asked on

Audio lockups on HPE-450f with onboard Realtek

I've spent several days tracking and trying Internet leads on audio problems. (There are many, particularly for onboard Realtek audio!) Few seem to apply, in that my audio seems to start out working okay, and the configuration looks fine.

Perhaps someone will have a new idea for me? Short of reinstalling Windows.

SYMPTOM:
Audio output appears to work fine after a computer boot/restart. Plays youtube and system sounds. However, trying to open Playback Devices or Recording Devices from Speaker in toolbar appears to produce no response. Trying to open Realtek Audio Manager from Control Panel appears to produce no response. Then after about ten minutes (literally!) they do open up and appear to behave properly. Devices that use audio, such as Skype and WebEx appear to die. Even shutdown hangs with the message that Explorer can't play the logoff sound!?

Windows troubleshooters say that devices are working properly. Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Bridge services are running. However, on attempting to restart Windows Audio it eventually says it can't. Error 1053. Did not respond to stop request in a timely fashion.

Although DxDiag reports "No problems found," it fails to complete its scan.

HISTORY:
Fairly new HPE-450f. Seemed to work fine for several months, then after some upgrade -- don't know if Windows or user program install -- began observing the behavior. Tried going back to earliest Restore point with no benefit.

TROUBLESHOOTING:
Installed latest Realtek HD driver, both from HP support site, then from Reaktek site. Appears to work okay for a while, but after concluding a Webex conference, for example, then any following audio interactions are frozen. Eventually Webex won't even start an audio conference after a system restart.
sfc /scannow [reports Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations]

CONFIGURATION:
Device Manager, Sound
ATI High Definition Audio Device [HDMI (unused) on ATI Radeon HD 5770 video cards]
Logitech Mic (Fusion) [USB webcam]
Realtek High Definition Audio [on motherboard. No PCI slots free to try an add-in audio board]

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 2/17/2011, 09:23:45
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.101026-1503)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HPE-450f
BIOS: 07/12/10 14:03:04 Ver: 6.12
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 870 @ 2.93GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.9GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8152MB RAM
Page File: 1622MB used, 14677MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 64bit Unicode
DxDiag Previously: Crashed in DirectShow (stage 1). Re-running DxDiag with "dontskip" command line parameter or choosing not to bypass information gathering when prompted might result in DxDiag successfully obtaining this information

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 5770
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x68B8)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68B8&SUBSYS_6880103C&REV_00
Display Memory: 4070 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1011 MB
Shared Memory: 3059 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: ViewSonic VX2250 SERIES
Monitor Model: VX2250 SERIES
Monitor Id: VSCCB25
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.1043 (English)
Driver Version: 8.773.0.0
...
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_103C2A9C&REV_1002
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6196 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 9/7/2010 11:27:34, 2484072 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Microphone (Logitech Mic (Fusion))
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: USBAUDIO.sys
Driver Version: 6.01.7600.16385 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 7/13/2009 18:06:32, 109568 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

...

--------------
System Devices
--------------
...
Name: High Definition Audio Controller
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_3B56&SUBSYS_2A9C103C&REV_06\3&11583659&0&D8
Driver: C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\hdaudbus.sys, 6.01.7600.16385 (English), 7/13/2009 18:06:13, 122368 bytes

[end]

Rob Knight

Hi,

Are you playing sound via HDMI, in which case you are using the ATI audio controller in the 5770 or via external speakers?

Regards,

RobMobility.

Rob Knight

Hi,

Have you tried defaulting the Realtek to Microsoft HD Audio adapter rather than using the RealTek drivers?

Perform a driver update, select manual and then select other (bottom option) - you should then be able to select suitable drivers.

Does this change anything?

Regards,

RobMobility.

davidqxo

ASKER

I clicked Realtek HD Audio and Update Driver Software. Selected Choose from available drivers. Chose Microsoft High Definition Audio Device instead of Realtek. Get warning that it can't verify compatibility. Continue.

Afterwards Devices shows High Definition Audio Device instead of Realtek. Now the Volume control in the system tray has a red X, and when I open Volume Control Options it lists only the ATI [video card] High Definition Audio Device.

This is the problem I've seen often reported, and it's fixed by installing the latest Realtek driver.

Rob Knight

Hi,

You have the option of showing disabled devices in PlayBack devices.

Regards,

RobMobility.

Rob Knight

Hi,

Unistall the realtek drivers completely.

Regards,

RobMobility.

Rob Knight

Hi,

Try this:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7music/thread/a01872db-5473-4b5a-bdca-67034d0eec51

Regards,

RobMobility.

davidqxo

ASKER

After a reboot the volume control does show, but then things go downhill as usual. I run a Skype audio test, and once I try to test the (Logitech Fusion USB webcam) microphone then all audio dies.

Rob Knight

Hi,

Try the beta driver - without pull down?

Regards,

RobMobility.

davidqxo

ASKER

This has helped. The audio does have problems independent of the mic. For example, I can open neither Playback Devices nor Recording Devices. However, I'm also realizing that the audio output doesn't lockup until I access the mic.

I'm getting some useful leads, such as:
http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Windows-7-Discussion-Topics-READ/Quickcam-Pro-9000-amp-Windows-7-RTM-x64-Locks-up-sound/td-p/385015

Rob Knight

Hi,

It seems that disabling USB3 in the BIOS fixes on some PCs fixes the problem?

Regards,

RobMobility.

Rob Knight

Hi,

Try disabling SPDIF on the inputs side - thay has also fixed the issue for some users.

Regards,

RobMobility.

davidqxo

ASKER

I'm working thru those references.

Don't understand "Try the beta driver - without pulldown". Where would I get the beta driver.

I'm going to contact Realtek for their diagnostic tool and Logitech for theirs.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Rob Knight

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davidqxo

ASKER

That Realtek zip file is unavailable. I login okay, but then get not found error.

Anyway, I have a feeling this is a Windows configuration issue rather than a webcam or audio driver issue. On the basis of some Microsoft support threads I switched from Manual to Automatic some Microsoft Services. Now at least the Playback Devices and Recording Devices windows open up quickly and operate correctly.

Alas, not an entire fix. I still find that after accessing webcam for a short while the audio freezes.

davidqxo

ASKER

The problem seems to have been resolved, but I can't pinpoint how or when. I feel it mostly had to do with a failed effort to optimize the system by turning off unneeded services. Now the system is all bloated again, but at least the sound seems solid again.

At one point I found that the Logitech Fusion isn't certified for Windows 7. I ordered a $10 camera that had independent audio in, instead of carrying it over USB. But it turned out to have cables only about three feet long. Couldn't use it, and coincidentally, the sound started working reliably with the Fusion.

The only one who lent support was RobMobility, though it was things I mostly turned up myself independently with searches.

I think that in general this and other support forums don't pay enough attention to service configurations. I know I've fouled up my system in other ways by disabling or changing to manual one too many services.

davidqxo

ASKER

I appreciate RobMobility's (sole) support. The things he found and suggested were largely things I'd found independently from web searches.

The definitive solution isn't clear, but it seems to have required resetting to Automatic all the Microsoft and HP services.