Did Windows 10 update today and my PC audio stopped working, only have sound from monitors. I went to the sound settings area and looked at the output devices and there is only my monitors. I believe there used to be a Realtek thing there (or something else, I can't remember exactly). I also checked the device manager sound controllers and it's not there, checked the sound > playback area and it's not there. Tried updating drivers of everything. Tried deleting drivers and restarting. Used the Windows automatic sound troubleshooter, Uninstalled the Windows update which apparently broke it, directly downloaded and installed the Realtek audio drivers (it shows in the apps, but it does not show in any of the sound / output / playback areas so I cannot enable it). Literally I have done everything possible that I'm aware of to revert or fix this issue to bring back the "pc audio" / realtek / whatever the original in PC sound system is, and have come up with nothing but extreme frustration and despair. Thanks for any specific helpful guidance you can offer.
📎 AI Summary:
A user reported that their Windows 10 update caused their PC audio to stop working, with only monitor sound available and no visible Realtek device in sound settings or Device Manager despite attempts to update or reinstall drivers. In response, detailed troubleshooting suggestions were provided, including checking disabled devices, BIOS settings, rolling back drivers, verifying Windows services, and performing system restore. The overall guidance aims to help restore the audio functionality by exploring common and advanced fixes, emphasizing persistence in resolving the issue.
A user reported that their Windows 10 update caused their PC audio to stop working, with only monitor sound available and no visible Realtek device in sound settings or Device Manager despite attempts to update or reinstall drivers. In response, detailed troubleshooting suggestions were provided, including checking disabled devices, BIOS settings, rolling back drivers, verifying Windows services, and performing system restore. The overall guidance aims to help restore the audio functionality by exploring common and advanced fixes, emphasizing persistence in resolving the issue.
Solution
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It seems like you've gone through several troubleshooting steps already to try and resolve the audio issue on your Windows 10 PC. Let's delve deeper into the issue and explore some additional steps to help get your PC audio back up and running:
Here are some further troubleshooting steps you can try:
- Check Sound Icon:
- Ensure that the sound icon is active in the system tray. Right-click on it and select 'Open Sound settings' to access audio settings.
- Enable Disabled Audio Devices:
- In the Sound settings, right-click any white space and check "Show Disabled Devices." If your Realtek audio device is disabled, enable it.
- Device Manager:
- Open Device Manager and check under "Sound, video and game controllers" to see if the Realtek audio device is listed. Right-click and enable it if it's there.
- Scan for Hardware Changes:
- In Device Manager, click on "Action" in the menu and then select "Scan for hardware changes" to see if it detects the audio device.
- BIOS Settings:
- Enter the BIOS/UEFI settings during startup and ensure that onboard audio is enabled.
- Roll Back Driver:
- If you have recently updated the driver, consider rolling it back to a previous version and then check if the audio works.
- Windows Update:
- Check Windows Update for any pending updates, including driver updates, and install them.
- System Restore:
- If the issue started after a Windows Update, consider using System Restore to go back to a point before the update.
- Reinstall Audio Drivers:
- Completely uninstall the current audio drivers, restart your PC, and then reinstall the drivers downloaded from the manufacturer's website.
- Windows Audio Service:
- Press Win + R, type
services.msc, locate Windows Audio service, right-click, and choose "Start" if it's not already running. After trying these steps, restart your PC and test the audio playback. Hopefully, one of these solutions will help in restoring your PC audio. Let me know if you encounter any specific issues or need further assistance.
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