Noisy and crackling sound

[ApNBoie]

Hi

I have this crackling sound problem with my laptop that happened to me a few days ago, I think it happened to me when I updated my drivers, not just the audio drivers, all of them. This problem happened to me months ago and this isnt the first time that I'm getting it. And I didn't have this problem until a few days ago when I updated my drivers.The first time was pretty simple but this one isn't and it's really weird. When I'm watching a video offline, after a few minutes which is less than 10 minutes I get this crackling sound and when I puase or close the video for like 30 seconds and play it again, the crackling sound is gone and its normal again, this happens to me when I'm online too, watching a video or playing a video game. I've tried most of the online solutions and none of them worked, I think the problem is because of an incompatible driver but I don't know which and unfortunately I forgot to back up the drivers before updating them.

I'd be super happy if you help me. 

Thank you.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @ApNBoie,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Crackling or distorted audio can indeed be frustrating. Given that this issue started after updating drivers, it's likely related to the audio driver or another driver that affects system performance. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

Roll Back Audio Driver:

• Open Device Manager (right-click the Start button and select it).
• Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
• Right-click your audio device and select Properties.
• Go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver if the option is available.

Reinstall Audio Driver:

• Uninstall the current audio driver from Device Manager.
• Restart your computer.
• Download and install the latest audio driver from your laptop manufacturer's website or the audio device manufacturer's website (e.g., Realtek).

Disable Audio Enhancements:

• Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and select Sounds.
• Go to the Playback tab, select your playback device, and click Properties.
• Go to the Enhancements tab and check Disable all enhancements.
• Click Apply and OK.

Change Default Audio Format:

• In the same Playback device properties window, go to the Advanced tab.
• Change the default format to a different sample rate and bit depth (e.g., 24-bit, 44100 Hz).Click Apply and OK.

Update or Reinstall Other Drivers:

• Since the issue occurred after updating all drivers, one of the other drivers might be causing the issue.
• Ensure that all your drivers are up to date, but also consider rolling back recent updates if the problem persists.Use the Device Manager to roll back other drivers if necessary.

Check for BIOS/UEFI Updates:

• Check your laptop manufacturer's website for any BIOS/UEFI updates.Sometimes, audio issues can be resolved with a firmware update.

Adjust Power Settings:

• Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
• Select High performance or create a custom power plan that ensures your processor and system are running at full capacity.

Check for Windows Updates:

• Ensure your Windows OS is up to date. Sometimes, Windows updates include fixes for driver issues.
• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates.

Disable Exclusive Mode:

• In the Playback device properties window, go to the Advanced tab.
• Uncheck the option Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
• Click Apply and OK.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support