Recent Microsoft update issues

Question

I have a Dell desktop runningWIN10 with 12GB RAM. After several of the recent Microsoft Updates my system is running slow and has other issues.

1: I think it was one of the October updates, maybe before, the search space in the taskbar got a lot larger and search stopped working (known problem). I was getting into search by other means, now those avenues have been stopped (probably another update).

2: I had went into startup and disabled Phone Link, since it isn't anything I use. Something keeps enabling it again.

3: Going into Task Manager I see in startup I have two line items Named: HD Background Audio Process by Realtek Semiconductor. When looking at the properties of each item the file name, size, location, dates are exactly the same. Can one of these be deleted?

I would like to know how to fix these problems. I have tried some (solutions?) off the internet but nothing has worked yet. Number 1 above is the most pressing issue.

Thanks

Ron

Answer 1

Hello, dresdenron

Welcome to Microsoft community.

After several of the recent Microsoft Updates my system is running slow

Have you followed the steps mentioned here to collect the dump files, or have you used Performance Monitor to monitor the execution of the program?

Windows-based computer freeze troubleshooting - Windows Client | Microsoft Learn

If you're not sure how to analyze the information you've collected, you can upload it to a cloud storage service like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox, and then share the link in your response. After that, I can try to help you analyze the cause.

I had went into startup and disabled Phone Link, since it isn't anything I use. Something keeps enabling it again.

Do you remember approximately when it happened? Which update did you install at that time? You can check the update history to see. If you don't remember, there's no way to find out.

Going into Task Manager I see in startup I have two line items Named: HD Background Audio Process by Realtek Semiconductor. When looking at the properties of each item the file name, size, location, dates are exactly the same. Can one of these be deleted?

It’s not uncommon to see multiple instances of the “HD Audio Background Process” by Realtek Semiconductor in your Task Manager. These processes are usually related to different audio features on your computer.

However, if you’re concerned about these processes affecting your computer’s performance, you could update Realtek Audio Drivers from the manufacturer's website, or disable one of the processes in the Startup tab in Task Manager.

Before making any changes, it’s important to ensure that your audio is working properly. If your audio is working fine, it’s generally recommended not to change anything in the Startup section.

Yuhao Li

Microsoft Community Technical Support