Problems with newly installed audio drivers

[critical716]

Hey, I've had a problem with my audio becoming fuzzy at seemingly random intervals, to fix this, I went ahead and tried to install a new Realtek driver from their website. This backfired, as the audio driver just removed all audio, so I went ahead and uninstalled it. The issue? It keeps reinstalling itself after I reboot my device and pretty much everything I've tried doesn't work, if I uninstall it from the device manager, it keeps popping up after rebooting, and the issue persists. Any feedback as to what I should do?

[Sneha_01]

Hi @critical716,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

Dealing with persistent audio driver issues can be frustrating, especially when drivers reinstall themselves after uninstallation. Here are steps you can take to address this problem:

1. Disable Automatic Driver Installation

Windows sometimes automatically installs drivers through Windows Update, which can reinstall the problematic driver even after you uninstall it. Here’s how to disable automatic driver installation:

Open Device Installation Settings:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type control and press Enter to open the Control Panel.
• Go to "System and Security" > "System" > "Advanced system settings" (on the left).
• In the System Properties window, go to the "Hardware" tab and click on "Device Installation Settings".

Disable Automatic Driver Downloads:

• Select "No (your device might not work as expected)".
• Click "Save Changes".

2. Remove the Driver Completely

Uninstall the Driver:

• Open Device Manager (Win + X and choose "Device Manager").
• Expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" section.
• Right-click on the Realtek audio device and select "Uninstall device".
• Check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" if it’s available.
• Click "Uninstall".

Delete Driver Files:

• Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository.
• Look for any folders related to Realtek audio drivers. Delete these folders if they exist.
• Also, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers and delete any Realtek audio driver files (typically files with .sys extensions) if they are present.

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