• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

MSI Z87 mobo audio not working

T

tren001

Member
Hi all:

I just put together my new PC and can't get the onboard audio working.

Basic system setup:
MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate mobo
i5 Haswell CPU
4 x 2 GB RAM
XFX 7870 GPU

Everything else seems up and running. I installed all the motherboard drivers, and also installed the latest AMD and Realtek audio drivers (not sure why there are 2 sets of drivers). Because the mobo doesn't have separate outputs for my Logitech 5.1 speakers (front, rear, center/sub), I installed the full set of updated Realtek drivers to allow me to re-map the line-in and mic outputs on the back to plug in my speakers. BIOS is up to date at version 1.3

Unforunately the audio doesn't seem to work at all. The task trey audio icon indicates "audio service is not running" when the computer is turned on. If I click on it, it will start troubleshoot and automatically "activate" the audio service. But if I try to change the volume, or test the speakers, or play an mp3, or try to play a youtube video, the audio shuts off immediately back to "not running" stat and I've never been able to make the system play a single sound.

My problem is identical to the one described in detail by this thread on Tom's Hardware:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1932051/msi-g45-z87-audio-problem.html

Several posters indicate they too have the same problem, but no solution has been offered up.

I am suspecting some sort of hardware side failure? The AMD and Realtek audio devices must both be activated in device manager but the audio still doesn't work.

I am hoping someone here can give some advice about this. I've been using onboard audio for years, and would rather not have to go buy a discrete sound card just to get sound working on my brand new PC build.

Thanks in advance!
 
denis280 said:
only install realtek
Click to expand...

I tried uninstalling either AMD or Realtek or both, but for whatever reason, Windows 7 insists on having both sets of drivers installed or else it won't attempt to play any sounds. In fact, it will automatically install both sets of drivers when they've been uninstalled, then it will try to play a sound, and immediately de-activate sound.

Very mystifying, and frustrating too, especially since the Realtek drivers do appear to allow for easy remapping of the rear sound ports so I can use my surround speaker system, but it's a moot point if audio doesn't work at all at this moment.
 
Download a linux CD (ubuntu, etc) and then reboot your pc running from the CD (dont install linux) live. Check to see if you audio works under linux, if so the problem is driver related. If not, then it is hardware related.
 
Are you using the drivers that came with the board, or the ones off the MSI site?

Their site does not show an AMD driver, which would be an odd requirement for an Intel chipset.

The latest driver is very recent, dated after the article on Tom's.
 
ketchup79 said:
Their site does not show an AMD driver, which would be an odd requirement for an Intel chipset.
Click to expand...
The chipset supports AMD CrossFire, but that's about the only tie to AMD that it has.
tren001 said:
The AMD and Realtek audio devices must both be activated in device manager but the audio still doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Post a screen shot of the device manager showing AMD and Realtek components.
 
ketchup79 said:
Their site does not show an AMD driver, which would be an odd requirement for an Intel chipset.
Click to expand...

The AMD video card would be where the only possible need for an AMD audio driver would occur. The AMD drivers wouldn't be needed at all, unless using for HDMI output to a monitor's speakers. Should be able to right-click-disable either unneeded audio device in Device Manager.
 
Here is a screenshot of the 2 sets of drivers in device manager, plus their versions. As you can see the Realtek drivers are from just a month ago, probably can't get any more up to date than that:

http://imgur.com/fUkQytC

I removed the AMD audio driver permanently from the system so it won't get reinstalled automatically by Windows, but the behavior remains the same, with audio never working.
 
The AMD sound thing must be the HDMI support. Windows likes to see it as if was a Sound Card. It is used to get sound through the Video Card as the HDMI output is capable of providing sound (You could connect via Video Card a TV with integrated speakers with HDMI and it will have both video and sound).

I would try the Linux LiveCD, just because you would want to discard that the issue is that the integrated Sound Card is dead (Sometimes they die, is rare but can happen), and just concentrate on Windows being dumb.
 
tren001 said:
Haswell Core i5-4670k, which appears to have built in Intel HD graphics
Click to expand...

Take out your video card and run video on integrated. Uninstall audio and video drivers and install the latest off the MSI site.

Let's see if audio is working in that configuration.
 
ketchup79 said:
Take out your video card and run video on integrated. Uninstall audio and video drivers and install the latest off the MSI site.

Let's see if audio is working in that configuration.
Click to expand...

But how would this help my situation?

Say I remove the video card and only run onboard video and audio and now the audio works, this would indicate that the audio driver is conflicting somehow with the video card, right?

In that case I'm still screwed since I'm not going to ditch or replace the brand new 7870 just for the sake of getting onboard sound operational.

I guess this method may prove whether it is a hardware or a software problem, but since the 7870 must be installed in the rig, I still must figure out a way to get the onboard sound working with the GPU installed.

The hardware is at least partially working. When I plug in speakers or headphone both in the back and front panel, the task trey will respond with the "you have connected to the audio output port" message, and in fact this is one of the actions which will make the audio service go from on to off.

Maybe I will try those Win 8.1 drivers and see if they do anything.

At least with the new Samsung SSD all of the installing/uninstalling/rebooting is blazing fast so it's not as frustrating as it might be 🙂
 
Well I got it working in a fashion. If you delete both sets of drivers, Windows 7 will install these Microsoft audio drivers dated 2009. In this case, my audio does work, so the hardware is definitely okay. As soon as I try to install a set of Realtek drivers, whether the MSI website one or the one from the post in this thread, the same problems come up again.

Unfortunately the MS driver only gives 2 channel sound, so I'm limping along on this right now, but I don't see how I'm to get the Realtek stuff working. Maybe I'll be forced to get a discrete sound card 🙁
 
Something went wrong with your setup to cause a driver conflict in your current Windows installation. I'd recommend a complete disc wipe, re-partition and re-install of Windows, then immediately thereafter installing the Intel Chipset drivers:
http://www.station-drivers.com/index.php/listes-constructeurs/33-intel/512-intel-chipset-3
Install the Realtek audio next, make sure those work, and only then: the latest AMD video card drivers:
http://www.station-drivers.com/index.php/listes-constructeurs/37-amd-ati/580-amd-ati-catalyst
Also a copy of the latest LAN port driver.
Have those 4 drivers copied to a USB thumb drive, ready for use after the Windows re-install is done.
Only after all of that is up and running: install the LAN port driver, and check for any system updates from Microsoft.
 
Last edited:
vailr said:
Something went wrong with your setup to cause a driver conflict in your current Windows installation. I'd recommend a complete disc wipe, re-partition and re-install of Windows, then immediately thereafter installing the Intel Chipset drivers:
http://www.station-drivers.com/index.php/listes-constructeurs/33-intel/512-intel-chipset-3
Install the Realtek audio next, make sure those work, and only then: the latest AMD video card drivers.
Click to expand...

I am thinking the same. Removing the AMD card was apparently something the OP wasn't willing to do, so hopefully he/she will take your advice here.
 
vailr said:
Something went wrong with your setup to cause a driver conflict in your current Windows installation. I'd recommend a complete disc wipe, re-partition and re-install of Windows, then immediately thereafter installing the Intel Chipset drivers:
http://www.station-drivers.com/index.php/listes-constructeurs/33-intel/512-intel-chipset-3
Install the Realtek audio next, make sure those work, and only then: the latest AMD video card drivers:
http://www.station-drivers.com/index.php/listes-constructeurs/37-amd-ati/580-amd-ati-catalyst
Also a copy of the latest LAN port driver.
Have those 4 drivers copied to a USB thumb drive, ready for use after the Windows re-install is done.
Only after all of that is up and running: install the LAN port driver, and check for any system updates from Microsoft.
Click to expand...

I can give that a try tonight.

Not expecting miracles though, as I just built the rig, so it is a fresh install already. The only difference being the install order of the drivers:

1. Windows fresh install
2. windows update (windows 7 automatically recognized my Zonet wireless USB card)
3. Radeon Catalyst
4. Chipset
5. Realtek audio
6. LAN

So you are suggesting:

1. Windows fresh install (with no network enabled)
2. Chipset
3. Realtek

Then do AMD catalyst, windows update etc.?
 
tren001 said:
So you are suggesting:

1. Windows fresh install (with no network enabled)
2. Chipset
3. Realtek

Then do AMD catalyst, windows update etc.?
Click to expand...

Correct. If you're using a USB WiFi adapter for internet, just leave that unplugged until the Realtek audio problem gets squared away. Also: include an mp3 audio file along with the drivers stored on the USB thumb drive, for audio testing purposes.
 
No dice unfortunately.

I did the fresh install, and audio works with the default MS driver

Then installed intel chipset drivers

Then did Realtek drivers from MSI's website, and sound stopped working immediately. I tried some drivers from Realtek's website as well, and it also didn't work.

I'm thinking of just giving up and buying a discrete sound card 'cause I'm running out of things to try here.

Well it's been a frustrating few days. It seems so odd that a fresh install of windows would have such trouble with such a common driver such as Realtek audio. Much as I disdain Apple, I wonder if their products have fewer such hardware conflict issues.
 
tren001 said:
I did the fresh install, and audio works with the default MS driver
Click to expand...

OK, so: are there any other devices in Device Manager that are "yellowed out": that don't have operational drivers?
If audio works with the "default MS driver", just revert to those until a still newer Realtek driver update fixes the problem.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top