new Spectre x360 - "no sound device available" after windows 10 update

[gguthrie]

Brand new, was working fine, all wonderful - until windows update yesterday, and now the mute button is always on, in either laptop or tablet mode, unless HDMI plugged in, and then sound does go out through HDMI. Since there was a big W10 update overnight, that is suspicious.

Trying to change by the taskbar icon reports: No Audio output device is installed.

The keyboard mute button is light, and teh taskbar sound icon is crossed out (=Mute).

Control panel/Device Manager/Sound -> "No Audio Device is Installed":

Control panel/Device Manager/Sound, Video and Game Controllers:

     Conexant ISST Audio

     Intel(R) Display Audio

I see lots of similar complaints over the past year for HP laptops ("Mute Button stuck on"); some seem to be hardware related, so I cannot know if the Windows update broke this, or if that is just coincidence.

[Dragon-Fur]

@gguthrie

Try / Consider:

Start > Settings > Devices > scroll down, click Device Manager >

scroll down, Open Sound, video and game controllers >

If your sound driver is listed > Right-Click on the Audio > Uninstall (do not tick box to delete) >

Restart the computer (or, within the Device Manager: Action > scan for new hardware)

The driver will reinstall itself during boot / login.

If no joy:

• Create a Restore Point

Stop all programs:  Browsers, games, Applications, etc.

Control Panel > icon view > System > System Protection > 

Click (Highlight) your main disk (C) > Select Create a Restore Point

• Open your computer's Website Driver Support page (Support Home)
• Download the latest Audio Driver for your computer >
• Open File Explorer window >
• Open your Downloads folder (or where ever you have set to hold downloads)
• Double-Click on the downloaded driver exe file to install >
• Restart the computer and log in

• Check results

Reference:

Sound Restoration

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[phoenix1231 · Accepted solution]

I had the same issue, and it's related to the anniversary update.

See this thread..

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Audio/no-audio-after-windows-update/m-p/5724496/highlight/fals...

[gguthrie]

I'm not sure if the driver is shown, or if so is it the Intel, or the Conexant?

Both show "working properly", and "latest driver already installed".

[phoenix1231]

Mine did too, but you need the older driver.

Uninstall conexant from add/remove programs, then go to hp support and install the older driver (under previous versions).  Hopefully that will work

[gguthrie]

Thanks to all - I went to the Audio in Device Manager, and properties, and just said update driver for conexant; it did, and after a reboot it is all good again.

I wish HP would have figured this out and prevented such issues, or at least email notified customers and how to fix it.

[gguthrie]

OK, I was so happy with the simple solutoin, although less so with MSoft causing it in the first place, and HP not preventing this.

But now three days later, same problem. Actually the symptons are a bit different; as the keyboard light of "mute" is not lit this time. No new updates to blame or uninstall.

Delete the Conexant device, and re-scan re-installs it, but no change. But after a reboot, it seems all fine again.

Argh.

[phoenix1231]

if it happens again, try what I did.

Go to hp support and download the older coxexant driver.

[AHNONYMuus]

I had the exact same problem! My HP Spectre was less than 2 weeks old and the only way to solve it was to reboot. And this came up five times within 3 days. I dont know if it is worth getting a replacement as this seems to be a reoccuring problem witht he Hp Spectre x360 models. 

[gguthrie]

I found that it fixed it, until any update from WIndows, adn then I'd have to do it again. But once I actually downloaded the old driver, all good since then.