lost Realtek driver

[teenereener]

hey,

with the recent update from windows, i've lost sound. the message i get from the device manager is 'the device cannot start. (code 10) the policy object does not exist when it should. i've enabled everything, but i don't know what else to do.

when i try to download a driver, hp says that my laptop is running windows 10, but i upgraded it to windows 11 in 2022. so i'm stuck.

does anyone have any ideas?

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@teenereener,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

That "Device cannot start (Code 10) — the policy object does not exist when it should" message is a known Windows 11 audio driver issue, often triggered by a recent Windows Update replacing or corrupting the HP/Realtek audio policy registry keys.

So, I would suggest you do the following to fix it:

1. Reinstall the Audio Driver cleanly:

1. Press Windows + X → Device Manager.

2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.

3. Right-click your Realtek Audio (or Intel Smart Sound Technology) device → Uninstall device → check Delete the driver software for this device, then click Uninstall.

4. Restart your PC.

5. Go to HP's Software and Drivers page → enter your exact product number (from under the laptop) → select Windows 11 manually (even if HP’s auto-detect says Windows 10).

6. Download and install the latest Realtek High-Definition Audio Driver or Intel SST Audio Driver (depending on model).

 

2. If HP lists only Windows 10 drivers:

That's not a problem: Windows 10 audio drivers are compatible with Windows 11. Download the Windows 10 version and install it in compatibility mode:

• Right-click the driver installer → Properties → Compatibility tab → Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows 10 → Apply → OK → Run as Administrator.

 

3. Optional: Reset the audio policy via Command Prompt:

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and copy/paste/Enter each command seperately:

net localgroup Administrators /add localservice

net localgroup Administrators /add networkservice

Then restart your laptop -this should restore missing policy objects sometimes removed during a Windows update.

 

4. Run sfc /scannow:

• Type in: cmd in your lower Windows search bar, right-click on Command Prompt, and left-click on "Run as administrator", then click on "Yes" to acknowledge permission.

• Then copy/paste/Enter: sfc /scannow
• This may take a while to complete.  Next, copy/paste/Enter:
• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• This may take even longer than the first command -be patient.
• Once completed, exit out of the Command Prompt
• Restart your laptop.

5. Final step – Run the Windows Audio Troubleshooter:

• Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Playing Audio → Run

After these steps, audio should return once Windows reloads the correct Realtek/Intel policy configuration.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[teenereener1]

hi non sequitur,

it worked beautifully.  thank you for the answer and response!

[NonSequitur777]

@teenereener1,

That is great news!

Thank you for letting me know. If you don't mind, please indicate my previous post as an 'Accepted Solution'!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[teenereener1]

sorry,

i didn't complete my registration, so i can't reply to the original response.

[NonSequitur777]

@teenereener1,

That is not a problem, just mark this message or my previous post as an 'Accepted Solution'.

This way, your question will be marked as having an accepted solution, which will help other people with the same or similar question to find this discussion easier.

[EDIT:] -I see what you mean: you posted the original question as @teenereener, but as @teenereener1 you cannot mark this thread as being solved.

Warm Regards,

NonSequitur777