It’s been a whilwind of the poopy kind in terms of audio communication for computers running Windows 10/11 if your system has any kind of realtek drivers.
There were a number of security issues affecting realtek drivers and software so vendors and Microsoft tried to fix them. This led to a too many cooks in the kitchen kerfuffle that caused lots of audio issues for end users at a time when we needed them to just work.
To get an idea of how many different drivers there have been over the pandemic, we can simply look at the device manager. Since the start of the pandemic there have been 7 different driver versions. It’s also important to note that each of these driver versions were released to address audio issues or security vulnerabilities..
If your system is still experiencing audio issues, here are some steps you can take to resolve them:
- Update your Realtek audio driver: Outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues. To update your Realtek audio driver: a. Right-click on the Start menu and select “Device Manager.” b. Expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” category. c. Right-click on your Realtek audio device and select “Update driver.” d. Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Reinstall the Realtek audio driver: If updating the driver doesn’t help, try reinstalling it: a. In the Device Manager, right-click on your Realtek audio device and select “Uninstall device.” b. Check the “Delete the driver software for this device” box and click “Uninstall.” c. Restart your computer. Windows should automatically reinstall the driver upon reboot.
- Enable your Realtek audio device: Make sure the Realtek audio device is enabled: a. Right-click on the speaker icon in the system tray and select “Open Sound settings.” b. In the Sound settings window, click “Manage sound devices.” c. If your Realtek device is listed as “Disabled,” click on it and select “Enable.”
- Set Realtek as the default audio device: Ensure your Realtek device is set as the default playback device: a. Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select “Open Sound settings.” b. Under “Choose your output device,” select your Realtek audio device from the drop-down menu.
- Check for Windows updates: Sometimes, Windows updates can help resolve driver-related issues. To check for updates:a. Click on the Start menu and select “Settings.” b. Click on “Update & Security.” c. Select “Windows Update” and click “Check for updates.” Install any available updates and restart your computer if prompted.
- Disable audio enhancements: Audio enhancements can sometimes cause compatibility issues:a. Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select “Open Sound settings.” b. Click on “Device properties” under your Realtek audio device. c. Click on the “Additional device properties” link. d. Go to the “Enhancements” tab and check the “Disable all enhancements” box. Click “Apply” and “OK.”
- In the Device Manager, check for a device named Intel High Definition Audio. If it exists, uninstall it by selecting “Uninstall device.” b. Check the “Delete the driver software for this device” box and click “Uninstall.” This will force Windows to re-install the device using the latest signed Microsoft drivers.
- Check your device manufacturer’s website for a new version of the Realtek audio driver.