Solved Windows Update Breaks RealTek Audio

[motorfingers]

I have a recent home-build computer using an ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 motherboard and AMD FX8350 that replaced a dual Xeon motherboard based home build from 2007 that died. It has a RealTek ALC892 on-board audio chipset and it was great for about a week until Monday, when it died after rebooting for Windows Update. A headset was plugged in, and the RealTek HD Audio Manager, which opens when you plug or unplug something to do with sound, went into a loop where it announced that I had plugged in headphones, then plugged in a microphone, then unplugged headphones, then unplugged microphone, which repeated until I unplugged the headset. The computer now produces no sound.

During boot before the sound drivers are installed, occasional clicks and bumps are barely audible from the speakers. When the audio driver loads, there is a quiet click and they grow silent. Unfortunately, they remain silent, no matter what I do (see below). Right-clicking on the audio icon in the taskbar and selecting "Playback devices" produces a screen that shows the speakers as selected as default, and selecting that enables a pushbutton that produces a screen in which the speakers can be tested. Until Windows Update broke the RealTek audio, the test sounds came through the speakers or headphones. Now, only silence. The bar graph of audio output shows that the software is producing the waveforms but they are not coming out the audio jacks anymore. The Windows "Troubleshoot Audio Playback" utility finds no problems. Things that I have done include, but are not limited to, the following:

• I downloaded and installed the latest (November 11, version 6.1.7023) sound drivers from the ASUS web site. These are the same version as were on the motherboard DVD, which I also tried. No joy.
• I deleted the sound drivers and tried the RealTek drivers found by Windows Update. No joy. I later looked at a list on the WU web site and found that the latest RealTek sound drivers in the WU database are from 2009. I put back the ones from the ASUS web site. Still no joy.
• I run the Windows 7 Installation DVD under the "Upgrade" option and re-installed Windows 7. During this process, I was notified that "Windows has discovered a problem with .NET4.5" which it fixed. No joy.
• I un-installed all audio-related drivers and installed the downloaded ASUS drivers.

There seems to be no smoking gun in the System Information Hardware Resources Conflicts/Sharing list. I did a search on "audio" in System Information and turned up this repeatedly in the Windows Error Reporting:


12/11/2013 4:41 PM Windows Error Reporting Fault bucket , type 0
Event Name: ScriptedDiagFailure
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: Microsoft Corporation.AudioRecordingDiagnostic.1.0
P2: RC_NotDefault/DefaultInstanceId
P3: 1.0.0.0
P4: Default
P5:
P6:
P7:
P8:
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
C:\Users\JamesKBeard\AppData\Local\Temp\msdtadmin\_0C500D26-3AE3-40EA-9F87-DC6991E4937D_\PkgB9AE.cab

These files may be available here:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\NonCritical_Microsoft Corpor_b68f98d6390a610b86fe2cb0d2cc2617ecc_cab_1592bad7

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: 2255f412-6283-11e3-81ad-ac220b50c54d
Report Status: 4



A look at all the Report.wer files showed that these were from attempts to run the troubleshooter for audio playback.


My workaround has been to order a sound card (ASUS Xonar DGX PCIe 1x, using the C-Media CMI8786 chipset, so I can plug in the front panel connector in case this problem is there for the long haul.


I have two questions:

• I did a web search and find that Windows Update has been breaking RealTek audio regularly since at least 2006. Is this happening a lot lately with a Windows Update and the RealTek ALC892 chipset? Is there a fix or workaround?
• It's clear that either I have a software conflict with the RealTek audio drivers or the current build of Windows 7 Ultimate has a software conflict with RealTek audio drivers. Does Windows 8.1 work with the current build and RealTek ALC892 chipset?
• I have zero interest in touch-screen or tablet BS and have no plans to move to Windows 8. I have vast amounts of software, some of which is "mission critical" including Absoft Pro Fortran, Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and DreamWeaver, Microsoft Office 2007, Acronis, SyncCell, Diskeeper 12, Nero 2014, Stardock ObjectDock, an HP9180 on an Eithernet switch, etc. Will Windows 8.1 break or impede the use of any of this?

 

[fireberd]

I can't say I've seen this or seen it "a lot" and I've been working this forum for a while and worked the Dell forum for 10 years.

I have RealTek on both a Gigabyte Z77 motherboard (with an i7 3770 CPU) and an ASUS Z77 motherboard (with an i5 3550 CPU) and the sound has worked OK on both Win 7 64 bit and Win 8/8.1 as both systems have dual boot. Both systems are up to date with Windows updates.

I can't say about all of your software and Windows 8.1. I do know you need the latest version of Aconis, older versions do not work with Win 8 (I used to use Acronis and went to Macrium Reflect). I have Office 2003 and its not supposed to work on Win 8/8.1 but it works OK. I have the latest Nero and it is no problem. I have a (home) recording studio and all my software (I use Sonar) and all my hardware devices work the same in 'Win 7 and Win 8.

Back to your sound problem. The first suggestion is to reinstall the Intel motherboard chipset drivers. The chipset drivers identify (define) all the devices on the motherboard. They are key to the on-board audio working correctly, although other problems can also cause sound device problems. But, I would, as a first step, reinstall the chipset drivers.

 

[Docmac217]

I too have a home-built PC with an ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme MB. Besides the built in sound processor on the MB (Realtek), I have a Tascam US-1641 Audio/MIDI Interface which connects through USB 2.0. After a Microsoft Update this morning, I lost all sound. I got the red "X" next to the speaker icon and the notice that there was no audio device installed. I attempted everything I could think of to re-enable the sound. I researched online for about an hour and a half, but nobody's advice seemed to help my situation. I Deleted the drivers in Device Manager and reinstalled repeatedly, amongst other things. On the last handful of hair I pulled out, I decided to check when the latest Microsoft update was performed and it was this morning at 8am. There were actually 7 or 8 updates. I uninstalled them all, rebooted the PC and Voila! My sound is back. Needless to say, I don't plan on letting Microsoft install any more. But then again, my computer was getting along fine prior to these latest ones. I'm just wondering how many other people out there had the same thing happen with their sound after these updates.

 

[motorfingers]

Docmac217 - Since I re-installed Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate, I lost all my Windows Updates, and when it was done it needed 131 or 161 to catch up, so I have no idea which ones were installed Monday. If you can, please list the seven updates that you un-installed to get your sound back.

I considered getting a USB sound card, but that would not provide me with front-panel jacks for my headset, which I need to host or attend a Google+ Hangout every week. Also, online searches convinced me that this problem would last a week or two unless I got lucky, which may happen if I can un-install selected updates from your next post. If so, I'll use the sound card in an old Linux box that never did have sound.

I did re-install the AMD chipset drivers. When I installed the motherboard, the first driver I installed was the network adapter, then the chipset, then the audio drivers. I did it all again. No joy.

If I get the list of 8 WU files, I will take the time to figure out which one it is and come back here with the information.

Some years ago, the same thing happened to me; it may have been a C-Media chipset, but as I recall the problem resolved itself in a few weeks with either or both the sound people and the WU people updating their files. These people *do* talk to each other and they hear from each other and the users, but anyone who has done software maintenance of apps that are widely distributed understands that fixes for complex issues like driver compatibility problems don't happen in a couple of hours, or even a couple of days. Testing each attempt at a fix takes a day or two at best.

But I have a telecon every week.

 

[Docmac217]

Motorfingers, unfortunately I didn't bother writing down the updates and do not know exactly which ones they were. Prior to uninstalling them, I changed the Windows Updates from automatically downloading and installing them to asking me first. What I just did right now was click on the update icon and it shows me a list of 13 important updates that are available for downloading. I do remember the last few digits of a couple of the updates - one ended in 984 (KB2893984) and the other ended in 294 (KB2893294), but I'm just not sure of the others. Do you know if there is an uninstall log available on the hard drive somewhere so I could check there? The only other thing I could suggest is to go to the Windows Update uninstall screen and find the group of updates that are dated on the same day (mine was 12/12/13) and look for the two I mentioned above. Mine were all dated the same day (today) so I uninstalled all of them and then rebooted and my sound was back. You may want to start by deleting one at a time and rebooting in between each one to see if your sound comes back. You might be able to nail down the culprit without deleting all of them that way. If you know if and where a log might be located of the ones I uninstalled, let me know and I will look them up and post back for you.
Marc.

 

[motorfingers]

Docmac217 - I found KB2893984 and KB2893294 in my list of updates. I'll try them when I'm done here.

You can get a list of all updates that aren't installed by running "Check for Updates" on Windows Updates. Just write down the KB numbers of all of them if I come back in a few minutes and say my sound still isn't working. I will edit this message.

EDIT: Well, that didn't go well. I un-installed KB2893984 and the system wouldn't boot. It hung just as it was about to present the login screen and turned off the monitor. Again, the DVD wouldn't repair the OS but it turned out that the boot repair manager was available, and it is the same software as far as I can tell, and it backed off to the restore point before I un-installed KB2893984. I'm not really keen on doing that again. I think to make it all hang together, you must un-install the updates sequentially beginning with the latest. That would be 23 updates, counting security and hotfix updates but not the IE 11, spelling and hyphenation packages, and updates for Office and such that are not Windows. I think I'm committed until Microsoft and RealTek work it out. That could be anywhere from in the morning to a few weeks, most likely two to three weeks, based on past experience with such things. Since this apparently happens only with a minority of users, it might be longer.

 

[matts6887]

I agree with the person above that said to go to the intel site and download the original chipset drivers for the board. As yes doing that should "identify" the devices to the system. Hopefully that will lead to a start to the end of this problem. from there i would go to the realtek site and install the original drivers for the board audio and go from there and see what happens.

 

[motorfingers]

The first thing I did after loading the network card drivers from the ASUS DVD was load the chipset drivers. The chipset is an AMD 990FX/SB950. I'll check the AMD web site and see if there are any drivers newer than the ones on the DVD. On the advice of fireberd above, I did re-run the chipset installation from the ASUS DVD.

I did try the drivers from the RealTek web site. The only difference was that the playback device list was in the reverse order of the device list with the ASUS drivers. I tried the ASUS drivers from the DVD and from the ASUS web site; they are the same version and there is no difference that I can see.

I do believe that since everything was working for a week and the defining event was a Windows Update with reboot, and one other person has stepped up and said the same thing happened to him, that this is an incompatibility with one of the WU installations.

I did turn the computer off and install modules from ASUS to put connectors on the back of the computer for extra USB 2 and an RS-232 port and enable the onboard RS-232 port. I tried taking them out and disabling the port the first thing, of course, but that did nothing.

EDIT: AMD gives links to the motherboard sites for chipset drivers. The AMD file was released December 7, 2012, a year ago, and the ASUS DVD had audio drivers released less than a month ago so I expect that they are up-to-date. Interestingly enough, the DVD includes MS hotfix KB2505454 dated 2/24/11. I can't discern the chipset driver version number so I'll re-install from the downloaded file. I don't expect any change, BUT if there *is* any change, I'll post a new message.

 

[ComputerGeek]

@motorfingers

I skimmed through the thread so apologies if anything I missed but a couple things i'll point out.

First, I disagree with what seems the consensus here: You don't need the vendor chipset drivers installed for Windows to detect the internal sound card. In fact, Windows doesn't need drivers to DETECT plug and play (PnP) hardware. Windows just can't USE the device functionality until the driver is installed. (That's the fundamental way Plug and Play works in the first place)

If a PCI (or USB) device is connected, has power and isn't disabled in BIOS, windows should detect it.

By definition, Windows talks to HD Audiolike this
Windows <==> HD Audio Controller <===> HD Audio Devices

where the HD Controller is a PCI device. Windows can't detect and install the HD devices till the controller is first installed. (Think of it similar to USB controller and devices)

IMHO: Detection is working just fine (and we can verify that too). My guess is something is corrupting the audio driver(s) and/or audio application. (there is a driver for the audio controller + one or more drivers for your HD Audio devices. I haven't read all your detail yet, but have you uninstalled Realtek from Programs and Features? done a reboot and then re-install?

/* EDIT */
p.s. the controller is a PCI device. You can verify its detection using PCI-Z. If you want to Export it and zip its output i can look at it for you. Can verify the HD Devices later.

 

[Indianatone]

Here is the list of updates from this month:

http://www.sevenforums.com/news/314...update-notification-december-10th-2013-a.html

 

[matts6887]

Also might want to check the device manager and see if there are any question mark or exclamation points next to the sound controller and or sound card. If there are try completely uninstalling it and letting windows re-detect it(hopefully). If that still does not work i would consider what computergeek mentioned about the possible corruption of the audio application and or driver(s).

 

[motorfingers]

Here is the list of updates from this month:

http://www.sevenforums.com/news/314...update-notification-december-10th-2013-a.html

Thanks. I don't see anything that could impact the sound card for Windows 7 64-bit. Everything seems to be a security update for IE.

 

[motorfingers]

Also might want to check the device manager and see if there are any question mark or exclamation points next to the sound controller and or sound card. If there are try completely uninstalling it and letting windows re-detect it(hopefully). If that still does not work i would consider what computergeek mentioned about the possible corruption of the audio application and or driver(s).

Device Manager shows HD Pro Webcam C920 (a Logitech webcam that includes a microphone), High Definition Audio (Windows process), and Realtek High Definition Audio. Right-clicking on these shows no problems.

The Control Panel Troubleshooting utility "Troubleshoot Audio Playback" does not identify a problem.

 

[NoN]

@motorfingers,

Some reported a windows kernel driver update have mess-up with sound drivers this month and could be kb2887069.

Try HERE or HERE to see if you get an answer.

 

[motorfingers]

@motorfingers

...

/* EDIT */
p.s. the controller is a PCI device. You can verify its detection using PCI-Z. If you want to Export it and zip its output i can look at it for you. Can verify the HD Devices later.

Whoooa. I see the RealTek ethernet card in the list but I do NOT see the RealTek sound chipset.

EDIT: BIOS says that audio is enabled. "SB HD Azalia Configuration," device ENABLED, Azalia Front Panel HD (alternative is AC97), SPDIF Out Type SPDIF (alternative is HDMI).

NEW EDIT: Line 11 of PCI-Z output is the Azalia PCI device, attributed to AMD instead of RealTek.

 

[motorfingers]

@motorfingers,

Some reported a windows kernel driver update have mess-up with sound drivers this month and could be kb2887069.

Try HERE or HERE to see if you get an answer.

I un-installed the KB2887069 update, no joy. I ran the ASUS audio driver installer, which un-installs whatever is there, reboots, and re-installs, reboots again for the new driver installation, and again no joy. Windows Update wants to re-install KB2887069. I guess I will let it.

 

[motorfingers]

To clear the air and provide refocus, onboard RealTek sound worked fine for a week, then stopped working with a Windows Update that required a reboot. The symptoms are no sound on the speaker jack, and an endless notification loop when a headset is plugged into the front panel jacks in which the RealTek HD Audio Manager notifies me that a headphone has been plugged in, then a microphone, then the headphone and microphone are dropped and I get notifications of that, then the headphone and microphone are detected again and I get notifications, and the process repeats until I unplug the headset.

BIOS, drivers, and consistent use of HD Audio (never AC97) throughout has also been checked, and Windows sees no problem with audio playback.

It all started with a Windows Update Tuesday morning. I lost the restore point by re-installing Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit before I thought the whole thing through. I've got too many WU files installed to work backwards with any expectation of anything except wasting my time until I crash the system completely.

Workaround is that I have a sound card coming Tuesday. If I can't get the on-board RealTek audio working by then, I'll disable it in BIOS and use the sound card. I'll test it from time to time, particularly if RealTek comes out with a new driver, and if and when it ever works I'll move the sound card over to an old Linux box that never has had sound.

 

[ComputerGeek]

NEW EDIT: Line 11 of PCI-Z output is the Azalia PCI device, attributed to AMD instead of RealTek

I'm guessing you ran PCI-Z when the driver was uninstalled?

fyi.. Device names are for the benefit of us humans. As far as Windows is concerned, the name is just a comment
> When a driver's installed, Windows uses the name it finds in the driver file
> When there's no driver, you're seeing the name burned into the chip firmware by the vendor.
Since you saw AMD, not Realtek, I'm guessing no driver was installed when your ran PCI-Z?

Next. You should uninstall Realtek audio yourself, verify the uninstall looks "clean" and then reinstall using the latest audio driver on the ASUS site
> Uninstall the audio driver from Programs and Features
> Next verify the driver package has been removed from the Driver Store. Open a admin cmd prompt window. Enter pnputil.exe -e. Check that Realtek audio is no longer there. More info see How To Remove a Driver Package from Driver Store
> Now look in Device Manager. The m/b HD Audio devices should now have yellow question marks if their drivers were removed. (You should still Nvidia audio though)

I'll take a look your device manager too. Run DevManView. Click Ctl-A to select all, Ctl-S to save. Save As Tab Delimited Text. Zip and upload the file. (You MUST change default to Save as Tab Delimited Text! for me to use that file)

Then reinstall the latest Audio driver version from the ASUS support site.

/* EDIT */
Here's the direct link to download DevManView 64-bit version

 

[motorfingers]

Actually the PCI-Z run was with the drivers installed. This is the line with the driver installed:
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4383&SUBSYS_84361043&REV_40 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)

I did everything you said. Attached is a ZIP archive with outputs from pnputil -e (obtained by piping output to text file) and from DevManView (in tab-delimited text format).

In Device Manager, without the RealTek driver installed, I get three devices under "Sound, video and game controllers:"

• HD Pro Webcam [Logitech] C920 [which has a microphone]
• High Definition Audio Device [Microsoft driver]
• Realtek High Definition Audio

Without the Realtek driver installed, the third one is missing until I reboot, then it it replaced by a Microsoft driver. There is no yellow question mark. Possibly if I removed everything, I would get that; I haven't done that. At first, the Microsoft driver does not recognize that my speakers are plugged in. I plug in my microphone, and it recognizes that it is plugged in, but there is no sound output. Unplugging the microphone produces recognition of the speakers, but there still is no sound.


Installing the latest driver from the ASUS web site, it recognizes that the speakers are plugged in. The soft background noises from the speaker quiet after a soft click during boot, telling me that the audio jack is enabled, but there is no startup sound, and I can't get sound out of the speaker. Right now, I can plug in the headset and I do not get the headset recognized as a device. Nor is the Realtek Audio Manager in the hidden icon list. It's there in Hardware and Sound, and, invoking it, I get recognition of the headphone and microphone, but no sound. Under Sound, the speakers are still the default playback device and the headphones aren't listed. The Realtek HD Audio Manager keeps dropping the headphone and microphone as before, but now it is in the list of hidden icons.

 

[ComputerGeek]

Re: My comment about Device Names and what you saw in PCI-Z output

What I said about Windows device names is correct. But just realized PCI-Z isn't displaying the Windows Device Name (i usually use a different tool but just started trying PCI-Z)

Line 11 in PCI-Z is the on board HD Audio Controller. The Realtek audio chip connects to the controller. The Realtek audio chip doesn't connect to the PCI bus so won't appear in PCI-Z under any circumstance.

Hope i didn't make it any more confusing trying to explain the names appearing in PCI-Z.

In any case, still try the uninstall / re-install instructions.

/* EDIT */
Just saw you posted at the same time i did. I'll take a look at the info your zip file