Clean install to Win 10 1903 causes audio to crackle and not work

CampNowhere · 03 Jul 2019

I just performed a clean install to Windows 10 1903 and upon reinstalling my audio driver I noticed that it was just crackling and not working at all. The audio driver I was installing was Realtek HD Audio Driver 6.0.1.8742.1 WHQL. I decided to reinstall windows and use the driver I was using on Windows 10 1803 Realtek HD Audio driver_6.0.1.8172, that also does the same thing. I tried restarting the audio services and nothing seems to work.

I am on a MSI GS70 gaming laptop with a Intel Skylake PCH-H - High Definition Audio Controller.

Edit: I have installed update KB4501375 and I downloaded the official ISO from Microsoft last night whish is what I used for the clean install. The build I am using is 18362.207

fireberd · 03 Jul 2019

I have a recording studio. I was getting dropouts and Resplendence Latency Mon was showing errors, mostly NTOSKRNL. Latency mon couldn't run over 2 minutes before getting errors. After the KB4501375 install, I can now run Latency Mon for over 15 minutes and still no audio problems. I have Realtek PC audio and no problems with it.

One item that has always caused Latency Mon to display errors and dropouts has been NVIDIA video. I recently field tested a new Dell G7 gaming laptop (i7 8700K) and it had audio dropouts with the NVIDIA enabled. Disabling the NVIDIA and using the Intel CPU video and no audio problems (However FPS dropped dramatically).

My PC is an ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero gaming motherboard, i7 6700K (not overclocked), 16GB Ram, AMD Radeon RX580 video.

Helmut · 03 Jul 2019

It is not necessarily a driver problem. The sockets may have been flexed enough to cause intermittent electrical connections to the MOBO internally. This can also occur in cables and plugs to and inside audio devices.

These days plugs being moulded on all you can do is flex them and try and suss the area, or use substitute cables for comparison.

The Realtek drivers have only been the original drivers and Windows updates. Looking at all the drivers they seem to a mix of the mobo manufacturers, Realtek and Windows.
As they work fine no reason to update or do so called clean installs.

Been through several Headsets over the years and all have ended up crackly and/or one earpiece not working.
The connections within had gone and in trying to access these to re-solder pretty much destroyed the Headset so in every case a new Headset was the result.