Troubleshooting Guide: Audio does not Work after a Certain Period of Time

Question

Hello everyone, Thanks for choosing the HP Forums! If your sound recently stopped working on Windows 8.x or Windows Server 2012, and you suspect a Windows Update is involved, then look no further! This is the troubleshooting guide that will explain how to resolve the issue! Explanation: Currently, there is a Windows update that may be causing the sound on your computer to stop working. The update is KB2962407, and it is now an “Important” update. That means that it will be installed by Windows Update unless you hide it. This thread also covers generic sound troubleshooting that can resolve "no sound" issues. Before tackling the update itself, since a Windows update may not be the culprit, there is some troubleshooting that can be done. A Round of Troubleshooting: 1. Running the Audio Troubleshooting in Windows 8 can resolve the issue. It does contain the ability to eliminate any setting that affects sound. Here are some steps on how to run this troubleshooter: a) Hold down the “Windows” and “R” key and then type “troubleshooting” and hit Enter.b) A window will open. On the left, click “View All”, then “Playing Audio”.c) Click “Advanced” and run it as Administrator. Then click “Next” to complete the process. 2. Try creating a new user account. The changes forced by the update may only affect one user. This HP document shows you how to create a new user under the “Creating a new account in Windows 8” section: Managing User Accounts and Logins (Windows 8) 3. Try a pair of headphones or external speakers. It will rule out where the issue lies if sound does not work through a second or third output device. 4. Another solution is to uninstall the driver manually then force it to be installed again:a) Open Device Manager, and go to the “Sound, video and game controller” section.b) Right-click on your audio driver and select “uninstall”.c) Restart the computer. This will force the hardware to write a new driver upon startup. 5. Finally, make sure that the remaining steps that you haven't tried from this document are attempted: No Sound from Speakers (Windows 8) New Inclusions: Disabling and enabling the sound driver has been tested with successful results enough for me to post here. These are the instructions to do this: a) Open Device Manager, and go to the “Sound, video and game controller” section.b) Right-click on your audio driver and select “disable”.c) Wait a minute, then right-click on it and select "enable" Also, A System Restore is also a valid troubleshooting step. This will return the computer to a point before the update and/or external source of the issue occurred. Here is a document on how to perform a System Restore: System Restore If you want something stronger, a Windows Refresh completely refreshes Windows 8, without affecting files: Refresh Your PC to Resolve Problems (Windows 8) Also, here is a Windows sound troubleshooting tutorial. Just out of curiosity, I re-created the issue on a Windows 8 computer and went through this tutorial. It was able to resolve the issue: No sound in Windows  *Everything in italics  is currently un-tested, but will be tested as soon as possible. I believe these steps will help: In the search bar, type "services.msc" and hit Enter. Hold down the "Windows" key and "R" key. Type "services.msc" and hit Enter. Look for the following services: - Audio Service- Windows Audio- Windows Audio Endpoint Builder I want you to right-click each of those services, and select "Stop". When they are all stopped, right-click on each one again, and select "Start". As well, make sure each service's status is "Started" and their startup type is "Automatic". Troubleshooting the Update: At this point, unless you want to reinstall the operating system, the only other option is to tackle the update, KB2962407. Please note that the following troubleshooting is ONLY a workaround, for now, and only should be done if the computer has installed this update. First, you can try the Hotfix in this Microsoft document, specifically to address KB2962407: Windows RT, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012 update rollup: June 2014 If that doesn't help, then uninstalling the Windows Update, and then hiding it, is the only method of eliminating the issue if it caused by this update. Here is the procedure for uninstalling the update: 1. Go into Control Panel, then click on “Programs and Features”.2. Click on “View Installed Updates”. Look for the update with the ID number KB2962407.3. Right-click on the update and select “Uninstall”. Restart the computer. Next, here is the procedure for hiding the update: 1. Go into Control Panel, then click on “Windows Updates”.2. Click on “Check for Updates”. When the process is completed, is should find important update(s) available. Clicking on the message will open a window where the important update(s) is.3. Right-click on the KB2962407 update and select “Hide Update”. This will prevent the update from being installed next time Windows Updates are being installed. Conclusion:
At the end of this guide, you will have sound working again (assuming that the cause was the Windows Update, or at least software-based). Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. Thanks!
Mario

Answer 1

Hello everyone  Thank you so much for making use of my thread, dedicated to resolve the issue. I appreciate all the feedback  For those who are still experiencing issues, please reply to this post with the following information, and I can continue to assist: 1. The computer's model number. If you require assistance locating this information, please reference this website: Guide to finding your notebook product number 2. The computer's operating system. If you require assistance locating this information, please reference this website to determine your Windows operating system. (Make sure to include whether it's 32 or 64 bit.) 3. Does this occur on certain programs, or all programs? 4. Have you installed any new software or drivers on this computer, before the issue appeared? 5. What steps have been attempted from my first post on this thread, and what were the results? Additionally, if the issue just began occurring, I would perform a system restore. I want you to bring the computer back to the earliest restore point possible, in an attempt to dodge whatever caused the issue. Here is a document on how to perform a System Restore: System Restore Thanks again for all the continued support! Mario