No audio devices

[tomups]

For some reason all my audio devices disappeared in my 2024 Recoil 16.

The Realtek card is detected, but there are no audio outputs. Not even the NVIDIA HDMI ones.

And when trying to reinstall the official audio drivers from PCSpecialist (downloaded from https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/download-drivers/ choosing Windows 11), I get this error:

So I'm completely without any kind of audio. I even tried a Bluetooth speaker, it connects bit still there is no audio output showing up. It's like absolutely any kind of output audio device is not working, no matter what kind.

I have tried everything: uninstalling drivers, installing drivers from other manufacturers, installing universal Realtek drivers, cleaning up drivers with DDU and reinstalling... everything except reinstalling windows from scratch which I would like to avoid!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Can you post your full specs from the order page of you account? Copy and paste please, screenshots aren’t any good

 

[tomups]

Chassis & Display
Recoil-serie: 16" mat QHD+ 240 Hz sRGB 100% led-breedbeeldscherm (2560 x 1600)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 24 core-processor 14900HX (5,8 GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8 GB PCS PRO SODIMM DDR5 4800 MHz (1 x 8 GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4090 - 16.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
Liquid Series® Laptop Cooling
Recoil 16 Laptopkoeler V2.0
1st M.2 SSD Drive
256 GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (maximaal 3200 MB/R, 2700MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Geïntegreerde SD-geheugenkaartlezer
AC Adaptor
1x 330W-oplader
Power Cable
1 x stroomkabel van 1,5 meter voor Europa
Battery
Recoil Series geïntegreerde 99WH lithiumionbatterij
Thermal Paste
VLOEIBAAR METAAL PERFORMANCE KOELING
Sound Card
Nahimic van SteelSeries 2-Kanaals HD-Audio
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & DRAADLOOS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2,4 Gbps) + BT 5.3
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 4 + 1 x USB 3.2 (TYPE C) + 3 x USB 3.2
Keyboard Language
RECOIL 16-SERIE VS INTERNATIONAAL TOETSENBORD MET RGB ACHTERGRONDVERLICHTING
Operating System
GEEN BESTURINGSSYSTEEM VEREIST
Operating System Language
VS Internationaal/USA - Amerikaans Engels
Windows Recovery Media
GEEN HERSTELMEDIA NODIG
Office Software
GRATIS 30 dagen Microsoft 365® op proef (besturingssysteem vereist)
Anti-Virus
GEEN ANTI-VIRUSSOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Notebook Mouse
GEÏNTEGREERDE TOUCHPAD-MUIS MET 2 KNOPPEN
Webcam
GEÏNTEGREERDE IR+FHD Hybride webcam
Warranty
3 jaar gouden garantie (2 jaar ophalen en retourneren, 2 jaar onderdelen, 3 jaar arbeid)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
30 dagen garantie dode pixels incl. arbeids- en transportkosten
Delivery
2 DAGEN VERZENDING NAAR NEDERLAND

 

[tomups]

The current RAM and SSD are different from the original specs. 64GB kingston fury impact and a 2TB WD_BLACK SN850X

 

[SpyderTracks]

The current RAM and SSD are different from the original specs. 64GB kingston fury impact and a 2TB WD_BLACK SN850X

How did you install windows when you got it, via what method?

 

[tomups]

I installed via USB pendrive myself, and installed all the drivers from PCSpecialist in the right order. Audio has been working fine until a few days ago that all output devices disappeared. Not sure if it might have been a windows update.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I installed via USB pendrive myself, and installed all the drivers from PCSpecialist in the right order. Audio has been working fine until a few days ago that all output devices disappeared. Not sure if it might have been a windows update.

What did you do with existing partitions?

You wouldn’t use the drivers from the PCS account as they will be outdated. For any drivers you use windows update and only install any from the PCS account if windows update can’t find them

The only drivers you should need to manually install are nvidia from nvidia and control center from PCS downloads

So windows update has likely overwritten a previous install that’s broken it. But your driver later will be all messed up, and the time you’ve taken this far you could have already completed a clean install

Clean install is the best way forward, you won’t be getting full performance as it is with a flaky driver level

 

[tomups]

I finally did a windows reinstall (not clean) and the audio is back, without losing all my apps and settings 😅 phew

What did you do with existing partitions?

There was no existing partitions, the new SSD was empty (I didn't keep the included SSD inside, I'm using it as an external drive now in a M.2 USB enclosure).

You wouldn’t use the drivers from the PCS account as they will be outdated. For any drivers you use windows update and only install any from the PCS account if windows update can’t find them

I had to install quite a few of the drivers manually as from scratch Windows was not detecting a lot of things. For example I didn't even have Wifi during windows install, only ethernet. I had to install the intel drivers after windows was installed to get wifi. And many other things didn't get detected by windows during / after install, only after I installed the PCSpecialist drivers.

 

[SpyderTracks]

For example I didn't even have Wifi during windows install, only ethernet.

That's normal on modern laptops, the Intel driver is not included in the base windows catalogue, huge balls up by Intel before they admitted they didn't know what they were doing and sold the networking division.

I had to install the intel drivers after windows was installed to get wifi. And many other things didn't get detected by windows during / after install, only after I installed the PCSpecialist drivers.

Then suggests something went wrong with the install, or that it was still offline and so optional updates wasn't finding anything.

With any Intel based wifi laptop, you have to clean install on LAN, install all Optional updates and windows updates, that will configure the driver layer, then just install Nvidia and the management driver from the manufacturers.

Your system may be up and running, but I guarantee it's not performing as it should do which you can tell from running any benchmarks. I'd still recommend a clean install and properly configure the driver layer, until then you're on a compromised platform and poor performance will result and almost certainly you'll eventually face some BSODs.

 

[tomups]

With any Intel based wifi laptop, you have to clean install on LAN, install all Optional updates and windows updates, that will configure the driver layer, then just install Nvidia and the management driver from the manufacturers.

Thanks for the tip, good to know for a future install. I did install using LAN but then as soon as windows was ready, I didn't do the optional updates, just went straight to the PCSpecialist drivers thinking that was needed to detect the things that didn't work out of the box like wifi.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for the tip, good to know for a future install. I did install using LAN but then as soon as windows was ready, I didn't do the optional updates, just went straight to the PCSpecialist drivers thinking that was needed to detect the things that didn't work out of the box like wifi.

You wouldn't use PCS downloads at all for any reason aside form the management driver (control center) as all the others will be out of date, just like you never used driver discs back in the day when they were supplied. Any supplied with a build are instantly outdated and irrelevant.

If you need any drivers, you'd always go direct to the manufacturer.

But optional updates are where you source drivers on a windows install, that should account for all of them. Sometimes it won't apply the chipset, but you'd install that direct from Intel, not PCS downloads.

 

[tomups]

I just assumed I first needed to install PCS drivers so the devices would be detected at all, then windows update would upgrade them to the latest version sometime later. Didn't think to check optional updates