Judging from the fact that it is the SupremeFX X-Fi (which is not a X-Fi at all by the way; it also isn't an actual sound card but just a riser card that contains the onboard audio), it is an Asus motherboard.

Now with that said double check in the bios and make sure that the onboard audio is set to enabled and not auto if available, as it sounds like the bios is auto disabling the onboard when it detects the audio built into the video card.

P.S. If this only happens when using the HDMI connection on the video card and you are not sending audio to the monitor, then the quick and easy fix would be to use the DVI connection instead.

The MB is an Asus P5E (same as Maximus II) with separate sound card X-FI included. (not the Supreme X-FI) but a downgraded identical.
Bios is set to enable HD-Audio. Only other possibility is "Disabled"
I was using a DVI cable, and everything worked fine, until i plugged in the HDMI Cable in.
The screen and Videocard is designed to run both at the same time, with a swich on the screen to choose from.
The thing is that once the ATI (HDMI) driver is loaded, it crashes windows driver search, or tells it to prior the HDMI connection. The Sound is gone, also using only the DVI.

Let's start with uninstalling only the ATI audio driver. In Control panel open Programs and Features and select the ATI Catalyst Install Manager. Once it comes up select Uninstall Manager,



In the nest window select Custom,



and then in the next select to only uninstall the audio driver,



Once that is done then try re-installing the ADI driver.

Didn't work

Looking up device manager, the driver now loaded, is Windows standard "High definition audio device. Disableing or deleating the driver (In device manager) only reloads it, at a new "search for hardware changes".

Disableing or deleating the driver (In device manager) only reloads it

All that does is reload the default Windows driver.

Back in Device Manager open the properties for the HD audio device, click on the Details tab and from the drop down locate the Hardware IDs and post back what it shows. Need to determine if it is the onboard or the built in AMD audio.

You probably have but if not try a different HDMI cable. Doubt if it matters but I noticed lately that there are 1.3 and 1.4 HDMI cable as well as the basic type. Also when I was building my HTPC I remember reading somewhere that there are HDMI cables that do not carry the audio just the video. Go figure?

Wrong details. Like this,

Outlander

As far as i know the difference from 1.3 and 1.4 is a 4 times higher resolution and sound-feedback.
Anyway either videocard or the screen supports HDMI 1.4, but yes that is tryed too