Audio setup review for Windows 10

[loninappleton]

My audio winked out with everything else perfectly fine.

I found the problem by going to Device Manager and disabling Realtek HD audio which had been on there forever. The Realtek driver is still in place and my audio is back. But what caused it? I have an entry in my programs list for Realtek which I think I should be able to remove with Revo Uninstaller. I don't need sophisticated audio. Since this happened while the PC was on and just going in and out of Youtube what could I have done to make it happen? I checked this old keyboard for a Mute that might be on it. Restarted a bunch of times. But I disabled that install of (full name) High Definition Audio Device. I've added a screen shot for any suggestions to clean up/reinstall for any conflicts.

[Columbo]

Maybe Windows switched your default playback device from the Realtek speakers to the monitor’s HDMI/DisplayPort audio. That commonly happens when the monitor sleeps and wakes, or the video driver resets, and Windows re-detects the display audio as a “new” device and makes it the default. Sound was going to a monitor with no speakers (or muted speakers), which is why everything else looked fine. Disabling that device forced Windows back to the Realtek speakers.

If you want to confirm: right-click the disabled High Definition Audio Device > Properties > Details tab > Hardware Ids. If it shows VEN_1002, it’s AMD’s display audio.

[The_Doman]

As mentioned in your other audio topic:
Audio does not play from stream on one PC

Best to use the older/classic sound configuration tool from the control-panel to check/configure what sound output/input is enabled.

Google: Windows old classic sound options


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[loninappleton]

That question from back in March is unrelated. But it was a toughie for any future reference.
The one site mentioned only was playing one channel of it's stereo feed.
On my desktop I only had or need one speaker hooked up which was-- _on the opposite channel _. I've now fixed that by just adding another speaker from old parts to complete the stereo

For the current problem, disabling the HD sound without deleting it seemed to fix the current problem, though why such things seem to pop up is strange.