Front and Back Audio and Microphone Ports no longer work after Graphics Card installation

[venomouszippleback]

Exactly as it says. I have an HP xw8600, which I have been making a few changes to since having it. Here's the basic rundown: it originally had an NVIDIA Quadro FX3700. An older graphics card, so the way I got audio was through the motherboard's back ports. However, I then bought an NVIDIA GTX 1050 since I intend to use this for gaming. After installing it, I noticed sound didn't work. I checked the settings, and the RealTek High Definition Audio Output was gone, all there was left was three NVIDIA audio outputs (HDMI, DP, and DVI). I plugged my speakers into my monitor, and it worked, so I called it a day. However, only after a bit of time did I realize that it actually matters. The Front Panel's and Back Panel's Audio Ports are "missing", this includes the Microphone Ports. What I mean by this is in Advanced Sound Settings, there is nothing there, in Output Devices, there is nothing there. In device manager, there is nothing there. I have reinstalled RealTek HD Audio multiple times, I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10, troubleshooters find nothing, driver updates find nothing, and the constant searching I have done to find a similar scenario has found nothing. I have tried for hours to figure this out, and I give up. If anyone has any suggestions or insights, I will be happy to use them.

 

[Paperdoc]

Windows can use only ONE device at a time for each of three different types of audio tasks: audio output, audio recording (input) and midi playback. Each of these can be set separately in Windows' tools to configure sound devices. What has happened is that, when you installed the new graphics card and its drivers, it also changed the selections for Windows audio devices to use the facilities on the vidio card. That way it can send audio from its own output chip out via the HDMI cable to your monitor. But that also means that NO sound will be sent out of the rear jacks of your mobo or the front panel headphone jack, because those are fed from the mobo Realtek system that Windows is set NOT to use. You could set Windows to use the microphone jacks front and back, I expect, and not change the sound output situation.

But you also can change back to what you had before if you want. You can tell Windows to use the Realtek system for all those functions. That will get you NO sound at your monitor if you keep using only the HDMI cable. BUT you CAN continue to use the HDMI cable for video to the monitor, and then connect cables once again from your mobo's back panel jacks to audio input jacks on the monitor, or to speakers. The front panel jacks will work again, too, since they are run by the mobo Realtek system.

 

[venomouszippleback]

Windows can use only ONE device at a time for each of three different types of audio tasks: audio output, audio recording (input) and midi playback. Each of these can be set separately in Windows' tools to configure sound devices. What has happened is that, when you installed the new graphics card and its drivers, it also changed the selections for Windows audio devices to use the facilities on the vidio card. That way it can send audio from its own output chip out via the HDMI cable to your monitor. But that also means that NO sound will be sent out of the rear jacks of your mobo or the front panel headphone jack, because those are fed from the mobo Realtek system that Windows is set NOT to use. You could set Windows to use the microphone jacks front and back, I expect, and not change the sound output situation.

But you also can change back to what you had before if you want. You can tell Windows to use the Realtek system for all those functions. That will get you NO sound at your monitor if you keep using only the HDMI cable. BUT you CAN continue to use the HDMI cable for video to the monitor, and then connect cables once again from your mobo's back panel jacks to audio input jacks on the monitor, or to speakers. The front panel jacks will work again, too, since they are run by the mobo Realtek system.

Alright, where do I find these settings? I assume you're not talking about the "Sound Control Panel"

 

[Paperdoc]

In Win 10, go through the Start icon at bottom left, chose the gear icon for "Settings" .... System .... Sound. The top item there is a drop-down window to choose the sound output device Windows will use. Other items further down allow you to make other choices and settings.

 

[venomouszippleback]

In Win 10, go through the Start icon at bottom left, chose the gear icon for "Settings" .... System .... Sound. The top item there is a drop-down window to choose the sound output device Windows will use. Other items further down allow you to make other choices and settings.

Yep, had an idea that's what you were talking about. As I described, when I go there to select my sound options, there is only one option, and that's the HDMI cable. The default output is literally missing from the options. Same with the Microphone, which there is just no choice for.

 

[Paperdoc]

So, right now your system does not even show you the existence of a mobo-based sound option. Yet that IS what you were using before, right? To be sure, the jacks you used to use are ones on the mobo's rear panel, alongside things like USB and printer and Ethernet cable ports, right? You were NOT using an audio jack on the old VIDEO card, right?

So, assuming that an audio system DOES exist on your mobo that is not being shown, let's try to force Windows to find it again. Go Into Device Manager. Using options at the top, make sure it will show you the "Hidden Devices". Now, under the Action menu item at top choose to Scan for New Devices. Hopefully Windows will find the mobo audio chip - and MAY even load its device driver so you can access it. If not - if the device shows up but with a yellow Caution triangle because it has no driver - RIGHT-click on that device and choose to load its driver. You MAY have to tell it where to find it, but it should know already.

If you can get the mobo audio system to show up in Device Manager with no caution triangle, THEN you should be able to tell Windows to use it as the Default Sound Playback device.

 

[venomouszippleback]

So, right now your system does not even show you the existence of a mobo-based sound option. Yet that IS what you were using before, right? To be sure, the jacks you used to use are ones on the mobo's rear panel, alongside things like USB and printer and Ethernet cable ports, right? You were NOT using an audio jack on the old VIDEO card, right?

So, assuming that an audio system DOES exist on your mobo that is not being shown, let's try to force Windows to find it again. Go Into Device Manager. Using options at the top, make sure it will show you the "Hidden Devices". Now, under the Action menu item at top choose to Scan for New Devices. Hopefully Windows will find the mobo audio chip - and MAY even load its device driver so you can access it. If not - if the device shows up but with a yellow Caution triangle because it has no driver - RIGHT-click on that device and choose to load its driver. You MAY have to tell it where to find it, but it should know already.

If you can get the mobo audio system to show up in Device Manager with no caution triangle, THEN you should be able to tell Windows to use it as the Default Sound Playback device.

Yep, those were what I originally used, and the original card didn't even have sound output so I'm sure of that. And I've tried all of those. Nothing. I've actually switched to a new motherboard and it's working perfectly fine, so I don't know what it was but I assume it had to do with how old the previous motherboard was and how that probably had something to do with its inability to output sound and graphics from different points. But thank you anyways

 

[Paperdoc]

Glad you got it working.