Realtek on-board audio low on one drive, ok on the other, same PC

[videobruce]

This is NOT the typical low audio out problem with Realtek chipsets which can be mostly fixed with tweaking level, balance & eq. settings. I researched that.

This is on a single PC (tower) with two bootable drives, both running Win 7 from the same original image. The only difference (if you can call it that) is one drive is a SSD, the other a HDD. The 2nd bootable drive is used as a backup. This probalm is a good example why I have this.

The MB is Gigabyte and it's the on board audio chipset that is being used. No other audio. This is using software for playing back mp4 files (LA Player, Pot Player & VLC Player). Doesn't matter which software, nor does it matter which mp4 file, one one drive the audio is fine. The other, the level is down anywhere from 10 to 20 db! I'm using the line level audio out into a int. amp into a pair of bookshelf speakers. Nothing fancy.

I have updated the driver, but there as no change. It can only be some hidden O/S issue somewhere, but I have no idea what or where. Since everything is the same, the only differences are the system files, possibly including the registry, but that is a long shot. I have been trying different player softwares and I wonder if one of them made some 'hidden' change to the O/S somewhere that it affects the system globally past the user controls.

Any idea here??

 

[deustroop]

Two tactics to find the culprit.
Hardware--swap out the present speaker items.
Software-clone the stronger disk to the weaker one.
Big effort for a minor issue but worth it I'm sure.

 

[videobruce]

Thanks for the input, but why would that be a solution if the one drive is fine? I would understand if both drives produced the same low audio, but they don't.

I actually did load a image I already had from the Backup drive to the Main drive (the one with the problem) and it appears not to have the problem which basically eliminates all H/W issues. .

 

[deustroop]

You do not say which drive the image captured. But you now say that image was put on the main drive, the one you are trying to solve, and "it appears not to have the problem"
Problem solved ?

 

[videobruce]

I loaded the image from the Backup (good) drive to the drive w/ the problem (Main).
Problem not solved. All that proved it isn't a HDD problem which I don't see how it could be.

I did run SFC four times, it keeps finding errors, but doesn't tell you how many. The file the last two times wasaround the same size. I also ran Chkdsk, but that found no errors. I haven't made a comparison yet.

 

[Ketchup]

Your post is a bit confusing. So are both drives now running the same image? Don't forget that there are many sound options available in Windows 7, including speaker properties within the Sound menu, Realtek audio manager, and Volume Mixer for each application.

 

[videobruce]

The drives were built up from the same up from the same image, but at this point they are different since one is a backup, the 'bad' one is not.
I have gone thru all of that, that's not the problem. It has to be some system files of some sort.

 

[Ketchup]

So the SSD has the correct audio level?

 

[videobruce]

No, the HDD does, but even that doesn't matter since I did load a current image of the Backup drive to the Main drive and that was ok there also.
This surely is not a H/W issue.

 

[Ketchup]

"that was ok there also."

So, when did you notice the audio level changing on SSD? Had you made any changed around the time this happened? You might want to look at Windows update history as well as programs and features to check.

 

[videobruce]

In the past month or more.
Again as typed;

I have been trying different player softwares .........

I'm guessing that is it, but I'm not sure. I thought it was one specific program (PotPlayer), but I found it started doing this before that. I use LA Player the most. I have also used VLC Player, but the problem of not displaying files in the folders makes it a no go (just like MPC-HC).

 

[Ketchup]

Are Windows sounds at the normal volume?

 

[videobruce]

Good question. I never use them, they are turned off, besides, I don't have the amp on unless I'm listening to media.
I will have to check.

 

[JackMDS]

https://www.nextofwindows.com/sound-volume-not-loud-enough-here-is-how-you-can-boost-it

 

[videobruce]

Tried that, yes it does boost the audio, but it also drives the levels into distortion. It's not checked on the other drive.