Resetting a Windows 10 PC turned into a Nightmare from Audio Problem

Jackie Man
CERTIFIED EXPERT
Learning is a process of forgetting learned stuff; acquiring innovative ideas from our competitors; challenging the status quo of our World.
Published:
Updated:
It is a real story and is one of my scariest tech experiences. Most users think that IT experts like us know how to fix all computer problems. However, if there is a time constraint and you MUST not fail the task or you will lose your job, a simple task might turn out to be your scariest experience.

It is a real story and is one of my scariest tech experiences.


Most users think that IT experts like us know how to fix all computer problems. This belief is true depends on two factors.


  • There is enough time to troubleshoot or your initial assumption or understanding of the problem is correct; and
  • There is a possibility that your failure to finish the task on time will have a great impact to your job.


Details of the story are in the question below.


https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28992235/Realtek-Audio-Driver-problem.html


Technically, it was an easy task as initially, I assumed Windows 10 is much better to handle as you can do a reset and add the email account of the new user and enter all required network credentials to make the computer as new. Obviously, my initial assumption about resetting a Windows 10 PC as an easy task was incorrect as a reset did not work and time was running out so I set up a new user profile to solve the problem.


Everything was fine except that on every restart, a prompt appeared to ask what app I want to open for an unknown file.


If time was sufficient, I could do a clean install of Windows 10 to get rid of the problem. However, it was unlikely that I could tell the new user, who is the Executive Director of our company that it was a minor problem that I could fix it later. It was a Friday evening and I HAD to finish the task as a delay would ruin my career.


At that time, the fastest method to solve the problem was to ask a question on Experts Exchange as I was pretty sure that I would get a solution soon.


After a few rounds of questions and answers, our top expert in Windows 10, McKnife posted the following comment that helped me solve the problem.


No need to repair windows. A repair will not get rid of that item.
Download autoruns.exe and use it to deactivate it.


Autoruns by Microsoft is a tool to show and stop what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login or start various built-in Windows applications like Internet Explorer, Explorer and media players.  It is a complete list showing all auto-start processes and services from all users in Windows OS.


https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns


The Lesson learnt


IT experts are just HUMAN and there are times we need the help from our peers. Being a member of Experts Exchange DOES HELP me a lot when I have a problem and at the same time, I can learn more by helping other members to solve their problems.


3
2,220 Views
Jackie Man
CERTIFIED EXPERT
Learning is a process of forgetting learned stuff; acquiring innovative ideas from our competitors; challenging the status quo of our World.

Comments (0)

Have a question about something in this article? You can receive help directly from the article author. Sign up for a free trial to get started.