USBAudio.sys/Windows audio service/audiodg.exe issue w/ Logitech G930

[Chezzetby]

I'm having an issue with usbaudio, the windows audio service and audiodg.exe.

Basically what's happening is my headset occasionally cuts out and re-connects, it doesn't seem to be losing the signal it's just happening when playing certain games. (BF3 and WoW cause it most reliably, rarely happens in Skyrim and a handful of other titles)

Essentially what will happen from a user standpoint is I'm playing the game and first I will hear a little bit of popping or stuttering in the sound, a little while later the headset will disconnect and 5-10 seconds later it will reconnect and sound will resume, usually without the popping and stuttering though sometimes it continues.

Occasionally the problem is even worse, the headset will do as describe above but it will not reconnect, sound will be completely dead across my entire system and the audiodg.exe process is entirely unresponsive.

When this happens it is impossible to kill audiodg.exe, attempting to restart the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint services is impossible (They never stop due to the frozen audiodg.exe)

I can manually kill the svchost.exe process hosting Windows Audio and this will allow me to restart the service, but the audiodg.exe process still cannot be killed or restarted. (Tried using process explorer, command line kill with the force option and a few other methods, the process is just inaccessible)

When this happens the only option is to restart my computer and I must do so using the reset button, Windows is unable to shut down correctly (It attempts to shut down the audio service and can't, so it just hangs at the Shutting Down screen endlessly)

This issue has persisted across a recent reformat, it happens regardless of where I plug in the headset. (I've tried multiple different USB ports on the back of the system, I've tried the front ports, and I tried with the hub Logitech provides with the headset, the issue is the SAME)

This issue occurs both with and without the logitech gaming software installed. All drivers are fully up to date, Windows is fully updated, Nvidia card is on the 295 branch of drivers. AMD chipset drivers are installed, and my motherboard is on the latest BIOS.

I've tried unplugging the receiver when sound breaks in between all of the other debugging I've attempted with restarting services and whatnot. It appears that in RARE cases, killing all programs that use sound and removing the receiver will allow the Windows Audio Service to restart and then I can plug my headset back in and carry on.

Another tidbit that may be related: When this happened before I installed the logitech gaming software, I attempted to install LGS before I rebooted; it asked me to unplug the receiver before proceeding but at that point the receiver was not plugged in, had broken so I disconnected the receiver, somehow the driver believed that the headset was still connected.

I've posted about this on the Logitech forums and done some internet searches, I've also been through Logitech support and RMAed my headset once and yet this issue persists, any suggestions that could be offered at this point would be very appreciated.

 

[Raspbery Parade]

Uninstall driver software, use as a regular windows device. This is a workaround I've used for a while. It makes it to where the audio is only stereo, but I'm too lazy to go out and buy a different 7.1 headset.

 

[dscvkuyw]

To whoever is still out there reading this in 2016; I bought the G930 last month, and I think I have a workaround.

I went through all the experience and stages of grief described in OP's post, scouring the web for solutions. The ONE, and only one thing that worked, was changing my laptop's power options from 'power saver' to 'balanced' or 'high performance'. In any mode but power saver, this issue never occurs. For some reason I've yet to decipher, the power saver mode causes the irrecoverable audiodg.exe crash, no matter what (advanced) options I pick for the power save mode. [No, it's not USB selective sleep either.] If it still crashes in other modes, try restoring to the default plan.

My advice is to avoid power-saving mode, or take out the USB dongle before you do use it. If you forget to, or the error occurs anyway, trip the power, or it'll mess with the shutdown and persist across a restart.

I'm sure this problems only happened because of very particular and niche hardware/software combos, in certain end-users, hence why I've only seen this problem here and one other place. If it helps, I'm using a HP Elitebook 800 series, Win 10 64-bit, a wireless mouse, and no other usb paraphenallia.


If this happens to you are you are using a desktop PC, sorry I can't be much help, but consider it may be a power/usb port issue, and pursue such options.



It was nice knowing I wasn't alone on this one, no matter how long had passed.