Static noise after last big Windows Update!

Hello. Have you tried using Windows System Restore, to attempt to undo the changes which caused the noise?

Another generic suggestion is to update or down-date the Realtek audio driver. The latest one was released on July 25, so it could be causing the problem.

A way to test the audio driver is to switch between the Realtek and the Windows native audio driver. If the noise is also present when using the native driver then it's not caused by the Realtek driver, & vice versa.

1. Open the Device Manager (find it in the Control Panel, or type devmgmt.msc into the search box).
2. Expand the "Sound, video & game controllers" and right click on "Realtek High Definition Audio".
3. Select to "Update Driver Software".
4. Click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
5. Click "Let me pick from a list of drivers on my computer".
6. Put a check in the box "Show compatible hardware" if not already checked.
7. In the list of devices, click "High Definition Audio" (the native driver).
8. Click "Next".
9. On the Update Driver Warning box, click "Yes" (install the driver).
10. Restart the laptop if prompted. If not prompted, sometimes you have to restart, sometimes not.
[To get back to the Realtek driver, do it again but reverse the names in steps 2 and 7.]

[Note: the above directions don't work with some 2-in-1 models with Win10.]

I am experiencing the exact same issue, it only happens on Windows, no issues at all on Ubuntu. So I can confirm this is happening and it is a serious issue since the noise is quite annoying.

My post with complete details:

en.community.dell.com/.../19989160

I can confirm that this fix is not working. I have no issues on Linux, but on Windows this happens with either the Dell driver or the default one. Disabling the sound card fixes the problem, so does connecting some headphones (which by the way, do not get static noise either)

Sorry, forgot to quote. I mean what you suggested about the Windows native drivers

this fix

What fix?

That was a test that I suggested to find out if the Realtek driver was introducing the noise.

Did your noise issue start right after the latest Windows update?

That was a test that I suggested to find out if the Realtek driver was introducing the noise. Did your noise issue start right after the latest Windows update?

Yes, I understand that, maybe "fix" wasn't the right word on my post ;)

Yes. It started right after. I will be reinstalling tomorrow and will comment on whether issue is still present

Thanks!

After having reinstalled, the issue was still present using the Microsoft default driver. However, as soon as I connected to the Internet, Windows automatically downloaded a "Realtek HD Audio" driver that works perfectly! No more static noise issues.

And it sounds great, so I guess that MaxxAudio is not really needed. However, I'd like to see Dell updating their driver to stop this very irritating issue :)

reinstalled

It's a shame you had to do that. I have a couple of questions about it.

How did you go about the re installation. Was it a complete reformat and clean install, and what is the version of the Realtek driver that Windows found?

To be honest it wasn't that much of a problem :) Luckily the laptop was only a few days old and I wanted to start with a windows installation as fresh as possible.

I am not using the W10 Home license that comes with the XPS, I am using a W10 Pro license that I got from my university (since I need Hyper-V).

Installed the latest W10 version (the anniversary update version, so I did not need to upgrade) I got from the W10 downloads page (Version 10.0.14393, Build 1607). I was still having issues with the default Microsoft "High Definition Audio". After I connected to the internet, it downloaded the "Realtek High Definition Audio" from Windows Update and the issues stopped there. Interestingly enough, Windows update also downloaded the Dell audio application later on, but an older version than the one that's available on Dell's download page. It downloaded audio driver version 6.0.1.7654 with Dell Audio (latest version on the Downloads page is 6.0.1.7829). After this driver got installed, no more static noise at all.

Maybe if you uninstall the driver from Dell from device manager and select to remove all the drivers files, and then ask Windows to update the driver from Windows Update, that might work

I hope this helps!

That was a test that I suggested to find out if the Realtek driver was introducing the noise. Did your noise issue start right after the latest Windows update?

Try to uninstall the driver from Control Panel, if it is there (anything like Dell Audio, MaxxAudio, Waves Audio...) and then from the Device Manager (remember to select the "Delete the driver software for this device").

Reboot, select your audio card (which should then be "High Definition Audio") and update the driver, choosing "Search automatically for updated driver software". That should install the same driver I have and which solved my problems

I didn't try yet to use the Windows System Restore, do you have any other suggestion or test before I do it?

I would try vagaerg's suggestion. I think he/she is the only person who has been able to resolve this issue so far. Find "Realtek High Definition Audio" in the Device Manager. Right click on it and select "Uninstall". Check the box to remove the software. Restart the laptop. Go back to Device Manager and check again for Realtek. If it has been removed, you will see "High Definition Audio" in its place. That is the Windows native driver.

About Windows System Restore -- you can select a restore date from right before the problem began, and return the laptop to that date. Doing so is not a big deal, and it is reversible if you for some reason it has a negative result, which is unlikely.

Apparently this is an issue caused by Microsoft making changes to the configuration of the system. Windows System Restore partially returns to an earlier configuration -- however it does not affect everything in the computer (like a system recovery would), so it does not cure all problems. Additionally, Microsoft's updates will reconfigure the system again, which is the big drawback with Win10.

I wasn't able to fix this issue despite the above suggestion. I tried uninstalling Realtek from the control panel and deleting the driver but every time I reboot the Windows troubleshooter kicks in and reinstalls the Realtek driver. The audio distortion is persistent and very annoying. Has anyone else found a fix?

SOLUTION

Guys, I managed to solve the problem!! At least on my case.

One of the most obvious thinks we try to do when a problem like this shows up, is updating the driver. Doing the "lazy" procedure: right click on "Device Manager/Sound, video.../Realtek driver", and choosing the option to search it on-line automatically, always showed the message that the driver was already updated. So I started trying all the methods I found on-line and here in the forum. Nothing worked.

For any reason, I decided to look for some driver update directly from Dell's website. There was only the July 25th which I already had, and jimco mentioned on the first post. But then I realized that the size of that driver was too big (322 MB) for the system to download so fast (when I tried to uninstall the driver and restart the system letting it be downloaded automatically). So I decided to install that big one. IT WORKED.

I'm not a specialist, I don't know what they leave out of this "compact version" of the updated driver, compared to the 322 MB installer. Should be like the software from a printer, you can install the whole thing and have all the features, or just this small driver, enough to make you do the basic. Printing. My theory is, although that compact driver from Realtek was from the updated version, they probably left some crucial part out, and you only get it when you update the whole 322 MB installer.

Sorry the big text, but it took so long for me to solve it, that I needed to "think out loud". If anyone has a good explanation, besides my whole guessing process, I'd appreciate reading!!

Anyway, I hope it helps the others!!

The file name is: Audio_Driver_FFMX5_WN32_6.0.1.7829_A05.EXE

Version: 6.0.1.7829 ,A05