Solved Why does this Drive prevent any Audio on my PC?

[Mike Lynch]

See Attachment!

The first driver displayed prevents audio on my PC.
If I disable or delete it the audio works, until a reboot.
After the reboot, the driver is reloaded.

How can I prevent the reload or make the driver produce sound?

 

[SIW2]

Drive? What do you mean?

If I disable or delete it the audio works

Do you mean that disabling the device labelled "high definition audio device", the sound begins to work?

Work where? External speakers, or headphones, or maybe you have speakers built into your pc?

Have you checked playback devices?

 

[Mike Lynch]

I meant Driver not Drive!

Yes, if I disable or delete it the sound will play.

Just internal PC Speakers.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Sounds

Here is what it says when the other Driver is deleted.

 

[SIW2]

Did you try just disabling it? Or you could try setting Speakers as default device, if you haven't already.

Rt click the device for the context menu.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I have tried disabling it.
I have tried removing it.
In both cases, when I disable it or remove it, the speaker in my PC works.
Prior to removing it, the speaker in my PC would not work.
I do not have any external speakers.
I do not have any head phones.
I want the speaker in my PC to produce sound.
Every power cycle /reboot the driver is reinstalled.
I do not want nor need whatever function the offending driver provides.

Is there a way to permanently remove or disable it?

 

[Mike Lynch]

It must have been a Christmas Miracle!

I tried to experiment with a different Hard Drive that had W7P on it.
I found an Icon among the Hidden Icons on the Task Bar.
I went through each option until I reached one that listed the Audio Drivers.
There was an option for "Set as Default" and I selected the Realtek one.
I rebooted and it worked, the Realtek remained as the Default.
Here is where the Miracle comes in, at least I think so!
I went back, inserted in the Removable Disc Dock, rebooted and Realtek was the Default and the sound played.

I guess I thought the Drivers were 'software only' but somehow, either the BIOS was changed or whatever.
That's two different, physical Drives and the setting moved from one to the other.
In the Device Manager, the offending Drivers Icon has a downward pointing arrow down on it.
The Realtek, while listed second, is working fine!

Thank you Jesus! (And SIW2 for your help)

 

[SIW2]

Post #5

SIW2
Did you try just disabling it? Or you could try setting Speakers as default device, if you haven't already.

 

[file3456]

I have a felling that the high definition audio driver is from the motherboard its self. Although, the Realtek could be onboard motherboard as well. If you go into BIOS, find the option to disable the onboard codec or audio and I'm thinking just the Realtek will show up in Device Manager.

The driver keeps appearing because Windows sees the hardware all the time and thus installs a driver automatically.

If you have a Pro version of Windows you can use Group Policy to prevent the automatic installation of drives via hardware ID. Read here: Stop Windows from installing drivers for specific devices - gHacks Tech News

 

[file3456]

Post #5

He mentions finding the disable option from the Task Bar. To me that sounds like he entered the volume control properties and disabled the audio card from there rather than from withen Device Manager.

Mike, if you did in fact go into the Playback devices to disable the audio source, was the icon a picture of a monitor? This indicates you are using HDMI and that is another audio path rather than the Realtek onboard sound.

 

[Mike Lynch]

It's actually pictures of two Speakers.
The offending driver has a downward arrow superimposed on it.
The Realtek does not have the downward arrow.
See the Attachment: