New
#1
Windows 7 default audio not working but sounds played with software
Hi Everyone,
I can no longer control the system sounds on Windows 7 x64 SP1 (6.1.7600600385).
And the issue is quite weird, unfortunately.
Summary: Sounds are played regularly by third-party software such as VLAN VLC, Chrome Youtube, Audacity. But System sound files are not played by the Audio control and by all applications that interface directly with system audio/files.
The motherboard supports 7.1 audio, but actually two standard speakers are connected with the usual jack connector.
The volume of the Windows traybar Mixer allows me to choose the volume and moving the vertical slider the typical beep is being played.
The Audio control panel shows Realtek high-definition audio as a selected preset playback device (*).
However, if I select the Sound tab, any of those system sounds that are predefined (eg Critical Shutdown or Windows logon) will not play any sound with the Play test.
Instead, from the Windows control panel, opening Audio Realtek HD Manager, the configuration is basic "Stereo" and the test is performed correctly.
From the Windows Services, the "Audio" service and "Windows Audio Endpoint Generator" are regularly started. Even doing a manual reboot of the latter (which in turn also reboots 'Windows Audio'), does not produce any benefit.
Note that running a virtual machine with Windows 10 as a client in VMware, until it uses the host sound card (i.e. Windows 7), does not play any sound, nor system sound nor audio of a third-party software. As soon as I select the 'emulated' sound card, it restores the entire audio functionality within the virtual client. Usually such a tweak is not required.
So there are corrupted in the files / sound settings of the host system (Windows 7). Unfortunately, there is no Windows 7 restore point available.
Command line execution with elevated administrative rights (with UAC that obviously does not play any system sound): sfc /scannow gives a 100% perfect result without violations.
Also the execution of:
dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth ended with a checksur.log within the %windir% \ logs \ CBS path that shows "No errors detected". (Windows6.1-KB2966583-x64 had been previously installed).
(*) I also deleted Realtek drivers in order to get a clean High Definition Audio Device with Windows 7 system drivers. But the problem remained.
A summary of the current behaviour is well illustrated in the following video uploaded to dropbox:
Dropbox - High Definition Audio vs Mixer volume -- 2018-08-18_10-51-20.mp4
Final note: the issue arose after running a "portable" audio / video editing software that probably disrupted system settings or DLLs.
Any suggestions to regain the control of system sounds/audio, please?
Thank you for your help.