Bang & Olufen Audio Control Not Openning (Force Closing)

[Paul_Days]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

I recently upgraded my notebook with a 1 TB NVME drive, and reinstalled windows 11, applied all updates.  When I launche Bang & Olufsen Audio Control to adjust settings to my liking, the app opens and seconds later it closes.  I uninstalled from Device Manager the driver it had installed and downloaded the one found in the support section.  No fix.  Then I read to download the App from the Microsoft store, I did, and nothing either.

Would like someone to help me sort this out.

Cheers!

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Paul_Days 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thanks for providing a clear overview of what you’ve already done. I understand how frustrating it is when the Bang & Olufsen Audio Control app force closes, especially after a clean Windows install and proper driver updates. 

You're doing all the right steps—let’s build on that and try to resolve this for good.

Please try the following steps:

1. Fully Remove Audio Drivers and Apps

We’ll clean up any conflicting versions.

a. Uninstall drivers and app:

Right-click Start > Device Manager

Expand Sound, video and game controllers

Right-click Realtek Audio (or any audio driver listed) > Uninstall device
→ Check “Delete the driver software for this device” and click Uninstall

Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and uninstall:

Bang & Olufsen Audio Control

Realtek Audio Console

Any HP Audio Control or similar

Then restart your system.

2. Reinstall HP Audio Driver (with Bang & Olufsen support)

You’ll want the full driver package from HP that includes the Bang & Olufsen integration—not the generic one from Microsoft or Realtek.

Visit the official driver page:
HP Software and Drivers

Enter your laptop model (e.g., Victus 15-fa1024nt)

Download and install the latest Realtek High Definition Audio Driver listed under Audio.
(It should mention Bang & Olufsen support in the description.)

Once installed, restart the laptop.

3. Install Bang & Olufsen Audio Control from Microsoft Store

Now reinstall the app:

Go to Bang & Olufsen Audio Control – Microsoft Store
(search directly in the Store if link redirects)

Install and try launching it again after restart.

4. Optional: Install HP Support Assistant

To ensure all HP-specific drivers and UWP packages are properly synced:

Download from here:
HP Support Assistant

Let it scan and install any missing firmware, drivers, or utility packages.

If It Still Fails:

Try creating a new Windows user account and launching the app there. This checks for a profile-specific issue.

Let me know your exact product number so I can give you the direct driver link tailored to your unit.

You're very close. The issue is most likely due to the mismatch between the UWP app and the Realtek/HP driver bundle. Let me know how it goes, and I’ll guide you further if needed.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[Paul_Days]

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation.  But it seems that the culprit is the driver listed in the support section.  I cannot find any mention of Bang & Olufsen in the description and there is only one driver available under Audio.

[Hawks_Eye]

@Paul_Days 

You are welcome. I appreciate all your efforts and patience!

You're absolutely right to question this. Based on your screenshot, you're being offered the Realtek HD Audio Driver 2019 (version 13.9655.4880.110 Rev.Q) — but there’s no mention of Bang & Olufsen (B&O), which should be included if your system uses B&O-tuned audio.

This likely explains why your Bang & Olufsen Audio Control app won’t open (or force closes). It’s missing the OEM-tuned component (usually a Bang & Olufsen-specific audio effects package or UI extension) that should come with the proper HP-branded Realtek audio driver bundle.

How to Fix It

Look for a “Component” Driver (Often Hidden)

Try checking under “Software - Solutions”, “Software - Multimedia”, or “Software - Audio” in your model’s support page — HP sometimes puts Bang & Olufsen Audio Control there instead of under “Drivers”.

You’re looking for a component named something like:

“Bang & Olufsen Audio Control Component”

Or “Realtek Audio Console Extension”

File name may include B&O or HDAudioSoftFx

If found, install it after the main driver.

Option 2: Use HP Image Assistant (HPIA)

This is HP’s official driver health tool. It pulls all OEM-specific packages, including Bang & Olufsen.

Steps:

Download: HP Image Assistant (HPIA)

Run it > Choose your PC > Let it scan

Install all audio-related components it suggests

This often restores full audio functionality including B&O Control Panel.

Option 3: Reinstall from Original Factory Drivers (if you have them)

If your system shipped with Windows 10 or 11, you might have recovery media or a folder like:

C:\SWSetup\

Search for any folder like sp####### containing B&O or Realtek installers and try reinstalling from there.

If Nothing Works

Let me know:

• Your exact HP model (e.g., HP Spectre x360 13-aw2000)
• Whether you did a clean install or an upgrade to Windows 11 24H2
• If Bang & Olufsen Audio Control used to work before the driver update

I'll help you track down the correct audio bundle (which may be older but more complete) or walk you through extracting it from a known-good driver package.

You're not alone — this is a common issue on many premium HP laptops after a Windows feature update.

Let me know if this helps.

Thanks!

[Paul_Days]

Good Morning,

I tried the solutions and no software was found.  I expanded all tabs and nothing related to Bang and Olufsen is to be found.

This was working properly until I decided to upgrade the storage unit with a larger capacity, higher end unit.

I performed a Clean Install of Windows 11 and ran all updates.

Searching around the net I did find an external Microsoft Store link to the Bang & Olufsen Audio Control App BUT, it says the drivers are missing, especially "Realtek-BOAudioControlHSA.inf" .

I ran the HP Image Assistant and it found nothing.

I believe that if I can find an original image or the orginal driver packs it would be the most convenient.  I did use that control panel for my sound and it is a great tool, and honest it was a deciding factor for my model of laptop to purchase.

My unit is ProdID: 7WL60UP#ABA

[Paul_Days]

I read somewhere that some othjer audio control software might be cause it to force close...

[Hawks_Eye]

We sincerely thank you for your patience and co-operation during this troubleshooting process.

I'm sending you a private message to guide you on the next steps.

To access it, click the private message icon in the upper-right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your name.

If this resolves your issue, kindly mark this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" if it was helpful.

Take care and have a great day!

Regards,

Hawks_Eye

[Paul_Days]

Yeah, I'm sorry but I am not a fan these days of provide remote assistance, especially for something as simple as me requesting the factory shipped drivers.  The App worked fine before I had changed the hard drive.  The Drivers HP offers on the Support Site, as stated by yourself, have no mention of Bang & Olufsen.  So that brings me to my next concern:

Did HP decide to stop providing software support for Bang and Olufsen Audio because 1) It was a selling/purchasing point for me, 2) If HP has done so, then it's misleading their customers....

So once again, can I please get the original drivers that came with my laptop.  I appreciate the assistance, but some of us do know how to uninstall, rollback, delete drivers and install new ones.  The problem isn't that I cannot do it, it's that the drivers are not the correct ones.

[Hawks_Eye]

Thanks for replying.

Thanks for clarifying — I completely understand where you’re coming from. 

Here’s what you can do to get back to the factory-shipped drivers and the Bang & Olufsen control panel:

1. Restore the Original Factory Image Drivers

HP provides the original drivers through the HP Cloud Recovery Tool and HP Recovery Manager, which include all factory-customized software (including Bang & Olufsen Audio):

HP Cloud Recovery Tool

This allows you to create recovery media (USB) with the exact image for your device.

If you don’t want to reset your full system, you can still extract individual drivers from the recovery image.

2. HP SoftPaq / Original Driver Packages

HP distributes factory drivers as “SoftPaqs” in their support portal. The Bang & Olufsen control panel is tied to the Realtek High Definition Audio (HDA/UAD) driver package customized for your model.

You can look up your model’s original drivers here:

HP Software and Driver Downloads

Enter your exact model number.

Under Driver – Audio, look for “Realtek High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver” with Bang & Olufsen in the description.

3. Windows Update Catalog

Sometimes, HP removes older branded packages from its site but they remain in the Microsoft Update Catalog. Searching your hardware ID (found in Device Manager → Audio → Properties → Details → Hardware IDs) can point to the exact Realtek + B&O build that shipped with your laptop.

4. Last Resort – HP Recovery Partition

If your recovery partition wasn’t deleted when you replaced the hard drive, you can still access it:

Restart your laptop → Press F11 → Choose Troubleshoot → Recovery Manager → Select Reinstall drivers and applications.

This will list and reinstall the Bang & Olufsen Audio driver/software specifically.

Let me know how it goes.

Thanks!

Hawks_Eye

[Paul_Days]

None of the options worked.  The app launches and does not close when there is no Realtek audio driver, I am able to get it to work selecting my Bluetooth headphones from the dialog box.  But once I reboot with the driver, it force closes.

I am still to find a driver that has any name, description or comment with "Bang & Olufsen"

My exact product is:  7WUL60UP#ABA