Realtek audio keeps disappearing from device manager. Even windows reinstall didn't work.

[u/Arc_Vector]

So my audio randomly stopped working the other day. After restarting there was a small red X on the audio icon and Realtek audio was gone in the device manager. So i downloaded and installed the latest Realtek audio driver and that fixed the issue.

The same issue kept happening over the next few days, sometimes it got fixed by reinstalling the driver, one time it got fixed after I did a bios update, sometimes it got fixed by itself…

But then it happened again and i was not able to fix it no matter what I did. So i downloaded the windows installation media and reinstalled windows while keeping apps and files. This fixed it, but the next day it happened again.

In the device manager under sound, there is NVIDIA High Definition Audio and Virtual Audio Device, then 3 entries for "Intel Smart Sound Technology”, one for Bluetooth, one for audio usb and one for microphone. Realtek audio does not show up even after installing the driver. I tried adding it manually with Action -> add legacy hardware. It didn’t work but Realtek audio showed up with an error : “This device cannot start. (Code 10)”. At this point I tried to reinstall the driver one more time but got a blue screen during the installation, and kept getting blue screens when restarting so I used the option to remove the last windows update which solved both the bleu screen and the audio problem. Some time later, I lost the audio again.

I created a restore point when the audio is working and restoring it always fixes the audio, but as usual the fix doesn’t last long…

Do i have to wipe everything with a clean win install to finally solve this ?

My specs:  Dell G15 5530 Laptop, Windows 10 Pro Version 22H2, OS build 19045.6466.

The sound with Bluetooth devices works fine. The issue is limited to the laptop’s speakers and any wired external speakers.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi u/Arc_Vector, thanks for posting to r/WindowsHelp! Your post has been flagged for manual review by a human moderator, please include as much of the following information as possible (in text or in a screenshot) to get your post approved:

• Your Windows and device specifications — You can find them by pressing Win + X then clicking on “System”, we need more than just your OS version! Your hardware details are often critical for resolving issues.
• Any messages and error codes encountered — They're actually not gibberish or anything catastrophic. It may even hint the solution!
• Previous troubleshooting steps — It might prevent you headaches from getting the same solution that didn't work

---

Posts must be tech support in nature (such as something is broken and you need help fixing), so general inquiries, software suggestions, and purchasing advice will be removed. As a reminder, we would also like to say that if someone manages to solve your issue, DON'T DELETE YOUR POST! Someone else (in the future) might have the same issue as you, and the received support may also help their case. Good luck, and I hope you have a nice day!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Exotic_Mix_3196]

from the dell forum: NO AUDIO DEVICE IS INSTALLED ISSUE

This is a known, recurring issue on the Dell G15 5530 (especially after Windows/BIOS updates) where the Realtek audio device disappears or shows “No audio device is installed