New
#1
PC audio stops working when PC is unattended for long periods of time
I am running Windows 10 ver 20H2 Build 19042.928 on an HP Elite 8300 Ultra Small. I have run Windows Update and no updates or drivers appear to be out of date.
I use it as my living room PC. It is connected via HDMI to just a regular TV, and the TV is in turn connected to a soundbar using an optical cable.
The problem that I am experiencing is that when the PC is left unattended for long periods of time, the sound driver just stops working. I have confirmed the problem is coming from the PC as both the TV and soundbar still work perfectly when switching the input to another device like a PS4 connected to another HDMI port. I can temporarily 'fix' the problem by running the Windows Toubleshooter where it asks me if it can scan my system, then asks if I can hear the tone it played (No, I can't) , then it asks if it can reinstall the audio driver. After it does this, the sound works fine again. The problem is that I have to do this once or twice a day. If I am gone for a long while, like sleeping or at work, when I come back to the PC next, at some point the audio will have stopped working. It never happens while I am using it, even for long periods of time, nor does it happen if it's left unattended for an hour or two. It seems to only happen if I don't use the PC for a period of maybe 6-10 hours. The PC is not going to sleep while I am gone, but the TV is off during those long periods of time (usually I think, I can't remember if this has ever happened while the TV has been left on).
Does anyone know what might be causing this or is any further information needed?