Audio stops working but works after a reboot

Anonymous
2009-10-28T13:58:18+00:00

My audio stops working after Windows 7 has been running for a while;

Ideas:

  • the audio will work again after a re-boot but again, it will stop working after Windows has been running for a while. Re-bootig always fixes the problem but only for a few hours and then the audio is gone. audio problem

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Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2009-10-29T13:40:44+00:00

Hi,

Welcome to Microsoft answers forum.

You can check for the sound drivers,whether they are installed correctly.

if not uninstall them and install again.

I suggest you to verify that the default sound device is set correctly

  1. Click Start,type Sound in the Start Search box.
  2. Click Sound in the search results at the top of the Start menu.
  3. Click the Playback tab. Notice the check mark next to the default device. For most users,the default device is Speakers.

Make sure that your audio settings are configured as expected. Follow these steps:

  1. On the Playback tab, select the playback device, click Properties, click the Advanced tab, and make sure that the Default Format is set to the value that you expect.

 When you finish, close this window to return to the previous window.

  1. On the Playback tab, select the playback device, click Configure, and then make sure the configurations are set correctly.
  2. If the sound settings are set correctly, you are using speakers as the sound device, and your speakers are already set as the default device, go to method 5 now.
  3. Select the sound device that you want as the default sound device, and then click Set Default.
  4. Click OK to save your settings and to close the Sound dialog box.

Determine whether you can now hear sound. If you can hear sound, the issue is resolved. If you cannot hear sound, try method 5.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948481

you can also check performing clean boot.

To perform a clean boot on a computer that is running Windows Vista, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start,type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

  1. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
  2. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
  3. Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
  4. Click OK.

When you are prompted, click Restart.

After the computer starts, start the  program and check whether the problem is resolved.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Thanks and Regards,

Azam - Microsoft Support

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-11T14:33:20+00:00

    If you use a USB audio device on Win7 SP1 and the device hangs, it can be because of your USB controller. Sometimes installing the latest firmware helps. In other cases, putting a passive USB hub between your audio device and the PC helped (don't ask me why, it just did)

    HTH,

    mav

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-11T14:23:43+00:00

    Might work if you have a Realtek driver, but I've got Microsoft and it still happens. The closest I've found to a solution (works about 50%) to revive the WMP without reboot is either to just keep clicking on the file in the WMP list (not very often). The most reliable (least unreliable?) is to unload programs until either they're all gone and WMP still is nonfunctional (in which case you reboot) or it comes back to life and the file plays. Usually I'm down to Explorer and maybe one other when it happens. But it frequently does happen. Good luck.

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