About two years ago I built up a desktop computer. Running an AMD Phenom II x6 1035 processor with 8 mb RAM. Video card is a Radeon HD 6450, connected via HDMI to a high def monitor with internal speakers. Using Windows 7 Home Premium and run IE 10.0.10 at this time. Rarely open any other software other than Office 2010 (word and excel) Been running just fine until...

Two or three months back a red x appeared over the speaker icon in my sys tray. No audio. Not a big deal, I mostly read e-mail but do like to watch a youtube video on occasion. From the beginning, when I looked at the device manager, the Video output showed AMD Radeon HD 6450 and the Sound showed AMD High Def Audio Device. Now the sound manager also shows Realtek High Def Audio. The audio error check shows speakers not plugged in. If I restart the computer, Audio works fine through the HDMI cable for an hour or so, but if I let it go to sleep the dreaded red x comes back.

My first thought was a bad HDMI cable, but A. it works fine after a restart and B. I've tried two other cables with the same result (and they both work fine with the tv and surround sound). When I allow the system to suggest a fix, it shows how to plug a speaker set into the colored speaker jacks, doesn't recognize the HDMI output at all. I'd prefer not to buy a set of speakers and have another cable running (plus desk space for speakers I don't need).

I'm thinking that I have a device conflict between the AMD Audio and the Realtek. When I disable the Realtek driver and restart, i'm fine for a while but then when the machine goes to sleep the Realtek driver comes back and i'm back to no sound. I've not tried uninstalling the Realtek driver, but i'm wondering if that's not the answer? I've not added any software, though i'm certain there have been some Windows updates.

By the way, when the audio is working I can watch youtube router videos. When the sound is not working, the videos will not play (I still have a full hi def monitor, but the youtube video goes to a black screen)

I'm guessing a conflict between Realtek and AMD Audio devices, but can't figure what is triggering it. Can I dump the Realtek device? Again, I hate the thought of buying a separate monitor cable and speaker wires--but i'd sure like to be able to click a youtube link on Router Forums without having to restart (and by then I forget what I was going to watch!!)

Any ideas?? Thanks!!!

Hi Earl.

I just bought a new PC (AMD quad core 3.4GHz) and it goes like the clappers compared to the old HP laptop.....

My first thought is that there is a problem with the sound card, and Windows has installed a new driver for the default card that should be there.....

Not sure what the problem is since I am a woodworker and not a computer geek. I can solve a lot of woodworking problems and if I can't answer a woodworking question I just make up an answer.

Yep James, I still have one of the fastest Free Cell decks in the neighborhood!! I suspect you're right, that something is activating the sound control on the mother board and looking for separate speakers plugged in.

Thanks for that Malcom--i'm neither compu-geek nor woodworker here lately. Just a working stiff!!

I suspect that the driver you disable reloads when the computer starts back up.
It may be a simple matter of not enough RAM if all you have is 8 mb. You don't mention the video card memory. That being said, it was working before and should now. So...

When windows updates all sorts of little problems pop up.

You can, if you have other audio software (Windows 7 default), uninstall Realtek completely ... control panel...uninstall Realtek. This should uninstall the software completely but it may leave Realtek in various places in the registry. Restart and see if uninstall resolved the problem. If not go to search and type regedit. This will allow, being extremely careful and creating a restore point before opening regedit, you access to the registry. Search for Realtek and delete any reference that refers to realtek. The F3 key will take you to the next realtek entry. Exit, restart. Always make a restore point prior to editing the registry.

Good luck.

Thanks PAD3. It's 8 Gb, not mb--with another gig on the card. Your post plus the sense that Realtek probably about as tough to get as Acrobat Reader--I did the uninstall this morning. Coming up on 3 hours and I still have audio--longest in a long time!! Thanks again!!!
earl

The uninstall probably did it. That is my solution to similar problems. Uninstall and start over.

Uninstall made it better--not solved yet. After about 8 hours i'm back to showing "device not plugged in" on the HDMI output list. Shoot--if it stays that way I could almost live with it. The most frustrating thing is that when I have "no speaker plugged in" the youtube videos won't play--so I can't even watch without sound. I'll keep chasing it!!

earl

Earl, HDMI is a poor "standard" with too wide a range of perameters allowable in the spec and can still be called HDMI. As a TV tech for years, I have run into MANY situations where an HDMI input port would work with one device and totally fail on the next even though that device may work fine on a different TV/monitor. I'd try a separate audio cable, and if that solves your problem, that may be the simplest solution. I know that isn't what you want to here.

Many earlier HDMI sets had software upgrades to solve some of these type issues. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes cleaning the HDMI jacks with a good contact cleaner will help. Sometimes if your cable isn't gold plated, one that is may help. HDMI just tends to be a bit finicky.

I have seen too many of these type of issues over the past several years... makes me glad I retired from that business. Sometimes 2 devices just are not compatible. The fact that it may have worked at one time doesn't even mean much. Electronic component values can change slightly with age. Even replacing the entire Printed Circuit board doesn't always resolve the issue!

Best of luck, but I would really just try the separate audio cable.

Let us know how you resolve the issue, Earl.