Onboard sound no longer functional after graphics card install

[GunbladeVIII]

A search revealed lots of similar threads, but no good answers. So I'll try my own version:

Built myself a new rig with an MSI Z87-G41 motherboard, and used the onboard video and audio while I waited for my new GeForce GTX 750 Ti to come in. Audio out of the front and rear worked great, and then the card came today and I installed it.

However, after installing the card, the onboard audio no longer works. Can only get light static and a very high-pitched sound out of either, whether or not system mute is on or off. Removing the new graphics card and trying again doesn't help, so that seems to rule out interference from the card itself. Reinstalling the Realtek HD Audio drivers didn't seem to help, nor did upgrading to the latest version for my MSI Z87-G41 motherboard, from 6.0.1.7069 to the latest version 6.0.1.7111.

The most distressing thing is that it doesn't realize what's plugged into what back there. Both the Realtek HD Audio manager and the board explorer in the BIOS show that something is connected to the blue and pink plugs, when in fact it's connected to the blue and green plugs.

Trying to uninstall the NVIDIA audio drivers didn't help.

Trying to set the default device for output in the Sound dialog from Control Panel doesn't help; the device is either greyed out because it doesn't believe it's plugged in when it actually is, or it isn't associated with the correct plug in the back.

I have no idea how it all could have gone so south after working just fine before installing the new graphics card.

I'll provide any other details needed. Thank you!

 

[bgunner]

try this, Right click on the speaker Icon in the task bar, select play back devices, In this window select the Realtek audio device. The GPU has On Board sound and I believe windows has selected the GPU audio output instead of the motherboard output.

If it is grayed out right click on the device and see if it is enabled. Only disabled devices are grayed out.

 

[GunbladeVIII]

The Realtek audio device in the resulting dialog is enabled and is default, but it can't be correct. If I right click on it, and select Properties, under Jack Information it displays green, front panel and pink, rear panel. There's nothing plugged in to either. And plugging something into either doesn't get me any sound.

If I mess with some of the options in Realtek HD Audio manager, it changes whether I see one or two Realtek devices in the Sound dialog, but they're never associated with the correct jacks.

 

[bgunner]

I know you have said that you have tried to reinstall the audio drivers But would you try it one more time? BUT this time download Driver Fusion from www.treexy.com and run the realtek audio uninstall first from safe mode in windows. This will wipe the audio driver from the PC first and then reinstall the audio driver in normal Windows from the MSI website.

this maybe an exercise in futility but for the 15 mins it will take, we then will know that there will be no issues with the install.

 

[GunbladeVIII]

So I installed Driver Fusion, ran Realtek audio removal from there after rebooting in safe mode, then rebooted again to safe mode and kicked off the Realtek installer, which still wanted to uninstall the existing Realtek drivers and reinstall. After all that, no real help.

I also did try a system restore back to before I installed all the nvidia drivers... but that was also no help.

 

[GunbladeVIII]

Gave up on it. After another few variations on futility, I said heck with it and bought a sound card. Not the first time I've had problems with the onboard audio on an MSI mobo, not the first time I've said heck with the aggravation and gone with a card.

Thanks a lot for the help anyway. That Driver Fusion tool will come in handy later, I think.

 

[bgunner]

I'm sorry I could not be of any help to you. Yes Driver fusion is very handy at times and I keep it installed on my storage drive because of this reason. I'm glad you did get your audio back one way or another. I actually prefer a sound card over onboard sound due to the fact it unloads some of the CPU usage to the card. The card I have, I have had for years and has been transferred to 3 systems since I purchased it.

good luck

 

[Munroej]

I know this is an old thread, but I've got the exact same problem with a Gigabyte board, AMD FX-6300, and a XFX R9 280x.

Exact same symptoms as you described. New system works perfectly while I wait for my awesome new graphics card to arrive (aren't they always late?!) and the onboard audio works fine...until...

GPU comes in and install goes great except for the Realtek HD onboard audio. I do get the same static/high pitched electrical noise you do.

I dusted off an old Soundblaster and it works fine. Disabled HD audio in the BIOS. My only grievance is there is no gameport driver for the old soundblaster, so I'm left with an unknown PCI Input Device in my dev. manager and I have to live knowing I have a workaround and not a system that bats 1000%.