March Windows 8.1 update broke Realtek I2S audio

Hello Tom,

As per description, the audio drivers are corrupt or sound card itself is corrupt.

In first place I would suggest you to check the updates history.

To check the update history follow the steps given below.

Open Update History by pressing Window key + X key together, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then, under Programs and Features, clicking Update History.

In the Update History try to check the KB for the last updates after which this issue started.

Provide us the KB number of the update.

I would suggest you to uninstall the sound drivers from the device manager and Install latest sound drivers on the computer.

Follow these steps to uninstall and reinstall the driver:

1. Press “Windows Logo” + “X” keys on the keyboard.
2. Click on “**Device Manager**” from that list.
3. Search for the **“****sound, video and game controllers** **”**from the device list and expand it, right click on it and then select “**Uninstall**”. On the un-installation window, if you have an option: “**Delete the driver software for this device**” you may select that and then remove the corrupted drivers from the computer.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete it and restart the computer.

On restart, it will install the legacy drivers. Check if that resolves the issue. 

If issue didn’t get resolve I would suggest you to try to install the latest sound drivers for windows 8.1 from the manufacturer website and check.

Refer to the link:

http://www.samsung.com/au/support/model/XE500T1C-A01AU

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance with Windows, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Thank you.

Hi Ashish,

Thank you for your response.

As I had to re-install the OS to get my slate working my Windows update history is gone.  I did get a list of all updates released on March 10th and uninstalled each one by KB number.  This did not resolve the issue.

Prior to my original post I also removed and reinstalled the sound card drivers as you described.  This also made no difference.

As mentioned in my original post ALL drivers are up to date, this includes the sound card driver from the Samsung site. 

In response to your suggestion that the sound card or driver may be corrupt, I do not agree.  The sound card works if I enable but on a restart prevents Windows from booting.  My experience is exactly the same at others with the same slate (see the link in my original post).  Further to this after re-installing the OS, which was Windows 8, the sound card worked.  Its the upgrade to 8.1 that causes the issue.  This is not to say that 8.1 is the problem as my slate worked with 8.1 until the March Windows updates.

Question - When upgrading to to Windows 8.1 from the Windows store do you get an install that comes with all the latest updates?  How can I get a new Windows install back to what it would have been prior to March 2015?

Hello Tom,

The reason I am suspecting that it is a sound card or sound driver issue is that your system is working in safe mode. In safe mode sound card do not work and you also mentioned that your system also works when audio device is disabled.

This clearly indicates that the issue is with sound card or drivers.

As per description, your system works fine with windows 8. There is also a possibility that the drivers for windows 8 are not compatible with windows 8.1.

I would suggest you to download the sound drivers from manufacturer websites from the link given below:

Refer to the link:

http://www.samsung.com/au/support/model/XE500T1C-A01AU

Once the drivers is downloaded from the manufacturer website. Try to install the driver in compatibility mode with windows 8.

Refer: compatibility help link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/older-programs-compatible-version-windows 

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance with Windows, we’ll be glad to assist you.

I have also had the same problem -- thought it was a hardware issue on my XE500T1C, so, since I had insurance through my cell carrier, I was able to get a new one.  The same problem occurred on the new one.  Everything worked fine in Windows 8, but as soon as I upgraded to windows 8.1 I had the same problem.  This issue is not well-documented on the Net and Samsung support was of ZERO assistance, so I had to work through the problem myself.  Finally, after completing a CLEAN install of windows 8.1 (wiping out all the files on the HDD of my tablet), I was up and running, however with no drivers.  Through trial and error I was able to isolate the problem to the sound driver as Tom mentions in this post.  I tried using the latest version of both the Windows 8 and 8.1 drivers and had the same outcome with both.  The only way I can keep my tablet up and running is to disable the sound card until someone eventually comes up with a fix to the driver that will play nice with my Windows installation.

Either something in the Windows 8.1 update isn't compatible with the sound driver or the sound driver is not compatible with the Windows 8.1 update -- but that is absolutely where the problem lies.  This problem DEFINITELY came to light after the March Microsoft Update.  The day before the update I used the tablet all day (I was at a trade show).  The day the problem occurred, I was at the same trade show.   Fearing the battery was nearly dead, I found an outlet and plugged it in, turning it on as I did so.  It immediately did the update and the rest, as they say, is history... it has been a VERY frustrating few weeks as I run a not-for-profit organization almost entirely from my tablet...  I have been mostly out of business now for almost a month!

To Tom's question about whether the Windows 8.1 upgrade in the Microsoft store contains the update that "breaks" the sound driver, I would have to assume the answer is yes.  Every which way I tried to do the update via the store, it did not work.  Not knowing what the problem was, I never thought of going into safe mode and shutting down the sound card... had I done that, I might've been a lot farther ahead, a lot quick.

It would be really AWESOME if Microsoft could come up with a patch that would make this problem go away!!!

Hello Tom,

The reason I am suspecting that it is a sound card or sound driver issue is that your system is working in safe mode. In safe mode sound card do not work and you also mentioned that your system also works when audio device is disabled.

This clearly indicates that the issue is with sound card or drivers.

Hi Ashish,

Safe mode as you mentioned does disable the sound which will allow my slate to boot.  The reason is not corrupt drivers but the Windows update as others with the same slate have also found.

Before my original post I did try the Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 sound card drivers in a regular and compatability mode install.  I also tried the driver install from device manager using just the .inf file.  All of these methods result in the same locked up tablet on reboot.

I need to emphasize that audio works after enabling the I2S sound card in device manager.  This points to the fact it is not a hardware issue...sound does work.  This is a MS update that has caused issues with a driver on this device.

Do you think this is something Samsung is better equipped to deal with?

Thanks for your assistance so far,

Tom