March Windows 8.1 update broke Realtek I2S audio

Anonymous
2015-03-31T21:34:51+00:00

Hi, I have a Samsung XE500T1C slate that till the beginning of March was working great.  After a Windows update the slate never booted back into Windows.  A system restore worked fine till the next week when the Windows updates were re-installed.  Regrettably my restore point was gone and I had to restore to factory and then upgrade to Windows 8.1.

After the update to 8.1 I was again not able to boot up.  Restarting in safe mode and eliminating devices one at a time revealed the Realtek I2S audio device was causing the problem.  Searching Bing (ok it was Google that found it) shows other have the same issue. 

As long as I leave the audio device disabled my slate works fine.  When I enable it audio works but the camera operational LED turns on.  Then if I restart the slate it never boots back up and its back to safe mode to disable the Realteck I2S audio device.

Windows 8.1 is fully updated.  My slate system software is fully updated...All updates are in place so please don't suggest that!

Removing the Windows updates that came down on March 10th did not work.

Any ideas how to get audio back?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-05-20T10:44:50+00:00

    Hello Tom,

    Thank you for keeping us updated on the status of the issue.

    I request if you can recheck the Windows Update history and check if there is any update related to sound drivers.

    If so, please reply with the KB number of that update, in order to help you fix the issue.

    Thank you

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-05-20T02:46:05+00:00

    I came across this post as well.  The issue addressed there was back in 2013 and was a caused by missing drivers.  In our case the drivers are installed, the slate worked, and then along came the March Windows update which broke the sound card.

    For the record I have the Canadian version of the slate.  Memory says I tried the US part number drivers and had the same result.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-19T05:42:51+00:00

    I can confirm I have the Canadian version.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-05-19T05:20:23+00:00

    I have run into the same thing with this laptop/tablet.

    Quick question to all that are still watching this thread, are you running Canadian version of this tablet?

    I ask this becuase of this site http://www.aidanfinn.com/?p=15632

    He has a US version and is able to make things work.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-05-11T19:59:46+00:00

    That's why we have to keep on top of MIcrosoft and have them come up with a way to either peel back the offending update, fix it, or find an alternative way for this perfectly good tablet to work like it did before Mid-march.

    Not everybody throws things away.  Initially fearing the tablet was dead, I activated the insurance I have through AT&T and was issued a brand new one -- this one doesn't work either.  Throwing it out is not an option as there is nothing else currently on the market in the US that meets my specific needs.  

    This needs to be fixed, plain and simple.

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