Windows 10: Windows is not detecting motherboard audio I/O

Hello! After fresh install Win11 or Win10 i have not any audio DEVICE at windows device manager. I have no sound from all connectors. This is my second motherboard, i returned first one thinked that is onboard I/O Audio Chip dead, so I bought second one and again same. Did many things found on internet like uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, enabling/disabling HD audio at BIOS, clearing CMOS and loading optimized defaults also updated BIOS on 1st motherboard to F15d refreshing devices at device manager, using windows troubleshoot, etc, etc. No luck. Like motherboard has no audio chip at

:)

 

No audio from rear I/O audio connection in motherboard panel

I am not able to get any signal to the rear audio jacks of my Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 Mobo, I am running a licensed version of windows 10 pro x64bit. My speakers are the BOSE Companion 50 with the standard 3.5mm jack. I updated the drivers to the latest Realtek
HD Audio drivers but to no avail.

There are 4 audio devices in device manager

2 in "Audio inputs and outputs"

- Realtek digital output (Realtek High Definition Audio)

- Realtek digital output (optical) (Realtek High Definition Audio)

and 2 in "Sound, Video and Game Controllers"

- High Definition audio device

- Realtek High definition audio

AND...when I plug my speakers into the front chassis HD Audio output.... 3.5mm headphone jack...the sound works fine. (this is plugged into the Front Panel Audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) on the motherboard.) When this is plugged in,

a 'speakers (realtek high definition audio)'

device appears in the "Audio inputs and outputs" in device manger.

When I plug the speakers into the rear mobo I/O Audio connection, there is recognition from the Asus Realtek HD Audio software that something has been connected, but no sound is output through them at all. I have changed the playback devices to both realtek
audio and realtek audio (optical), from what I understand, the 'Optical' is the optical output from my motherboard that is labelled SPDIF out on the rear panel? Is that right?

I just don't know what else to try.

Its worth mentioning I only built this PC last weekend and so have never had any audio signal from the rear of this motherboard.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

No audio devices detected


First step, reinstall the Intel motherboard chipset drivers. Then restart the PC and check after Windows has started to see if the generic, basic function, High Definition Audio Driver is installed for the sound. If it is and the sound works you can then reinstall the Realtek drivers (if Windows doesn't install that instead of the HD Audio).

USB headphones work as they do not use the PC audio, they take digital data and do the audio conversion inside the headset.

 

Windows not recognizing motherboard audio device

If the HD Audio device only appears in Device Manager as a Hidden Device (it displays with a transparent icon) then, yes, Windows is not detecting the device. Could be the chip failed. But here's a trick that sometimes works....

HD audio connects like this:Windows <===> HD Audio Controller <=======> HD Audio Device
Your HD audio device connects downstream to an Audio Controller. Sometimes the controller needs to be reset.

Look in Device Manager under System Devices. Do you find a device named something like "High Def Audio Controller" or "Realtek HD Audio Controller"?

• If not there, it's the controller that failed
• If you find the HD audio controller:
  • Right click it, select Uninstall. If asked, do not choose to delete driver files.
  • Reboot. The driver will reinstall and the audio controller will attempt to re-detect the HD audio device. Does it find it this time?

If that doesn't work, i'd also check if any BIOS updates.