I recently started having an audio issue a few days ago, where when I have music playing (either on Spotify or Youtube) and I open the Windows Explorer to view files, open an application, hover over buttons or folders in the Explorer, or do anything on my computer, the audio sometimes pops and crackles, reacting to my mouse movements/actions. It also happens when I'm only listening to music and not moving my mouse. It will crackle maybe once every 2-3 minutes. I've gone through several websites and conducted steps to diagnose my problem, such as: updating my audio drivers (no new updates found) removing any sound effects on my playback device changing the default format on my playback device (tried most options) turning/replugging/cleaning/fiddling with the output jacks (I have a front and a rear 3.5mm jack and both of them crackle through my speakers and headphones) reviewing DPC latency/audio processing latency checks via LatencyMon (no issue, got the green light) reviewing overall CPU/memory/GPU usage (CPU and GPU are single digits and memory is around 30% because of browsers and other caches) moving any possible interfering tech out of the way (closest objects are my monitor and keyboard + mouse) "power drained" my computer (shut down, turn off PSU, unplugged everything, hold down power button for 20 seconds) The only thing I can think of that changed with my computer is that I swapped out my graphics card (from a GTX 980 TI to RTX 2080) about a month before the crackling started. I didn't touch anything around the audio jack pin connectors and the PSU supports the increase in graphics processing power. I'm out of ideas to try, so I'm hoping someone can give me some further advice.

I am having this exact same issue pretty much 1-1 carbon copy. Audio is horribly poppy and cracky and its unbareable, but the issue goes if I restart and then comes back if I shutdown. Massive bets that this is a Windows issue, however I literally just reinstalled windows 10 on a new drive and the issue persists. Hmmmmm. Could you share your computer specifications if maybe there are some hardware similarities? i5 8600k Z370P HD3 Gigabyte Motherboard GTX 1080 Zotac Mini Windows on NVME M.2 WD Black 16GB DDR4 3200MHz Corsair Vengeance 750W Cooler Master PSU Not sure if most of that is relevant but I have also tried every """solution""" under the bus and its like shouting into a wall, nothing works, and restarting the computer is the only (temporary) solution I can find to the issue. Its honestly infuriating. EDIT: I even purchased a separate sound card, which flags to me that this is some kind of software issue, likely Microsoft or Realteks doing somewhere.

Hi Greg, It's been a few weeks now, and I have a workaround for the problem, although I wish it would resolve completely. Every day I boot up my computer, the problem resurfaces, so I alternate installing the Realtek High Definition Audio driver and the (Windows) High Definition Audio driver and restart my computer. For example, yesterday I reinstalled the Realtek driver, so today I installed the Windows audio driver and restarted, and the audio began working perfectly. At the end of the day I shut down my computer, and the next day I boot it up and the problem comes back, so I install the other driver. It truly seems like a Windows 10 issue now, so if there is anyone that can assist with this problem I'd highly appreciate it. Thanks, Monet

Hi Greg, Thank you so much for all the links you researched for me. I tried every link and it still wasn't cooperating, so I watched the first Youtube video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjxzBIHrXUM) , which showed how to install an older version of the HD audio driver from my files and that worked, until I restarted my computer. Step by step in case someone else runs into this: Go to Device Manager Open "Sound, video and game controllers" Right click on your audio device (Realtek High Definition Audio or might say High Definition Audio Device) Click Update Driver Select Browse my computer for driver software Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer Pick the High Definition Audio Device (if it doesn't appear, you might have to go download it from somewhere) Install Restart computer The culprit seems to be the latest Windows 10 update (on the "2022-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2" and 21H2 update, assuming June version - I updated to try to resolve this problem but kept happening). Something about it is no longer compatible with the Realtek High Definition Audio driver. To confirm the problem, I "updated" the High Definition Audio driver to the latest Realtek one (are they even the same?) and the audio popping problem came back. It seems like restarting my computer changes/updates something behind the scenes and the problem resurfaces. If I could get further assistance, that would help. Thanks, Monet

Audio crackling/popping when I interact with Windows10

Anonymous

I recently started having an audio issue a few days ago, where when I have music playing (either on Spotify or Youtube) and I open the Windows Explorer to view files, open an application, hover over buttons or folders in the Explorer, or do anything on my computer, the audio sometimes pops and crackles, reacting to my mouse movements/actions. It also happens when I'm only listening to music and not moving my mouse. It will crackle maybe once every 2-3 minutes. I've gone through several websites and conducted steps to diagnose my problem, such as:

updating my audio drivers (no new updates found)
removing any sound effects on my playback device
changing the default format on my playback device (tried most options)
turning/replugging/cleaning/fiddling with the output jacks (I have a front and a rear 3.5mm jack and both of them crackle through my speakers and headphones)
reviewing DPC latency/audio processing latency checks via LatencyMon (no issue, got the green light)
reviewing overall CPU/memory/GPU usage (CPU and GPU are single digits and memory is around 30% because of browsers and other caches)
moving any possible interfering tech out of the way (closest objects are my monitor and keyboard + mouse)
"power drained" my computer (shut down, turn off PSU, unplugged everything, hold down power button for 20 seconds)

The only thing I can think of that changed with my computer is that I swapped out my graphics card (from a GTX 980 TI to RTX 2080) about a month before the crackling started. I didn't touch anything around the audio jack pin connectors and the PSU supports the increase in graphics processing power.

I'm out of ideas to try, so I'm hoping someone can give me some further advice.

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Anonymous

2022-09-14T16:59:32+00:00

I am having this exact same issue pretty much 1-1 carbon copy. Audio is horribly poppy and cracky and its unbareable, but the issue goes if I restart and then comes back if I shutdown.

Massive bets that this is a Windows issue, however I literally just reinstalled windows 10 on a new drive and the issue persists. Hmmmmm.

Could you share your computer specifications if maybe there are some hardware similarities?

i5 8600k Z370P HD3 Gigabyte Motherboard

GTX 1080 Zotac Mini

Windows on NVME M.2 WD Black

16GB DDR4 3200MHz Corsair Vengeance

750W Cooler Master PSU

Not sure if most of that is relevant but I have also tried every """solution""" under the bus and its like shouting into a wall, nothing works, and restarting the computer is the only (temporary) solution I can find to the issue. Its honestly infuriating.

EDIT: I even purchased a separate sound card, which flags to me that this is some kind of software issue, likely Microsoft or Realteks doing somewhere.
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Anonymous

2022-07-20T13:31:04+00:00

Hi Greg,

It's been a few weeks now, and I have a workaround for the problem, although I wish it would resolve completely. Every day I boot up my computer, the problem resurfaces, so I alternate installing the Realtek High Definition Audio driver and the (Windows) High Definition Audio driver and restart my computer. For example, yesterday I reinstalled the Realtek driver, so today I installed the Windows audio driver and restarted, and the audio began working perfectly. At the end of the day I shut down my computer, and the next day I boot it up and the problem comes back, so I install the other driver. It truly seems like a Windows 10 issue now, so if there is anyone that can assist with this problem I'd highly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Monet
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Anonymous

2022-07-14T22:34:14+00:00
Hi Greg,

Thank you so much for all the links you researched for me. I tried every link and it still wasn't cooperating, so I watched the first Youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjxzBIHrXUM)

, which showed how to install an older version of the HD audio driver from my files and that worked, until I restarted my computer.

Step by step in case someone else runs into this:
1. Go to Device Manager
2. Open "Sound, video and game controllers"
3. Right click on your audio device (Realtek High Definition Audio or might say High Definition Audio Device)
4. Click Update Driver
5. Select Browse my computer for driver software
6. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
7. Pick the High Definition Audio Device (if it doesn't appear, you might have to go download it from somewhere)
8. Install
9. Restart computer
The culprit seems to be the latest Windows 10 update (on the "2022-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2" and 21H2 update, assuming June version - I updated to try to resolve this problem but kept happening). Something about it is no longer compatible with the Realtek High Definition Audio driver. To confirm the problem, I "updated" the High Definition Audio driver to the latest Realtek one (are they even the same?) and the audio popping problem came back.

It seems like restarting my computer changes/updates something behind the scenes and the problem resurfaces.

If I could get further assistance, that would help.

Thanks,

Monet
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10 people found this answer helpful.

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