Audio not working on Windows 11 Pro x64

I uninstalled KB5083769 (26200.8246) to revert to build 26200.8037, which is supposed to work, but I'm now still having the same issue: the volume stops working after the third or fourth time I try to adjust it. I'm certain it was working before, though.

Assuming I'm not crazy, I think the problem might not be the driver itself but another component that may not have reverted to the version of this build (26200.8037).

AgathePower said:

I uninstalled KB5083769 (26200.8246) to revert to build 26200.8037, which is supposed to work, but I'm now still having the same issue: the volume stops working after the third or fourth time I try to adjust it. I'm certain it was working before, though.

Assuming I'm not crazy, I think the problem might not be the driver itself but another component that may not have reverted to the version of this build (26200.8037).

Click to expand...

You "downgraded" from build 8246 to 8037, but you didn't downgrade the audio driver as well. Windows sees a newer driver is installed and doesn't attempt to replace it. You can try uninstall the audio card from Device Manager (click on the device and press DEL) and restart. Windows should install the driver again and this time work properly. You might have to force the old driver manually. Try letting Windows find it automatically first, and if the new driver is used try to replace it manually from Device Manager.

PS: Your last comment reminded me of not being able to upgrade to Windows 10 v1803 from v1706 because I had mixed versions of the driver components of my graphics card and did not qualify for the upgrade! I thought I had the latest version installed, but some individual .dll files were of older versions. The solution was to use DDU to completely remove any trace of the drivers and reinstall the latest. It worked and I could upgrade to v1803. So you might have to uninstall Realtek software from Apps, and then check Device Manager and manually remove any other audio related component. Then restart and check if Windows finally installed the proper drivers and fixed the issue.

PS2: That is one example when System Restore can save the day. Instead of trying to fix the issue, you could select a restore point before it and restore your system to that. You would have to reinstall some updates and probably some apps. Your data would not be affected.

I checked and I do have the old version of the driver installed.

I'm wondering whether or not I'll have to reinstall Windows...

AgathePower said:

I checked and I do have the old version of the driver installed.

I'm wondering whether or not I'll have to reinstall Windows...

Click to expand...

I would do it as a last resort. In the mean time, I would keep using this version, be patient for a few months and then upgrade to 26H2. This should at last fix the issue. If not, it would be a good opportunity for a clean installation.

spapakons said:

I would do it as a last resort. In the mean time, I would keep using this version, be patient for a few months and then upgrade to 26H2. This should at last fix the issue. If not, it would be a good opportunity for a clean installation.

Click to expand...

Sure, why not, but I was thinking I could reinstall Windows while keeping everything.

Anyway, I can't leave it like this; it's actually worse now that I've rolled back to this version, because the sound stops working after a few minutes even when I'm not doing anything.

I'm going to reinstall KB5083769 and see how it goes.

So the sound isn't working properly with version 26200.8246 either, and now it's even worse than before. Sometimes the sound even comes out through the headphones even though I'd selected the speakers. There's definitely something very strange going on here (which I've never encountered before).

To get my sound card working again, I reinstalled the original manufacturer's (Dell) driver, which also includes Waves MaxxAudio Pro—a somewhat hit-or-miss sound enhancement interface that I've always tried to disable (I had found this workaround involving installing the Microsoft drivers). I also lost the ability to select speakers while keeping my headphones plugged in (the Microsoft drivers had solved this problem).

I'll end up reinstalling Windows if this situation eventually becomes too much of a hassle in my daily life.

It looks like your bug affects only newer Realtek HD models. Thankfully I don't have it in my old Asus P8H61 motherboard, socket Intel H61.

The computer isn't new; it was purchased in 2019, and the Realtek driver is from 2017.

If, after a full format (which I probably won't be doing anytime soon), the sound card works again with the Microsoft drivers, I'll be able to confirm that the problem definitely lies with Microsoft.

I noticed yesterday while watching a movie that I could only hear the background sounds and no dialogue. I realized there was a channel mapping issue between the 5.1 audio and the stereo audio output. I temporarily fixed the problem by selecting "Stereo" instead of "Original" in VLC's Audio > Stereo Mode menu.

Today I think I've solved the problem by testing about ten Realtek drivers from the Microsoft Update Catalog and installing the one that's compatible with my device ID and that doesn't come bundled with MaxxAudio Pro (some drivers apparently don't include it). Note: be sure to uninstall the previous .inf file before installing a new one; otherwise, there may be a conflict during the new driver installation process.

Everything seems to be working, but there's still the issue of speaker and front panel jack splitting.

Check the audio output, maybe it is faulty and the cable doesn't have a good contact. This can make the sound distorted or low volume or even cut out. Try connecting the speakers to the front output if the rear has an issue. Also the audio cable could be faulty. Try different speakers or headphones.

With exactly the same hardware connected, the Microsoft driver displays both the speaker output and the headphone output simultaneously in the Ctrl+Win+V menu, allowing you to choose either one regardless of whether the headphones are plugged in or not. The Realtek driver, on the other hand, displays a single speaker/headphone output, with the audio routed to one or the other depending on whether the headphones are plugged in.

I just figured out how to switch between speakers and headphones while keeping the headphones plugged in. As a reminder, only one output is listed in Ctrl+Win+V, but there's a workaround to achieve the same result.

The RtkNGUI64.exe utility (located in C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA) has a panel showing the connected ports. When you click on the front panel (Panneau avant) green jack, a window appears asking you to select what you have plugged in. If I select "Headphones (Casque)" I hear the headphones (only), and if I select "Dell Speaker Output (Dell Sortie Haut-parleur)" I hear the speakers (only).