In this article, we show you how & where to download and reinstall Realtek HD Audio Manager for your Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. This post also includes suggestions for the following issues:
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Realtek HD Audio Manager icon missing
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Realtek HD Audio Manager missing
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Realtek HD Audio Manager not opening.
Realtek HD Audio Driver is the most commonly used sound driver for managing the sound settings for the Windows system. Realtek High Definition Audio Manager comes packed along with the Realtek Audio driver. This basically is the most commonly used sound driver that is loaded with incredible features and supports a six-channel Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) with 16.20.24-bit Pulse Code Modulation in channel audio of 5.1.
Fundamentally, the sound driver eases the sound control play on the Windows desktop and is known to offer high-quality sound to your system or headphone through the audio card. It is tagged with your audio device or adapter to enhance the sound experience. Recently, Windows users have reported difficulty in accessing the sound driver. The users have also had the Realtek HD Audio Manager icon lost or gone astray from the taskbar, system tray, and notification section. The issue might have probably been triggered either after the Windows update or due to a change in the native audio driver or sound card.
You may want to create a system restore point before you begin.
Download and reinstall Realtek HD Audio Manager
Before downloading the new drivers, uninstall all the current drivers. To avoid duplicate conflicts among several drivers, one must check the driver version and uninstall the duplicate audio drivers as well. To do this follow these steps-
Click on the Start button and navigate to Device Manager. You can also access it via the Control Panel.
Expand Sound, video and game controllers from the list in Device Manager.
Under this, locate the audio driver Realtek High Definition Audio.
Right-click on it and select Uninstall device from the drop-down menu.
Check the option with Delete the driver software for this device and hit the uninstall button.
Now go to the Views tab and click on Show hidden devices from the drop-down menu.
Now search for duplicate audio drivers if any. Right-click on it and hit the Uninstall option.
Restart the system.
You can download the Realtek HD Audio Manager utility from here. Click on the executable file to start its installation. Should you face compatibility issues, you may install it in Compatibility Mode.
Realtek audio driver download
To manually download the Realtek HD Audio drivers, you need to visit the official website of Realtek. You must check the following two places for its availability on realtek.com – or visit a dell.com link.
Visit realtek.com here and see if your software is available.
If it is, then download it. If not, then search for High Definition Audio Codecs here on realtek.com/en/downloads. It is important to download the correct drivers.
The download page will list the available audio drivers for download.
TIP: You can also download the here from dell.com/support.
Once the downloading process is complete, double-click on the setup files and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
If, despite reinstalling the Realtek HD Audio, if you still find the component missing, or no Speaker icon or Display icon, or if you find difficulty opening it, follow these suggestions.
How do I reinstall Realtek after uninstalling?
To reinstall Realtek after uninstalling, go to the Device Manager and select Action tab at the top. Choose Scan for hardware changes and let Windows automatically detect and reinstall the Realtek HD Definition Audio driver. If this does not help, download its setup file and install it as explained in this post.
Fix Realtek HD Audio Manager issues
1] Disable Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for HD Audio & fix driver conflicts
In the Device Manager, expand the System Devices
Search and locate Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio.
Right-click on it and click Disable from the drop-down.
Open Windows Settings and go to Apps & Features
Click on Realtek High Definition Audio Driver and hit the option with Uninstall the driver.
Now navigate to Device Manager and right-click on the disabled Microsoft driver.
Click on Uninstall from the drop-down menu.
Having done this, now reinstall the Realtek HD Audio Driver
2] Enable the startup in Task Manager
Go to Start and open the Task Manager.
Navigate to the Startup tab.
Search and locate the Realtek HD Audio Manager.
If the status is Disabled, right-click on it and click on Enable option from the drop-down menu.
Restart the system.
Fix: Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure, Error 0xC0000374.
3] Update the Sound driver software
If the Realtek HD Audio is still missing, then do the following.
Open Device Manager.
Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
Right-click on Realtek High Definition Audio and click on Update driver from the drop-down menu.
Assuming that you have the latest driver setup file on your computer, choose Browse my computer for driver software.
Choose and select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
Search and pick the latest driver by date and then click Next to update.
This can also resolve issues with Surround sound, if any.
Read: How to use Realtek HD Audio Manager to boost up your PC Sound.
4] Add Legacy hardware
Go to Device Manager.
Search and click on the Sound, video and game controllers.
Click on the Action tab.
Search and click on Add legacy hardware from the drop-down menu.
Click on the Next button and select the radio button for Search for and install the hardware automatically (Recommended).
Click on Next and manually install the driver again.
Why can’t I find Realtek HD Audio Manager?
If you are not able to find the Realtek HD audio manager in Control Panel, you can find it in File Explorer. Go to C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA. Double-click on RtkNGUI64.exe. You will find Realtek HD audio manager. If you still can’t find Realtek audio manager, then you may need to reinstall Realtek audio manager by updating your Realtek HD audio driver.
Read: NVIDIA drivers not downloading, installing, detected, loading or working.
Do I need Realtek HD Audio Manager?
Realtek High definition audio driver is essential for connecting the audio systems in your Windows PC with sound cards and speakers. If there are no problems with the audio, then this driver may not be needed for running your Desktop audio.
How do I add Realtek to Device Manager?
To add Realtek to Device Manager, go to the Device Manager, scroll down to “Sound, video and game controllers” and find “Realtek High Definition Audio”.
Related: NVIDIA drivers not downloading or working.
How do I redownload Realtek Audio Manager?
To redownload Realtek audio driver Windows, you have to press the Windows key + X hotkeys. Then, select Device Manager on the menu. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category. Further, right-click Realtek High Definition Audio and select the Uninstall device option. After completing this, restart your Windows PC after uninstalling the Realtek audio driver. Then reinstall the Realtek audio driver manually.
This should help fix audio driver issues and improve sound quality – but should you need any Driver Support, please feel free to ask us and we will try our best to help you.
Read next: Where to download drivers for Windows 11.
Unfortunately, your instructions are incorrect, and I have no resolution. You provide a link to the Realtek website, wherein your screen shots and explanations indicate that Realtek will have the appropriate drivers for download. However, they do not. Currently (as of May 29th, 2018), when one folllows your instructions and follows the link to the Realtek website, checks off the “I accept the above” statement and clicks on “Next,”…nothings happens.The page refreshes to the same page…with no listing of downloadable drivers. Sorry. You really ought to update this article, and supply a new solution or remove your article, as it is functionally no longer valid. Indeed, I am in a real quandary, for I cannot locate the Realtek HD Audio Manager program, ANYWHERE! One website proffers trying their donwload software assist app, after which one can (supposedly) download the correct driver(s). However, we all know this for what it is: a scam…an opportunity for the unsuspecting consumer to receive a bulk dump onto their computers of unwanted software and adware.
Again, please update this solution? Any help would be most welcome!
Same happened to me too.After Windows update,Realtek ‘s gone.Realtek website is BS.I’m going back to Wseven.W10 is an out of control monster.
I don’t see Microsoft UAA Bus Driver anywhere.
Just navigate to the page on your own, the link on this article screwed up for some reason.
I have to agree with the others. The information in the article is quite wrong.
And the Realtek site is no help. The drivers are from 2017 and do not address the problems the April 2018 Windows 10 update caused.
Support request to Realtek went unanswered. Windows community support forum had no answers, and Microsoft won’t even talk to you.
As of right now, I get stereo sound, but no surround sound. I had to roll back the driver to get the microphone to record.
Sound-wise, this latest Windows update was a disaster.
Not sure if you are a moron or a troll but if you go to Realtek website and click on Downloads, then High Definition Audio Codecs and click the accept tick box and next it takes you straight to the drivers… just did it myself.
You are an idiot!
In the Realtek Home page, navigate to Downloads-> Computer Peripheral ICs-> PC Audio Codecs-> High Definition Audio Codecs -> Software . Check the accept option which will take you to the drivers
Arlextra and Pavithra,you are both missing the point: yes, reinstalling the 2017 Realtek driver will get your microphone and headset sound working, again. However, it doesn’t address the issues caused by the April 2018 “upgrade” to Windows 10, including the loss of Surround Sound. This is a major problem… reverting to an older driver will not fix any of the issues we are talking about, here.
Windows 10,after last update (June 2018) realtek wasn’t worked, I couldn’t see anymore.
Driver updatates wasn’t helpful
SOLUTION: download Realtek 273 version, you can find it online, It works fine on my Windows 10 64.
Can you help me? I assumed I was downloading and uninstalling the right Drivers. My headset microphone does not want to get picked up by anything I’ve uninstalled and installed every sound thing in my device manger it’s not a privacy problem 3.5 jack and the usb does not work I don’t understand have any idea?
i really love this site thank u for my audio problem solvation….good work
YES! 273 version fixed all my issues. Now I have excellent sound with no BSOD problems. Thank you very much.
Hi,
With me the regular sound is not working, like Youtube, Mediaplayer, move-editors etc. Directly from some applications (like Flightsimming) there is sound, so no complete silence though. Also whern I use an USB headphone, there is sound, also from Youtube e.g.).
I ran your complete re-install-procedure, but halfway at ‘Search and locate Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio.” that line was not found, so I continued. After some restarts and then looking in prooperties there was a message that Realtec HDA was not working (message 10)
although in start-up it is enabled (was already)
Also the Configuration Manager is not showing, (for e.g. the sound-effects like open air, room, wood etc).
What are my options?
Hoping to hear a solution,
with kind regards,
Piet de Geus
Netherlands
totally cant find realtek anywhere except to uninstall it is no where to be found in any of the locations.
Thank you!! It worked perfectly :)
OMG!!!!!! For 5000 years I’ve been uninstalling/reinstalling this dung which some people call “Realtek” or sth, but to no avail. But now, thanks to you I’ve finally escaped this desert of complete darkness. I’m forever grateful oh great Sand Lord.
THANK YOU very VERY much!!! I finally can do it!!! I searced how to fix it about 4 month, i tried many versions, but working normal only R273!!!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH again and again!!!
How do you find said driver?
The Realtek website is no longer set up that way. You now have to go through sub-category after sub-category, it gives you no information which is the right one for you, and once you do get to the codecs it’s only the 2017 drivers, which as people have said, are broken with surround sound.
Look at the Website of your Mainboard/Laptop manufacturer, im my case you can download the audio drivers from Gigabytes Website of my Mainboard.
Thank you so much!!!!!! it worked.
Just headsup- the Realtek site undergone a makeover. You really need to update your page (The site looks and works completely different than you described).
Thanks