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Home»Windows»How to Update Sound Drivers on Windows

How to Update Sound Drivers on Windows

Bhishu AcharyaBy Bhishu AcharyaMarch 7, 2023
update sound drivers

Sound drivers create a communication channel for your audio devices so that they can interact with the operating system properly. If these device drivers get corrupted or outdated, none of the peripherals (microphone, headphones, speakers, etc.) are going to function.

A simple way to overcome this issue is to check and update the drivers when required. Usually, the Windows OS detects and updates them when running a system update. But there can be times when the audio drivers start malfunctioning, and you would predict that there’s a driver fault! In such a case, you’ll require updating them manually, which we shall discuss ahead in detail.

Table of Contents

  • Through Device Manager
    • Search Automatically for Drivers
    • Manually Browse for Drivers
  • Via Windows Update
    • Update Entire System
    • Perform an Optional Driver Update
  • From Official Websites
    • From PC/Laptop Manufacturer Website
    • Using Microsoft Update Catalog
    • From Audio Device Manufacturer Website
  • Through Proprietary Applications

Through Device Manager

Among the different ways of updating sound drivers, doing it from the Device Manager is quite simple yet most effective. This built-in Windows utility collects different sets of drivers and controllers. Each one is responsible for creating a communication channel for the related hardware such that it can properly interact with the OS.

When you launch the application, you’re going to encounter two sections for the sound drivers—‘Audio inputs and outputs’ and ‘Sound, video, and game controllers’. The former consists of the drivers for the built-in audio hardware. Basically, any devices you connect to the motherboard audio ports (Mic-In, Line-Out, Line-In, etc.) are going to appear here.

On the other hand, the latter consists of those drivers and controllers that require additional/specific drivers. This is why some wireless audio peripherals appear here as they need specialized device drivers.

When you’re facing issues with the overall sound of the system, we always recommend updating the drivers from both sections. In Device Manager, you can either allow Windows to search for sound drivers automatically or do it manually. Let’s look into each of them in detail.

Search Automatically for Drivers

  1. First, use Windows + R to open the Run utility on your Windows-based PC.
  2. Here, paste the following command and hit Enter:
    devmgmt.msc
    devmgmt msc in run
    This should launch the Device Manager app.
  3. Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
    sound video and game controllers
  4. Right-click on the troublesome driver, and choose Update driver.
    update sound driver
  5. Once a new dialogue box pops up, pick Search automatically for drivers.
    search automatically for sound drivers
  6. Within a few seconds, Windows will search the drivers on your computer and update it if available.
  7. If the problem persists, expand Audio inputs and outputs.
    audio inputs and outputs
  8. Right-click on the problematic audio hardware and hit Update driver.
    update sound device driver in audio inputs and outputs
  9. As before, pick Search automatically for drivers option to complete the audio device driver update.
    search automatically for drivers for audio inputs and outputs drivers

Manually Browse for Drivers

  1. In Device Manager, right-click on the sound/audio driver, and pick Update Driver.
  2. In the dialogue box, select the Browse my computers for drivers option.
    browse my computer for audio drivers
  3. If you have downloaded a compatible sound driver, click on Browse, and select it. Otherwise, tap on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
    browse for drivers on your computer
  4. Now, a list of compatible drivers should be shown. If not, check Show compatible hardware option. Then, select the latest audio/sound driver version.
    show compatible hardware
  5. In case you have an installation disk containing the sound drivers, press the Have Disk button, browse for the update file, and hit Ok.
    have a disk option when updating drivers
  6. Press the Next button.
  7. Now, the latest drivers should be updated. If you get a warning message instead, like the one below, kindly abort by pressing No. Then, try other drivers (if available).
    no to update driver warning

Via Windows Update

Apart from just the security enhancements and bug fixes, a Windows update also features driver updates. So, updating Windows should always be your priority. But in most cases, sound or other drivers get listed in the optional section. So, it’s your choice whether or not to download it.

At first, we recommend updating the entire system. In case this doesn’t update your sound driver, you may check the Optional updates section, which we shall discuss below.

Update Entire System

  1. Use the Windows + I shortcut to launch Settings.
  2. From the left side of the window, pick Windows Update.
    windows update section in settings
  3. Now, press the Check for updates button.
    check for updates
  4. Wait for at least a minute until Windows finds an update. If an update is available, select Download & Install.
    download and install button after checking for windows update
  5. Again, wait for the update to be completed. Once it’s done, a Restart Now button should appear. Simply click on it.
    restart now button
  6. Once your PC reboots, your sound driver should get updated to the latest version and the related problems should also get fixed.

Perform an Optional Driver Update

  1. In the Windows Update section on Windows Settings, choose Advanced options.
    advanced options in windows update
  2. From the Additional updates field, pick Optional Updates.
    optional updates
  3. If there’s an underlying driver update, you should see a Driver updates section. Expand this and the list of drivers should appear.
  4. Choose the appropriate sound driver and hit the Download and Install button.
    driver update in optional updates
  5. Finally, restart your computer to complete the process.

From Official Websites

While performing a Windows update or manually doing it from the Device Manager should be enough, another way you can update sound drivers is from the manufacturer’s official website. For this, you need to check your current version and proceed to download the latest one available.

However, while doing so, consider updating the drivers from trusted sources only. Downloading and updating incompatible drivers can cause the audio device to deteriorate further.

From PC/Laptop Manufacturer Website

Some baseboard manufacturers offer online drivers on their support pages. This way, you can manually choose and disregard the software based on your preference.

For demonstration, we are going to update the Realtek audio driver in Dell from their official website.

  1. First, open Device Manager and expand Sound, video and game controllers.
  2. Double-click on Realtek(R) Audio.
    realtek r audio in device manager
  3. Once the Properties dialogue box opens, switch to the Driver tab and check the Driver version field.
    check realtek driver version
  4. Then, open any web browser and visit Dell’s support page. 
  5. Under Identify your Product, enter your laptop’s serial number and hit the Search button. If you’re unaware of your model number, you can browse your product manually.
    enter dell product model in support page
  6. On the next page, pick Drivers & Downloads.
    dell drivers and downloads
  7. Click on Find drivers next to ‘Manually find a specific driver for your [product]’.
    find drivers
  8. Once the section expands, select your operating system type.
    select os type
  9. In the Download Type field, choose Driver.
    download type driver
  10. Then, select Audio in the Category field.
    category audio
  11. Scroll down and you should find one or more recommended drivers. Compare this version with the currently installed one that you had checked in Device Manager.
  12. If your sound driver requires an update, press the Download button.
    check version and press download
    In case you require updating multiple sound drivers, start downloading from the oldest to the newest. To check the version, press the down-arrow symbol.
  13. Once the download is complete, run the .exe file.
    run the audio driver update file
  14. Hit Yes in the User Account Control prompt to provide administrative privilege.
    yes to dell inc
  15. In the Dell Update Package window, hit the Install button to start the update.
    install button dell udpate package
  16. Finally, follow the on-screen steps to complete the audio driver update. In the end, you might require rebooting your PC.

Using Microsoft Update Catalog

Instead of vising your manufacturer’s website, you can even download and update the latest sound drivers from Microsoft Update Catalog. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to do it:

  1. In any web browser, visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
  2. From the top-right corner of the Home page, input a related keyword and hit the Search button. For a better understanding, you can have a look at the screenshot below.
    search for sound drivers in microsoft udpate catalog
  3. Now, you’ll be shown a list of sound drivers. Check the Last Updated and Version fields.
    last updated and version field
  4. To know additional details, simply click on the driver link from the Title field.
    This should take you to a new window, where you can verify the entire package details.
    check title field for your sound driver
  5. Once you’ve verified the sound driver, hit the Download button. 
    download driver from microsoft udpate catalog
  6. In the new browser window, click on the link and wait for the .cab file to get downloaded.
    click on driver download link
  7. Navigate to the Downloads folder and extract the .cab file. For demonstration, we are using UnRar Metro. You can use any other tool.
    extratcing using unrar metro
  8. Now, open Device Manager, right-click on your sound driver and pick Update driver.
  9. Then, select Browse my computers for drivers.
  10. Press the Browse button and select the extracted folder containing all the files.
    select the extracted file
  11. Ensure you have checked the Include subfolders option. Then, tap Next.
    include subfolders
  12. Wait for the update to complete and restart your computer.

From Audio Device Manufacturer Website

In some cases, you might require updating your audio device driver rather than the pre-built Windows sound driver. For example, if you’re facing bug issues or require adding compatibility to a connected speaker, you need to rather update the speaker driver instead of the Realtek driver showing in ‘Sound, video, and game controllers’.

As an example, we will be downloading and installing the latest audio drivers for Fantech Captain 7.1 headset. The steps should be similar for updating any other audio input/output device on Windows.

  1. First of all, check the currently installed driver version from Device Manager. To do so, navigate to Sound, video and game controllers > [Your device].
    double click on your audio device driver
    Switch to the Driver tab and check the Driver Version field, as shown below.
    check audio device driver version
  2. Now, launch any web browser and move to Fantech’s Download And Support – Audio section.
  3. Search for your headphone and click on Windows to start the download.
    search for fantech headset driver and click on windows
  4. Once the download is complete, run the .exe file. This should install/update the latest driver version for your Fantech headset automatically.
    run the driver exe file
  5. Restart your PC to apply the driver changes.

Through Proprietary Applications

While some manufacturers offer download files on their websites, others provide dedicated software to check and update the latest drivers. For example, if you have an Intel system, you can use Intel Driver & Support Assistant. 

Similarly, Samsung has a proprietary app called Samsung Update, Dell provides users with SupportAssist, and Lenovo offers the System Update tool.

For demonstration, here are the necessary steps you need to follow to update the sound drivers on an Intel system:

  1. Ensure you have downloaded and installed the Intel Driver & Support Assistant from the Intel Download Center. Note that you’ll need to restart your computer once the setup is complete.
    download intel driver and support assistant
  2. Launch the utility and this should take you to the default web browser window.
  3. From the left pane, select Available Updates.
  4. Move to the right and you should see an ‘X software updates available’ section. Here, the sound driver should show if you require an update.
  5. Press the Download button and wait for a few seconds.
    audio driver download in intel driver and support assistant
  6. Once the download is complete, an Install button should pop up. Press this and also hit the Yes button in the User Account Control dialogue box. 
    audio driver download in intel driver and support assistant
  7. Again, wait until the sound driver update starts. In the confirmation prompt, press Yes.
    yes to intel driver and support assistant helper
  8. Now, follow the on-screen instructions on multiple dialogue boxes to finalize the sound/audio driver update.
    update your audio driver using the intel driver support assistant
how-to
Bhishu Acharya
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Bhishu Acharya is a technical content writer at TechNewsToday. He specializes in monitors, laptops, storage devices, and other peripherals. Apart from computer hardware, you can also find his how-to and troubleshooting articles on Windows, internet, security, and networking. Ever since getting his hands on a personal computer, Bhishu started exploring its internal components at just 10. His growing curiosity led him to undertake the Computer Science & Information Technology degree and is just a year away from graduation. While balancing his study and work life for over four years, he has harnessed different sets of technical skills. With his expertise, he is now dedicated to helping netizens looking for hardware and software-related fixes. Today, Bhishu’s proficiency extends beyond computer hardware. In his spare time, he enjoys coding and learning new programming languages. You can contact him at bhishu@technewstoday.com

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