Win 7 - "Audio Service is not running"

olderndirt · 07 Sep 2014

"Windows will not start the Windows Audio Service on local computer. ERROR 1075: The dependency service does not exist or has been marked for deletion". (Complete with little red X on task bar speaker icon) Googling has revealed this a common occurrence and apparently quite fixable - I appear to be an exception. So far I've compared my and my wife's registry entries (same OS) HK_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv\DependOnService\multi-string 'AudioEndpointBuilder:RcpSs:MMCSS'. Checked 'msconfig' and MULTIMEDIACLASSSCHEDULER is running. In 'services.msc' WINDOWSAUDIOENDPOINTBUILDER is running but WINDOWSAUDIO is NOT. An attempt to start results in the message above. My external audio devices are good to the computer and I have the latest driver. Ran CHKDSK and SCANNOW.

fireberd · 08 Sep 2014

Do you have any other audio devices running or run at startup? Have you run any registry programs (including the one in CCleaner)?

I assume this used to work??

My recording studio backup system is an ASUS P8Z77 LE Plus motherboard with an i5.

What "external audio devices" do you have?

I have more questions, than I have answers right now.

olderndirt · 08 Sep 2014

My external speakers (front) are all I have and they're good to the computer and yes it used to work.
I've used "Wise Care 365" as a registry cleaner for over a year - trouble free, so far.
Something I failed to mention but may be relevant. The message flag icon next to the speaker icon also has a little red "X".

fireberd · 09 Sep 2014

Registry programs should be used cautiously. They are known to cause problems, and many times more problems than they claim to fix. I do some PC repair and have had to go as far as a complete reinstall for one customer that bought the advertised on TV "repair" (speed up) program that messed up his PC.

You can try running "sfc /scannow" and see if it fixes it, but I suspect the registry program did you in.

Run the sfc /scannow three times.

Click the start orb and then enter sfc /scannow in the search box.

olderndirt · 09 Sep 2014

Ran as requested. The CBS.log file revealed lots of stuff fixed - unfortunately none of it was my problem. Since reinstalling the OS is an absolute last resort, I'll try to live with no audio. And a 'For what it's worth' note. All "YouTube" videos run for only a couple of seconds then go in error mode.

olderndirt · 27 Sep 2014

This problem was solved by running a program 'Windows Repair all-in-one' from Tweaking.com.