Audio goes static after a while. Clicking "spatial" on/off restores again for a while.

[Doctorlake]

This sound problem started occuring around the same time as the MS Update that pushed BIOS F.30 arrived.  This BIOS is completely faulty and killed Hibernation and proper Shutdown/Poweroff.  This is another major issue.

The F.30 Bios update does even show up in the drivers area for this laptop.

Other suggestions to try using generic audio drivers instead of Realtek fails - no sound at all.

[Deep_World]

Hi @Doctorlake,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I Understand your concern about the issue with the audio, hibernation, and shutdown. Thank you for sharing the details about your HP ENVY x360 and the timing with BIOS F.30, that’s very helpful context and don’t worry let me help you with this.

To better understand the issue, could you please provide a few more details?

• Do you notice the sound issue across all applications (system sounds, media players, browsers), or only in specific ones?
• When you attempt shutdown or hibernation, does the laptop restart instead, hang, or fail to power off completely?

Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try in the meantime:

1. Audio Driver Reset
• Open Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right-click Realtek Audio and choose Uninstall device (check “Delete driver software”).
• Restart and let Windows reinstall the driver automatically, or reinstall the latest Realtek driver from HP’s support page for your model.
2. Windows Troubleshooter
• Go to Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
• Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter to detect and fix issues.
3. Fast Startup & Power Settings

• Disable Fast Startup under Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do.
• Test shutdown/hibernation again to see if behavior improves.

I hope this helps.

If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 

Deep_World

[Doctorlake]

Thank you for your reply.  All of your suggestions were previously tried. 

For the sound issue additionally I tried newer RealTek drivers directly that are not shown on support for my model.  These were reverted back as they showed no improvement or did not work.  As per another guru I tried to use Microsoft's High Defination Driver and it did not work at all.

For the issue with F.30 BIOS I also tried to turn off modern standby S0 using a registry key, PlatformAoAcOverrride.  While S0 was disabled it did not enable S1, S1, S3 states so Windows continued to be unable to poweroff.  That key is currently removed.

I also did  a full and complete non-destruction Windows 11 re-install with perhaps the only side effect being that it maybe feels a little faster/snappier.

I also looked for drivers and apps that might be Waking up the computer at shutdown and disabled Wake Timers and removed from the scheduler an HP Print Doctor app that on the face could have been doing this.

Powercfg state as of this writing:

The following sleep states are available on this system:
Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) Network Connected

The following sleep states are not available on this system:
Standby (S1)
This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported.

Standby (S2)
This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported.

Standby (S3)
This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported.

Hibernate
Hibernation has not been enabled.

Hybrid Sleep
Standby (S3) is not available.
Hibernation is not available.
The hypervisor does not support this standby state.

Fast Startup
Hibernation is not available.

I noticed AMD video drivers updated and there are entries regarding sound in Device Manager which I disabled to no effect.

AI inquiries keep pointing to the F.30 firmware as being faulty yet I am unable to find the soft pack for this firmware anywhere so I can make installation USB of it in case my next attempt at a rollback to F.29 Rev A doesn't bode well.

Incidently I also reloaded BIOS defaults.  Restored/rewrote the BIOS using recovery method WIN+V and WIN+B with powercycling.  All completes but no change.

I also verified the hiberfil.sys was present (when hibernation enabled, but now turned off since removing Bitlocker from drive in preparaton for a F.29 A rollback)

At this point I am now looking for Escalation contacts in HP as this is absolutely nuts.  I have had to shelve this otherwise perfectly good computer for quite a while.  It is quite frustrating to say the least.

[Doctorlake]

GOOGLE AI response to my query as to why a BIOS rollback to F.29A has not been suggested as yet:

The "gurus" and official support staff avoid suggesting a rollback for three reasons: liability, policy, and process.

1. The "Brick" Fear: Flashing a BIOS is the only software task that can physically "kill" a motherboard. If a guru tells you to roll back and your power flickers or the flash fails, HP (and the volunteer guru) could be held responsible for a dead $1,000 laptop. They’d rather have you frustrated with a rebooting laptop than holding a paperweight.
2. Security "No-Go": Newer BIOS versions (like F.30) often include critical security patches for Intel vulnerabilities. Corporate policy usually forbids suggesting a downgrade because it technically makes your system "less secure," even if it fixes your power issue.
3. The Scripted Workflow: Most forum support follows a "tier" system. They are required to exhaust every OS-level fix (Power Plans, Drivers, Windows Rebuilds) before admitting the firmware—the very heart of the HP machine—is the problem.

Why I'm suggesting it:

You've already done the "Master Level" troubleshooting. You’ve rebuilt Windows, poked the registry, cleared WMI, and checked the ACPI tables via powercfg. Your hardware is reporting zero available power states.

Software cannot fix what the hardware says doesn't exist.

BIOS F.30 is a documented "bad flash" for the Envy x360. It effectively "deletes" the S3 and S4 maps. F.29 has those maps. Moving back to F.29 isn't just a "downgrade"; it's restoring lost functionality.

[Doctorlake]

System Event Viewer logs report this:

Event ID 13. Source ACPI

: The embedded controller (EC) did not respond within the specified timeout period. This may indicate that there is an error in the EC hardware or firmware or that the BIOS is accessing the EC incorrectly. You should check with your computer manufacturer for an upgraded BIOS. In some situations, this error may cause the computer to function incorrectly.

[Doctorlake]

1.  Done

2.  Done, no trouble found

3. Previously done.

re: the Hibernate and Poweroff - I have successfully recreated a new hiberfil.sys file and performed an EC drain and reset and now have -s so far - a system power off and hibernating!

I still want to roll back F.30 of the BIOS to the last one F.29A on the support site for my unit.  But I dont't want to try that (USB stick style) until I can find the Service Pak containing F.30 in case I need to go back due to basic  Windows 11 compatibility.  I cannot find the F.30 BIOS file anywhere.  HP gave it to Microsoft and they have it since they installed it during an update.

So now need to work on the Sound issue more!!

[Deep_World]

Hi @Doctorlake,
 

Thanks for your response. 

I can understand the concern in your message, and I want to acknowledge how much effort you’ve already put into troubleshooting this. You’ve gone through driver updates, registry adjustments, BIOS recovery methods, Windows reinstallations, and even power state investigations all this  shows your determination to get your system back to full working order.

The recurring static audio issue combined with the ACPI Event ID 13 errors strongly suggests that the firmware layer is at the heart of the problem, not just Windows or drivers. 

Regarding your concern about rolling back to F.29A: HP support channels typically avoid recommending BIOS downgrades for the reasons you mentioned risk of bricking, loss of security patches. 

 The challenge, as you’ve noted, is that  BIOS updates through SoftPaqs and Windows Update, and sometimes the rollback package isn’t made publicly available once a newer version is released. 

Here’s what I’d suggest as next steps: Since you’ve exhausted OS-level fixes, Asking specifically for a “BIOS rollback package” for your model. I will check with my team get back to you on this. 

I hope this helps.

[Doctorlake]

Still waiting on answer for:

"Asking specifically for a “BIOS rollback package” for your model. I will check with my team get back to you on this. "

Also, some specific instructions on how to "sanitize" the drivers off the laptop in order to reinstall cleanly the audio drivers.  HP used to have sanitization tools for clearing out old drivers, and errant registry items...

[Deep_World]

Hi @Doctorlake,
 

Thanks for your response. 

I understand how this can be, and I’d like to address both points you raised:

1. BIOS Rollback Package
If a rollback package is available for your specific model, it will be posted directly on the https://support.hp.com/ under the BIOS section for your product. If you do not see a rollback option listed there, it generally means that HP has not released one for that model. We recommend checking the support page regularly, as any updates will be published there first.

2. Driver Sanitization & Clean Reinstallation
HP no longer distributes a standalone “sanitization tool” , but you can achieve a clean driver environment using the following steps:

• Uninstall the Audio Driver
  • Open Device Manager → expand Sound, video and game controllers.
  • Right‑click your audio device (e.g., Realtek/Conexant) → Uninstall device.
  • Check the box for Delete the driver software for this device if available.
• Remove Residual Files
  • Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and uninstall any audio‑related software packages listed.
  • Restart your system to clear cached files.
• Registry Cleanup (Optional)
  • For advanced users only: you may use the built‑in Disk Cleanup utility or trusted third‑party registry cleaners to remove leftover entries. HP does not recommend manual registry edits unless you are experienced, as incorrect changes can affect system stability.
• Reinstall Fresh Drivers
• Visit the official HP Support website for your model.
• Download and install the latest audio driver package.
• Restart once more to finalize the installation.

This process ensures that any corrupted or conflicting driver remnants are removed before reinstalling.

I hope this helps.