Realtek Drivers vanished and Replaced with Nividia!

Justnotsleeping · 30 Mar 2022 at 21:44

I have a very strange audio problem that I've never had before. My motherboard uses Realtek audiodrivers, and I just use a small pair of Creative Pebble speakers for audio output.

Worked fine until recently, but when finding my speakers were not working, I found in the Windows 11 settings that that my Realtek audio drivers have disappeared and been replaced by Nvidia audio drivers. I have tried uninstalling these and reinstalling the audio drivers from my motherboard support page but doesnt seem to work.

Only thing I have changed in the PC is install a Kraken Z63 AIO but cant think that would have affected the audio settings.

Anyone got any ideas?

Many thanks

pcfarrar · 30 Mar 2022 at 22:19

What’s showing in device manager in the sound section?

Junk · 31 Mar 2022 at 10:09

nvidia audio drivers are standard with a nvidia gfx card to provide audio over hdmi.

check your windows sound settings that your defaults have not been changed. Windows is a git for this. plug in a randon USB and it shuffles audio for a laugh, and i swear to ones it knows have not been connected, ever.

demonix · 31 Mar 2022 at 16:55

Are you sure that the drivers were removed and it isn't windows being stupid and changing the default audio device to your GPU (which does have on board audio hardware for HDMI and display port outputs)

Justnotsleeping · 31 Mar 2022 at 18:53

It seems to have set drivers to the Nvidia HDMI drivers, but I just cant see how to change the output device to Realtek, its just not in the Windows output options.
The Realtek device which is my motherboard audio just isn't there to change to. The only thing I can think of is to remove the Nvidia Geforce drivers completely and try a custom install.

Beginning to really annoy me now. I have my Sony bluetooth headset which is the only way I can get audio, but I don't like to wear a headset all the time.

Its really strange, I have never had this happen to me before, and have had Nvidia card all the time.

james.miller · 31 Mar 2022 at 19:01

You need to look in the device manager. You will always have nvidia audio drivers installed with an nvidia gpu, it sounds more like there's an issue with the realtek drivers which an uninstall and reinstall might fix.

Justnotsleeping · 31 Mar 2022 at 19:53

I went into Control panel, the Realtek drivers were still showing as installed, but not in sound controllers in device manager. My monitor is showing as an audio output device, but it always has, although it has no speakers, so thats never caused a problem before, so I disabled this as an audio device. Previously this monitor and the realtek aufdio had been options in the task bar.

Uninstalled, then reinstalled the Realtek drivers, but now showing as no audio device present. The speakers are just standard usb powered computer speakers, with a sub woofer and the audio jack which goes into motherboard, so nothing odd there.

james.miller · 31 Mar 2022 at 19:56

If nothing shows in the device manager (make sure it's not hidden) then either it's disabled in the bios or you might have a hardware issue.

Justnotsleeping · 31 Mar 2022 at 20:35

Audio is enabled in BIOS so maybe its just a hardware issue with the speakers.

james.miller · 31 Mar 2022 at 20:45

no, you dont need anything plugged in for an audio device to show up in the device manager, you dont even need working drivers. If it's enabled in the bios, and not hidden in the device manager, then the only other thing i can suggest is to reinstall/refresh windows.

Thekwango · 31 Mar 2022 at 20:50

Junk said:
check your windows sound settings that your defaults have not been changed. Windows is a git for this. plug in a randon USB and it shuffles audio for a laugh, and i swear to ones it knows have not been connected, ever.

Windows will randomly switch my audio output to my monitor speakers. My monitor doesn’t have speakers. I love windows.

Justnotsleeping · 1 Apr 2022 at 19:04

Well I have admitted defeat on this one, done a windows reinstall. Realtek audio still not showing as a default option for audio output, or even visible in device manager even though the drivers are installed if I look in Control Panel.

Only visible sound output choice is the monitor. Only way I can get audio at moment is, instead of plugging into motherboard audio, I plug the the speakers into the headphone jack of the monitor.

Just really strange!

Monkeynut · 1 Apr 2022 at 19:06

Could you have a faulty motherboard?

Justnotsleeping · 3 Apr 2022 at 13:16

I suppose its always possible, but I have not had any issues around sound before until I installed the new AIO. That's why I wondered at first if there is anything related to setup of the new cooler.
That seems to be working fine, with the only setup difference compared to my previous Arctic Freezer one is that the Kraken Z63 uses an extra cable which goes to a USB header on the motherboard as well as the usual one which goes to the AIO fan header.

I guess a lot of people just use headsets or specific soundcard/dongle options, as am sure the sound will be much better.

Not sure how I can test for errors with the motherboard...unless there are any diagnostic programs out there to test things. I'll have a look round.

Duke · 5 Apr 2022 at 16:21

Try a BIOS reset.