Windows 10 No sound, problem using my speakers like normal. PC forcing me to use a digital output I don't have.

  • Thread starter Thread starter JimDobbs
  • Start date Start date
J

JimDobbs

I have never had a problem like this.

So frustrating. I'm not a complete noob, but this stumped me. From what I've read I am far from being the only one who has encountered this problem. One day everything is working fine, turn off PC. Next day, turn on PC, and all of a sardine my PC thinks I don't need a regular speaker output because it want's me to magically use a digital output I don't have!

Started my computer and encountered the following:

No sound, could not see 'Speakers', only S/PDIF, in sound settings.
Speaker output not working, visible in sound option, but didn't register the speakers being plugged in. My headphones didn't work either.
Windows troubleshoot didn't work. Trying different/updated drivers didn't work.
I've always used the on-board sound, but I did try a sound-card I have lying around, and that also did not work.
I last updated Windows a month ago, so I don't think that that is a problem. I updated the drivers and all it did was change the 'S/PDIF' in volume controller to 'Realtek Digital Output'.

What did kind of work was uninstalling all sound drivers and then re-installing with the older Realtek driver, R281 (a suggestion from a forum), but it didn't work all on it's own. It still only showed Realtek Digital Output. I had to manually open Realtek from Program Files, because it wasn't listed in Control Panel, and then, it only registered my speakers after I unplugged them and plugged them back in. But I could only choose 'Headphones' from the plug and play feature, there was no 'Speakers' option. So, my sound is working, but I think this is more like a band-aid than a proper solution.

And besides all of this I don't even have a digital output/hdmi, so why does it only want to give me that option? Why did I have to force it to accept that I have speakers (even if it thinks they're headphones)?

Ultimately, is there a fix, a better way, to make my speakers work like they used to?


My computer is old:

Processor: Pentium Dual-Core E5300 @ 2.60GHZ

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C

Ram: 4GB

Windows 10 Pro
Version: 20H2
OZ Build: 19042.844
Experience: Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.5510

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