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No audio output after Windows 11 clean install on MSI laptop – only Intel SST devices present, no Realtek audio controller

Rene 0 Zuverlässigkeitspunkte
2026-01-14T16:06:02.5733333+00:00

I am experiencing a persistent audio issue on an MSI laptop after a clean installation of Windows 11.

Problem:

After installing Windows 11 (clean install), there is no audio output at all. No speakers or headphone output work.

Current state:

  • In Device Manager under “Sound, video and game controllers” only the following devices appear:
    • Intel Smart Sound Technology for Bluetooth Audio
    • Intel Smart Sound Technology for Digital Microphones
    • Intel Smart Sound Technology for USB Audio
    • NVIDIA High Definition Audio
  • There is NO Realtek Audio device and no “High Definition Audio Controller”.
  • Under “Audio inputs and outputs” only the microphone array is listed.
  • No playback device is available in Windows sound settings.

What I have already tried:

  • Clean reinstall of Windows 11
  • Installed chipset drivers first
  • Installed latest Intel SST drivers
  • Installed Realtek drivers (both MSI OEM and generic) – installer runs but no audio device appears
  • Installed all Windows Updates including optional driver updates
  • Removed Nahimic / A-Volute completely
  • BIOS update to latest version (MSI Click BIOS)
  • Checked BIOS settings – audio is enabled, no option to disable onboard audio
  • Reset BIOS to default settings
  • HDMI audio works via NVIDIA, but internal speakers and 3.5mm jack do not
  • External USB audio device works correctly

Additional observations:

  • Before BIOS update, Windows requested BitLocker recovery key (secure boot policy change).
  • The issue persists after BIOS update.
  • This strongly suggests that the onboard audio controller is not being exposed correctly to Windows (possibly ACPI / firmware / SST interaction).

System:

  • MSI laptop
  • Windows 11 x64 (clean install)
  • Intel CPU with Intel Smart Sound Technology
  • Realtek onboard audio (not detected)

Question:

What is the correct way to restore the onboard audio device so that Windows detects the Realtek audio controller again?

Is this a known issue between Windows 11, Intel SST and certain MSI BIOS/firmware versions?

Windows für Zuhause | Windows 11 | Geräte und Treiber
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2 Antworten

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  1. Naman Agarwal 0 Zuverlässigkeitspunkte
    2026-01-24T10:21:18.93+00:00

    I am using an MSI Titan 18 HX, and I am facing the same audio issue. Sometimes the system randomly fails to detect the audio drivers or audio devices. When this happens, all videos pause automatically. Even when the audio is working, it sometimes starts lagging, with certain sounds or words repeating continuously, for example: “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”.

    At first, I thought this was a hardware issue with my device. However, after downgrading Windows from version 25H2 to 23H2, everything started working perfectly. There were no audio issues at all, and the system worked as expected on this new device.

    To reconfirm, I later upgraded again to Windows 25H2, and the issue still exists on that version. This makes me believe that the problem is related to Windows 25H2, possibly due to driver conflicts or compatibility issues, rather than a hardware fault.

    If anyone has experienced this issue or knows a solution, please let me know. Any help would be appreciated.

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  2. David-M 109.9K Zuverlässigkeitspunkte Unabhängiger Berater
    2026-01-14T16:45:25.6366667+00:00

    Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

    The correct way to ensure that audio works is to always install the latest audio driver provided by your computer manufacturer. Using drivers from other sources may only add more problems.

    As far as I know, checking official Microsoft sources, there are no known issues between Windows 11, Intel SST, and certain MSI BIOS/firmware versions.

    Please clarify the following:

    Did you use any third-party software to update/install the drivers? If so, which one?

    Also, please share a screenshot of your system information.

    • Press "Windows + R", type msinfo32 and press Enter.

    Maximize the window and use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

    I await your reply.

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