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PC Sound Not Working? Can I Uninstall and Reinstall Realtek Audio Driver to Solve it?

Yes. You can uninstall and reinstall Realtek audio driver to solve the problem that PC sound is not working generally. Try the 3 ways to fix now.

Highlights

Use Windows Device Manager to Uninstall Realtek Audio Driver Cleanly

Manually Install a Driver: Need to Know Your Special Device Model Number

A Driver Updater Can Help Find the Correct and Newest Driver Version

Can I uninstall and reinstall Realtek audio driver? Yes, definitely you can do it. When you experience audio stuttering, crackling, or a complete lack of sound, the culprit is often a corrupted or conflicting driver. Thus, you can uninstall and reinstall the realtek audio driver using a device manager, manual steps, or a driver updater.

Using Device Manager is the quickest way.

  1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.

  2. Locate the "Sound, video, and game controllers" section and expand it.

  3. Right-click on "Realtek(R) Audio" and choose Uninstall device.

Notice: In the pop-up window, check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" before clicking Uninstall.

Generally, once you restart the computer, Windows Update will automatically reinstall the driver.

>> Check this guide for how to install device drivers.

If your Windows computer is not working with way 1. You can download the Realtek audio driver and install it manually.

  1. Go to the support page of your motherboard manufacturer or your laptop brand.

  2. Enter your specific model number and locate the latest Realtek High Definition Audio Driver package.

  3. Double-click the downloaded .exe file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.

If it’s hard for you to find the correct Realtek audio driver version for your computer. You can use a driver updater like IObit Driver Booster, which can automatically install the right one.

  1. Get a driver updater on your Windows desktop.

  2. Run it and it will detect the absent driver and ask for downloading permission.

  3. Confirm it. The driver updater will scratch the information of your computer and go to the manufacturer, installing the newest version of your needed driver.

Driver Booster

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Reinstalling the driver is the most direct and useful solution to figure out 90% of software-related audio malfunctions, especially the situations below:

  • No sound or intermittent sound.

  • Audio device not recognized

  • Microphone not working

  • Audio abnormalities after system update

If the audio problem is caused by the following reasons, then reinstalling the driver will not fix it:

  • The volume is muted.

  • Select wrong playback device.

  • The speaker or headphone jack itself is damaged, or the connection cable is loose.

Conclusion

Uninstalling and reinstalling the Realtek audio driver can solve some simple audio play errors that are caused by user configuration. There are 3 ways in this article. You can try them from the quickest one, step-by-step.

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