No Matter What I Try; no audio - Whatsoever, days/hours of troubleshooting

[demorthus1]

(SOLVED, see edit)

I'm posting this a second time, I'm not sure if in the first I posted somewhere nobody would probably see it. (MoKiChU I'd appreciate any input if you see this!)

I want to first express; it's been hell :)..I've been looking to do a new OS install so I can begin more 3D work but there's something very wrong or weird..
Motherboard in question is Asus (X570) ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi); (Audio device/integrated, Realtek ALC1220 )

I have spent days, weeks combined trying to figure out why the sound stops working. In the current Windows I have its a cluttered mess with random blue screens, but the audio works. Sound comes from the speakers.


I've done a lot of variations. Made countless images of individual "windows 10 installs", done 'reset my PC'. In each and every case I tried multiple different steps or orders, such as disabling the "automatic driver install" within system/protection. Used DDU to remove all audio drivers. Used the 'default' audio driver package Asus has - which is the most insulting set of software and bloat they have in the entire motherboard industry combined. Used the manual method of individually installing each driver/.inf file, this applies to your driver package as well as theirs. Yes, I'd have no success & restore a fresh image/wiped it after creating MSinfo32 reports/Registry backup/DoubleDriver export of all the drivers (from within a WinPE tool/recovery environment) and saved it elsewhere - and again try a new configuration or procedure. For further "tests", I would stay inside the OS despite not having audio & would attempt everything from disabling audio enhancements, restarting the Windows Audio (+ Endpoint) service, checking Windows Update, attempting the "audio troubleshooter", unplugging & plugging back in the 3.5mm cable, going back into Device Manager & manually selecting the 'have disk' to locate the same drivers that are already installed when running the bat/script you've made (if it all already sounds insane... It's because it has been :/). Along windows update I would also open & check for MS store updates as well. Installing the drivers while offline as well (yours. Then asus. Then yours but manually. Same for asus. Each time after restoring a new, fresh empty & updated windows 10 image..).


With that said I may still even be failing to add more of the things I've done or tried, because of the amount it's been and how little rest I've had. I'd pause & go back into the unstable OS temporarily, do some work/game; knowing every time I would still have to spend time to make ANOTHER image so I can restore everything safely, with whatever most recent work/browsing/gaming/etc I had done. Then.. Unplug all my drives except the NVMe's, as they're physically inaccessible without removing a set of waterblocks/custom loop. This is mostly a personal thing, just to remove any chance of accidentally installing windows on the wrong drive or entirely formatting the wrong drive, etc. Regardless the OS/apps all reside in the single SSD so as to allow for quicker operation/tasks.


This one is more for a humorous example of the experiences I've had..

In one "test", I decided to see what would happen if Asus ARMOURY was enabled & installed (who knows, maybe it'd be able to find/update drivers); immediately the system itself became unstable and blue screen six times in a row when access the desktop- that's all within a fresh Windows 10 install that ONLY has display drivers & CPU/chipset drivers.. Also, It was never able to even load anything within the Tools tab, nothing for Drivers, Individual Kits- you name it, even the manual!?! I figured I'd mention that one because I found it hilarious - as much as unimaginably furious - it must be said or labeled everywhere as a PSA to all to avoid Asus's software.

Edit:
I've found what was wrong & it wasn't related to anything other than the Realtek Audio Console itself. It's a persistent & re-creatable issue as well.

The issue I've isolated to being Realtek Audio Console, there is a bug of some sort I encountered no matter even during a full clean Windows install AND clean driver installation. To fix/remediate it, open the Audio Console application > Device advanced settings > Under "Connector Retasking", toggle BOTH Back panel & Front panel -green- between Headphones/Front Speaker Audio. Doing so will return audio and you should have sound again.

I hope this helps others!

[Jimbo93]

demorthus1 wrote:
I'm posting this a second time, I'm not sure if in the first I posted somewhere nobody would probably see it. (MoKiChU I'd appreciate any input if you see this!)

I want to first express; it's been hell :)..I've been looking to do a new OS install so I can begin more 3D work but there's something very wrong or weird..
Motherboard in question is Asus (X570) ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi); (Audio device/integrated, Realtek ALC1220 )

I have spent days, weeks combined trying to figure out why the sound stops working. In the current Windows I have its a cluttered mess with random blue screens, but the audio works. Sound comes from the speakers.


I've done a lot of variations. Made countless images of individual "windows 10 installs", done 'reset my PC'. In each and every case I tried multiple different steps or orders, such as disabling the "automatic driver install" within system/protection. Used DDU to remove all audio drivers. Used the 'default' audio driver package Asus has - which is the most insulting set of software and bloat they have in the entire motherboard industry combined. Used the manual method of individually installing each driver/.inf file, this applies to your driver package as well as theirs. Yes, I'd have no success & restore a fresh image/wiped it after creating MSinfo32 reports/Registry backup/DoubleDriver export of all the drivers (from within a WinPE tool/recovery environment) and saved it elsewhere - and again try a new configuration or procedure. For further "tests", I would stay inside the OS despite not having audio & would attempt everything from disabling audio enhancements, restarting the Windows Audio (+ Endpoint) service, checking Windows Update, attempting the "audio troubleshooter", unplugging & plugging back in the 3.5mm cable, going back into Device Manager & manually selecting the 'have disk' to locate the same drivers that are already installed when running the bat/script you've made (if it all already sounds insane... It's because it has been :/). Along windows update I would also open & check for MS store updates as well. Installing the drivers while offline as well (yours. Then asus. Then yours but manually. Same for asus. Each time after restoring a new, fresh empty & updated windows 10 image..).


With that said I may still even be failing to add more of the things I've done or tried, because of the amount it's been and how little rest I've had. I'd pause & go back into the unstable OS temporarily, do some work/game; knowing every time I would still have to spend time to make ANOTHER image so I can restore everything safely, with whatever most recent work/browsing/gaming/etc I had done. Then.. Unplug all my drives except the NVMe's, as they're physically inaccessible without removing a set of waterblocks/custom loop. This is mostly a personal thing, just to remove any chance of accidentally installing windows on the wrong drive or entirely formatting the wrong drive, etc. Regardless the OS/apps all reside in the single SSD so as to allow for quicker operation/tasks.


This one is more for a humorous example of the experiences I've had..

In one "test", I decided to see what would happen if Asus ARMOURY was enabled & installed (who knows, maybe it'd be able to find/update drivers); immediately the system itself became unstable and blue screen six times in a row when access the desktop- that's all within a fresh Windows 10 install that ONLY has display drivers & CPU/chipset drivers.. Also, It was never able to even load anything within the Tools tab, nothing for Drivers, Individual Kits- you name it, even the manual!?! I figured I'd mention that one because I found it hilarious - as much as unimaginably furious - it must be said or labeled everywhere as a PSA to all to avoid Asus's software.

I think I would be testing the stability of the hardware, like a memory test on USB flash drive that can boot the system. Getting windows installed and stable, including fully functional audio, shouldn't take any special driver procedure.

[demorthus1]

The issue I've isolated to being Realtek Audio Console, there is a bug of some sort I encountered no matter even during a full clean Windows install AND clean driver installation. To fix/remediate it, open the Audio Console application > Device advanced settings > Under "Connector Retasking", toggle BOTH Back panel & Front panel -green- between Headphones/Front Speaker Audio. Doing so will return audio and you should have sound again.

I hope this helps others!

[demorthus1]

Jimbo93 wrote:
I think I would be testing the stability of the hardware, like a memory test on USB flash drive that can boot the system. Getting windows installed and stable, including fully functional audio, shouldn't take any special driver procedure.

Hello! You are absolutely right, it shouldn't require any special driver procedure. I exhausted all the basic ("typical" first resorts) stuff so I had to move on to see if there was something else causing the issue. Ironic enough, it had nothing to do with the hardware stability (all of which have been tested several times prior, a blend of synthetics & very heavy real-world workloads). It was software all along. Realtek Audio Console.

I noticed how unusual it was that despite having no audio.. Upon reboot or driver installation I'd note/hear my subwoofer make a faint exhale- more like a subtle poof in pressure- So, for some reason it engaged the hardware but when in Windows audio did not function. Which was more odd because Windows itself would report nothing is wrong. Then out of morbid curiosity I opened the RT Audio Console & unplugged my speakers, plugged in headphones; still no audio. Then I switched and toggled the port 'retasking' settings & suddenly sound came back! I switched again to headphones, and indeed it was functioning again.

I can't say with certainty why it's something I can reproduce other than it being a bug/fault with the Realtek Audio console application itself. I can wipe my drive, pop in a fresh Windows ISO; install, be welcomed to no audio - without fail; which is to say it's consistent across an OS install... This wasn't the case years ago, but here we are- I don't know what changed but I can reproduce the issue over and over.

With that said, I hope my findings help others in fixing their missing audio too 🙂

[Jimbo93]

Glad you got it working. One thought is to see if there are any updates for the audio console using the windows store.

My version info from the console information:
Audio driver 6.0.9282.1 got this from Mokichu thread
UI Version: 1.32.261.0

[LeftEyeNine]

You are a LIFESAVER - you know that.