Strong sound or static noise from my laptop when I start any sound or the laptop boots

[mcjulien]

Hi Everyone!

You're my last hope to find a solution or understand what my problem is about. After months of searching, installing all possible drivers, updating the BIOS, performing a factory reset, and running all the diagnostic tools I could find, I still haven't resolved the issue.

Problem Description:

When my laptop is plugged in, it emits a strong but short (about 3 seconds) sound coming from what I think is the subwoofer or somewhere underneath the laptop, not the normal speakers. This happens every time my laptop boots or when I start any sound.

When the laptop is on battery, there is no such sound, but there is a static electric noise that comes and goes.

Troubleshooting Steps Tried:

• Disabling Realtek High Definition Audio in Device Manager seems to prevent these noises.
• HP Support Assistant does not detect any problems.
• When running the hardware diagnostic tool before Windows starts, the sound is fine, and no problems are detected.
• If I update and install the latest driver from the Realtek website, the noises stop, but then the speakers don't work. However, when I connect my headphones, everything works fine.
• I also tried the Windows Diagnostic Tool.

Despite these efforts, the issue persists. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any suggestions on what else I might try?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Cristina

There is a video here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cztVy4ihnRFQBc6m9

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @mcjulien,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you're dealing with a challenging audio issue on your HP ENVY m7-n109dx laptop. Based on your description, it seems related to either the audio drivers, hardware interactions, or possibly electrical interference from the power supply. Since you've already gone through many troubleshooting steps, let's try a few additional strategies that could help resolve the issue:

1. Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Drivers

• Go to Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers > right-click your audio driver (e.g., Realtek) > Uninstall device.
• Restart the laptop, and Windows should automatically reinstall the generic audio driver.
• If the issue persists with the generic driver, try reinstalling the latest version from HP’s support page for your laptop model rather than the Realtek website, as HP often customizes drivers for their laptops.

2. Update or Roll Back the Audio Driver

• If you updated the driver from the Realtek website and it caused the issue, it may be worth rolling back to a previous version.
• In Device Manager, right-click on your audio device > Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver (if available).
• Alternatively, ensure the HP driver is up-to-date by visiting HP’s official support site.

3. Check for Interference from Power Supply

• The sound may be related to electrical interference or grounding issues when the laptop is plugged in.
• Try using a different power adapter, if possible, to see if the issue persists. A faulty or incompatible charger could contribute to electrical noise.
• You can also test the laptop on a different power outlet to rule out issues with the power source.

4. Disable Power Management for Audio Devices

• Sometimes, power-saving settings can interfere with the audio hardware. You can try disabling power management for the sound device:
  • In Device Manager, right-click your audio device > Properties > Power Management tab.
  • Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
  • Also, check the Advanced Power Settings in Control Panel to ensure the laptop’s power plan isn't affecting audio performance.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

• Perform a Clean Boot to start Windows with only essential services running, which can help identify if a background process is causing the noise.
  • Type msconfig in the search box > System Configuration > Services tab > check Hide all Microsoft services > click Disable all.
  • Go to the Startup tab > click Open Task Manager and disable unnecessary startup programs.
  • Restart the laptop and see if the issue persists. If it stops, re-enable services one at a time to find the culprit.

6. External Speakers or Headphones

• Since the issue doesn’t occur when you use headphones, this may indicate a problem with the built-in speakers or subwoofer.
• If you use external speakers or headphones, it could bypass the internal speakers and avoid the issue.
• Check the speaker jack and connections for any dust or debris that could be causing interference.

7. Check for BIOS/UEFI Update

• Although you've updated the BIOS, it’s worth checking again on the HP website for any recent updates that might address audio issues specifically.

8. Hardware Diagnostics

• Run a more detailed hardware diagnostics tool (outside of HP Support Assistant) to check for any hardware malfunctions. You can use tools like HWInfo or Realtek Audio Console to check the status of your audio components.

Refer to this document: HP ENVY Notebook - m7-n109dx (Touch) (ENERGY STAR) User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @mcjulien,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you're dealing with a challenging audio issue on your HP ENVY m7-n109dx laptop. Based on your description, it seems related to either the audio drivers, hardware interactions, or possibly electrical interference from the power supply. Since you've already gone through many troubleshooting steps, let's try a few additional strategies that could help resolve the issue:

1. Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Drivers

• Go to Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers > right-click your audio driver (e.g., Realtek) > Uninstall device.
• Restart the laptop, and Windows should automatically reinstall the generic audio driver.
• If the issue persists with the generic driver, try reinstalling the latest version from HP’s support page for your laptop model rather than the Realtek website, as HP often customizes drivers for their laptops.

2. Update or Roll Back the Audio Driver

• If you updated the driver from the Realtek website and it caused the issue, it may be worth rolling back to a previous version.
• In Device Manager, right-click on your audio device > Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver (if available).
• Alternatively, ensure the HP driver is up-to-date by visiting HP’s official support site.

3. Check for Interference from Power Supply

• The sound may be related to electrical interference or grounding issues when the laptop is plugged in.
• Try using a different power adapter, if possible, to see if the issue persists. A faulty or incompatible charger could contribute to electrical noise.
• You can also test the laptop on a different power outlet to rule out issues with the power source.

4. Disable Power Management for Audio Devices

• Sometimes, power-saving settings can interfere with the audio hardware. You can try disabling power management for the sound device:
  • In Device Manager, right-click your audio device > Properties > Power Management tab.
  • Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
  • Also, check the Advanced Power Settings in Control Panel to ensure the laptop’s power plan isn't affecting audio performance.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

• Perform a Clean Boot to start Windows with only essential services running, which can help identify if a background process is causing the noise.
  • Type msconfig in the search box > System Configuration > Services tab > check Hide all Microsoft services > click Disable all.
  • Go to the Startup tab > click Open Task Manager and disable unnecessary startup programs.
  • Restart the laptop and see if the issue persists. If it stops, re-enable services one at a time to find the culprit.

6. External Speakers or Headphones

• Since the issue doesn’t occur when you use headphones, this may indicate a problem with the built-in speakers or subwoofer.
• If you use external speakers or headphones, it could bypass the internal speakers and avoid the issue.
• Check the speaker jack and connections for any dust or debris that could be causing interference.

7. Check for BIOS/UEFI Update

• Although you've updated the BIOS, it’s worth checking again on the HP website for any recent updates that might address audio issues specifically.

8. Hardware Diagnostics

• Run a more detailed hardware diagnostics tool (outside of HP Support Assistant) to check for any hardware malfunctions. You can use tools like HWInfo or Realtek Audio Console to check the status of your audio components.

Refer to this document: HP ENVY Notebook - m7-n109dx (Touch) (ENERGY STAR) User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[mcjulien]

Hi Gaya1239,

Thank you for your detailed response and for the helpful suggestions. I appreciate your assistance and your time.

I recently updated the Realtek HD audio drivers to version 6.0.1.8186 (R2.83) from the Realtek website. This update has significantly reduced the strong sound at boot and eliminated the static noise, both on battery and when plugged in. However, I now face a new issue: there is no audio from the speakers, only from the headphones.

Here's what I've tried so far based on your suggestions:

Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Drivers: I reinstalled the latest version from HP’s support page, but it didn't resolve the issue.

Check for Interference from Power Supply: I tried using a different power adapter and tested the laptop on a different power outlet, but there was no difference. This was with the problem on HP Realtek audio drivers.

Disable Power Management for Audio Devices: I don't have the option to disable power management in Device Manager.

Perform a Clean Boot: My problem now is different with the recent driver installed, so I haven't performed a Clean Boot yet.

External Speakers or Headphones: Since the issue doesn’t occur with headphones, I checked the speaker jack and connections for any dust or debris, but everything seems fine.

Check for BIOS/UEFI Update: My BIOS version is the latest I found on my laptop product website (f.52).

Hardware Diagnostics: I tried using HWInfo, but I'm not sure how to interpret the results. Could you provide some guidance on how to use it effectively?

Could you please provide further guidance on how to get the speakers working again? Any additional steps or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'll send you any further information you could need to help me with this.

Thank you for your help!

Best regards.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @mcjulien, 

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you are facing an issue with your Strong sound or static noise. Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

I'm sending a private message to assist you with the next action.

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

Gaya1238

HP Support