Audio devices disappear after failed update

Anonymous

My computer (i7-6700K, ASUS Z170-Deluxe, 16MB ram) was working fine until it tried an update to KB50003637. During the update, it BSODed with a PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error, after which it notified me that the update had failed and attempted to return to its previous state. However, when Windows restarted, I was getting a red X over the speaker icon on the taskbar, along with "No audio output device is installed" and "Speaker Setup (UNKNOWN)" messages when you hover or right-click on the icon, respectively. Running the Audio Troubleshooter only tells me they're sorry that they couldn't fix my problem. I've been using the standard on-board Realtek High Definition audio, and first tried reinstalling the driver, but the problem continued. I checked Device Manager, and both the "Audio inputs and outputs" and "Sound, video, and game controllers" sections had the Realtek device listed, along with the comment that "The device is working properly." I then tried a installing a USB DAC (LH Labs Geek Out 450) I've had sitting around for some time, along with its driver software. Same problem: that device is "working properly," but Windows itself still gives the red X and "No audio output device is installed," etc. messages. Now, this USB DAC has an ASIO driver as part of the software, and apps that can use ASIO (Foobar2000, JRiver Media Center) can be configured to use it via ASIO, and can play audio through it just fine -- but, at the same time, according to Windows, I don't have any audio devices, so none of the programs that don't have ASIO support (the vast majority of them) can't play audio on my computer at all.

Needless to say, I made repeated efforts to reinstall the drivers, with no success. I also repeatedly uninstalled the devices and restarted, but, after the restarts, I had the same devices in place, all "working properly" according to device manager, but unavailable through Windows. I also tried stopping and restarting the "Windows Audio" and "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder" in Services, but that didn't have any effect either.

I checked out the details on each of those drivers in device manager, and found both of them were reporting that the devices could not be migrated because of "due to partial or ambiguous match."

The Realtek device had the following error message in "Events":

Device HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0900&SUBSYS_1043868F&REV_1000\4&27952083&0&0001 was not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match.

Last Device Instance Id: TUSBAUDIO_ENUM\VID_2522&PID_0007&KS\00000040
Class Guid: {4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
Location Path:
Migration Rank: 0xF000FFFFFFFFF132
Present: false
Status: 0xC0000719

while the LH Labs Geek Out had:

Device SWD\MMDEVAPI{0.0.0.00000000}.{8cb2f8d3-e308-4d89-b3e6-84c96dc89425} was not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match.

Last Device Instance Id: SWD\MMDEVAPI{0.0.0.00000000}.{1b978cd4-4584-49a4-a00b-b64c043eccc1}
Class Guid: {c166523c-fe0c-4a94-a586-f1a80cfbbf3e}
Location Path:
Migration Rank: 0xF00000000000F100
Present: false
Status: 0xC0000451

Can this give any clue on how this problem can be fixed? I've tried every "standard" step for such problems, and am completely at a loss right now. Is there a way I can get back my audio without having to take the drastic step of a clean install?

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.

0 comments

50 answers

Anonymous

2021-06-16T07:44:17+00:00

That experience with the system restore not fixing it is disturbing. I don't think there's any way for an update to damage hardware, but it suggests it's modifying something that neither system restores nor repair installs can reach.

My reason for not thinking it damaged the sound chip is, as I mentioned earlier, I followed up by installing a USB DAC that wasn't even plugged in when I did the update. Windows still says no sound devices are loaded, even though I know the DAC is working because programs like Foobar, which allow you to access audio hardware via its own ASIO interface rather than through the Windows audio system itself, can not only locate the DAC but actually play music through it, even as Windows is saying no audio devices exist. And, as I pointed out earlier in this thread, for each of these devices, Device Manager/Properties/Events gives a "not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match" error. This suggests to me that, somehow, the update messed up something in Windows that causes it, when it goes through the devices/drivers to enumerate audio sources, to see properly working devices/drivers but flags them as having a problem. And, whatever it may be doing, it's doing it in a way that neither rolling back via System Restore nor doing a repair install can correct. Unfortunately, I know zero about the internals of Windows, so I can't suggest what might cause such an event to happen, but I'd be curious to bring up the matter with members of the team that coded the audio subsystem of Windows, because I can't see how something like that couldn't be tracked down and fixed in a future update.

In the meantime, as I said above, I'm going to do a clean install to a replacement boot drive, put all the updates on it, and see if it works this time. If so, I'll move on from there. If not...we'll see.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2021-06-16T07:47:11+00:00

I'll give that a try, then.

Incidentally, based on what you've heard so far, will a properly-done Windows 10 clean install be able to be upgraded to Windows 11 without issues, or will it be best to do another clean install with that, too? The answer may determine just how much I put on the computer between those two times, so as not to have to go through too much duplication of effort.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2021-06-16T07:51:34+00:00

It says it is. Auto and running.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2021-06-16T08:01:15+00:00

I couldn’t even complete the repair install through the media creation tool because it downloads all the updates again and as soon as it tries to install that same update, I get the page fault error again, and then eventually the install just reverts and puts everything back how it was. And I don’t know how to stop the install process from installing that update.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2021-06-16T08:02:40+00:00

There have always been Upgrades to new Windows OS' and how they succeed and perform does depend on the underlying install's quality more than anything else.

Plus once you learn the steps, tools, methods and tricks to doing a perfect Clean Install you'll be ready to do another one at any time you need or want to. There was one lady who was so thrilled with the results she did one for all her family members, and now volunteers in forums helping others. It was after a MS Support agent stayed up with me all night showing me how to do a perfect XP install that I got interested in this in the first place, since paid forward to millions of consumers. And I'll be here to help you as much as you need, too.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments