Audio Driver not working

Question

I recently reset my PC and when it finished, my audio stopped working, the built-in microphone, speakers and the wired headphone I had connected to my pc didn't show up. I tried to reinstall the audio drives like Intel and Realtek but none of it worked. I'm currently using audio by using my air pods. I checked my device manager, and it says my "Intel smart sound technology OED" driver failed to start because it failed its initialization call (Code 10) . Also, my audio and input devices are completely gone, they don't seem to get recognized by the computer anymore.

Answer 1

Hi, good day!

• Have you tried the AI suggested solutions?
• What is the exact make and model of your computer?

Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: msinfo32

Press Enter

Please take a screenshot of the System Information window and post it in your next response. Note: Don't include any personal information or sensitive data as Microsoft Q&A is a public forum.

This will allow me to determine what specific audio driver to provide from the manufacturer's support page.

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I look forward to receiving your update and I'm willing to collaborate with you till we resolve the issue. Do keep me informed by clicking "Add comment" below instead of Yes or No button.

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order on Windows 11 to restore the missing audio devices and fix the Code 10 on Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST/OED):

1. Run Windows Update for audio drivers
2. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
3. Select Check for updates and install all available updates, including optional driver updates.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Reinstall audio devices from Device Manager
6. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
7. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
8. For each audio-related device (for example, Intel Smart Sound Technology, Realtek(R) Audio, any other audio device):
   • Right-click the device and select Uninstall device.
   • If offered, check Delete the driver software for this device / Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
   • Select Uninstall.
9. Restart the PC. Windows will attempt to reinstall the audio devices and drivers automatically.
10. If devices still do not appear, in Device Manager right‑click the computer name at the top and select Scan for hardware changes.
11. Update audio drivers via Device Manager
12. In Device Manager, under Sound, video and game controllers, right‑click the reinstalled audio device (for example, Realtek(R) Audio or Intel Smart Sound Technology).
13. Select Update driver.
14. Select Search automatically for drivers and follow the on‑screen instructions.
15. Restart the PC after updates complete.
16. Install latest drivers from the PC manufacturer If Windows still shows Code 10 or no audio devices:
17. Go to the PC or motherboard manufacturer’s support site.
18. Locate the exact model.
19. Download and install the latest chipset, Intel Smart Sound Technology, and audio (Realtek/Intel) drivers for Windows 11.
20. Restart the PC.
21. If audio issues started after an update, roll back the driver If sound worked immediately after reset and only failed after a later update:
22. Open Device Manager.
23. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
24. Right‑click the audio device and select Properties.
25. Go to the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver (if available), then follow the prompts and restart.

If, after these steps, Sound, video and game controllers still shows Code 10 and no playback/recording devices appear in Settings > System > Sound, the next actions are:

• Re-run the steps but ensure all audio devices are fully uninstalled with the “Delete driver software” option before reboot.
• If the issue persists even with the manufacturer’s latest drivers, contact the PC manufacturer, as a hardware or firmware issue (for example, with the audio codec or SST controller) is likely.

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References:

• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• Update Audio drivers in Windows
• Fix microphone problems
• No audio with Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A
• How to fix this. no audio device is installed - Microsoft Q&A