Realtek speakers deleted

[hubertlohearn]

I accidentally deleted access to my internal speakers when the audio cut out (that's not unusual; usually a restart fixes that problem). Now I can't make the speakers my preferred output as they have vanished. The only options are to plug in speakers (which I don;t have), or an old set of headphones that I junked months ago!

[Echo_Lake · Accepted solution]

@hubertlohearn
Thank you for posting on the HP Support Community.

• Are you able to see the Speaker icon next to the clock tab?
• Is there any red X or exclamation mark on the Speaker Icon?

While you respond to that, let's try these steps: 

Hard Reset: Follow steps from the link: https://hp.care/2GnkMa8.

BIOS default: 

1. Turn off the computer and wait five seconds.
2. Press the Power button to start the computer and repeatedly press the F10 key to enter the BIOS setup menu.
3. On the BIOS Setup screen, press F9 to select and load the BIOS Setup Default settings.
4. Press F10 to Save and Exit.
5. Use the arrow keys to select Yes, then press Enter when asked Exit Saving Changes?
6. Follow the prompts to restart your computer.

And, also uninstall audio device from device manager.

1. Use shortcut keys Win + X on Windows 10.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand the entry. Right-click the Audio device and select Uninstall device.
4. You may need to check the option Delete the driver software for this device, and then click the Uninstall button.
5. Reboot the computer.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[hubertlohearn]

I can see the speaker icon, and there is a red X. I ran a Windows Update and same result, If I need to reinstall the driver for the internal speakers (which no longer appear as an Audio Device/Playback option) could you aim me towards the appropriate link? Appreciate the help so far!

[hubertlohearn]

Thank you! The BIOS re-set did it. YAY!

[Echo_Lake]

@hubertlohearn
Glad to hear that the issue is resolved. If you need any help, feel free to reach out to us.

Have a great day!