couldn't start Windows Audio service

[dislab]

I have had this HP desktop for about 5 years. Yesterday Windows couldn't run audio service, and there is no sound (see  sceenshot 1 below). The whole story is quite long and I appreciate your patience.

This happened after Windows crashed on a blue screen about "smart hard disk error" in "Hard Disk 4 (30A)" (see screenshot 2). This blue screen starts happening a few week ago. I used CHKDSK and HP Hardware Diagnostic Tool to check all disks and other components, but no error was ever found.  Also, I don't even know which disk is "Hard Disk 4", because there are only three disks: 128G SSD and 1T HDD that came with the desktop, and an additional 1T SSD I added one year ago (see screenshot 3). After the blue screen when I reboot, desktop always shows "1720-smart hard drive detects imminent failure" (see screenshot 4), but it can still boot into Windows. The blue screen happens the second time a few days ago and was more and more often yesterday. Eventually yesterday the speaker icon shows a red "x". 

After the sound is missing, I checked Device Manager, there is no error. I removed and re-installed audio drivers, no effect. The "sound device" in "system information" shows the Realtek sound card. However, "setting - system - sound " shows "no output devices found" and "no input devices found" (see screenshot 5). I checked the Services in Windows, and "windows audio" service couldn't be started with message "access is denied" (see screenshot 6). I ran "dxdiag" and it shows the audio card couldn't be found (see screenshot 7), although device manager shows "Realtek High Definition Audio" in "Sound, video and game controllers" (see screenshot 8).

I suspect Windows got corrupted due to the hard disk error. I tried "sfc /scannow" and "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth", but either could finish (see screenshot 9). 

Since the only "new" disk is the 1T SSD drive I installed last year, I opened the box and re-connected all the cables to that SSD. So far I have used the desktop for almost one day, and no blue screen has happened, but there is still no sound. I tried to repair Windows by entering "Advanced Options" to restore or repair, but none of the options there couldn't really run or fix the problem. Any suggestions are highly appreciated. 

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

[TheOldMan]

I cannot help with the audio device, however the screenshot shows the SATA3 device to be the failing drive.

You might need to look at the SATA ports to see what is connected to SATA3

[dislab]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have reconnected all the SATA connector on the drive side and so far I haven't seen another blue screen. Maybe it was a loose connection? But now I have to handle the corrupted audio service in Windows. I thought maybe I touched the audio cable accidently, but I checked and that cable looks fine and it is pretty far from the SATA cables. 

[TheOldMan]

From the listing you copied and pasted, it appears to be from the Settings page System >Sound.

That is where I would look, also.  so, IDK

[dislab]

I happen to have another windows installed on the small SSD, so I boot into that one, and the audio works fine, so it must be the other default Windows got corrupted during the last crash. Given this, what is an easy way to repair Windows? Thanks!

[TheOldMan]

You might what to try what this guide says.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/1674590/repair-windows-10-and-11-step-by-step-guide.html

Or try what they call a "Repair Install"

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-repair-your-windows-10-installation/

Here are the instruction from Microsoft

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-do-a-windows-10-repair-upgrade/f13be485...