Realtrek Audio not working - Windows 8

Cass

Hope this is the right place.


Last night i shut down my laptop (Fujitsu A series) and selected "Update and shut down". The laptop did it's thing and when it shut down i closed the laptop.

This morning i lifted the screen and it finished the updates. I logged in and everything is fine. I connected to the net and began going through the usual daily bits and pieces. I noticed that my e-mail notifications were coming in but no notification sound. I checked the volume levels, and all is fine.

I restarted the laptop (about the sum of my technical ability) and the sound came back. However within 5 minutes the sound disappeared again. Now the sound was perfect last night before updates, and comes on when i restart, but no matter what i do it always disappears.

I've checked the troubleshoot guide, windows guide, Realtrek audio manager, and all settings i can think off. All say the audio is fine, no problems, the sound cards are there, etc, etc.

Then on my last attempt to test the sound i get this notification:

The device is being used by another application. Please close any devices that are playing audio to this device and then try again.

I have nothing plugged in. The internal speakers are all i use. The only thing plugged into the laptop is the internet dongle. I've tried online communities, Windows forum, etc, etc. However i've two problems with these:
I don't understand some of the technical language being used, but i do understand that others with this problem have been unable to fix it.
Even if i do understand the consensus seems to be to "downgrade" to Windows 7 which is not an option for me. Not able, don't' know how, don't have it.


So here is what is happening:

• I have no sound from the laptop's speakers
• When i plug in headphones i still get no sound
• All checks show nothing is wrong
• All sound cards are present and showing as working fine
• I get a warning to say another device is using the audio, but nothing is connected

I have less than the most basic understanding of computers. I use it for day to day stuff like internet, e-mail, etc. I have no idea about technical details so any answers, if anyone can help, needs to be simplistic. I'm listing some details in case they are needed.

Any help or advice is gratefully appreciated.



Details:

• Fujitsu A Series Lifebook
• Windows 8
• Audi Driver Version - 6.0.1.6695
• DirectX Version - DirectX 11.0
• Audio Controller - HD Audio
• Audio - Codec - ALC269

Cass

Just a quick update.

I turned everything off and shut down the laptop. I disconnected the internet dongle and started the computer up again. I checked the audio level and it made the usual sounds. I then opened windows media player and played some music. I have been running the music for about 40 minutes. I then reconnected the dongle and connected to the internet. I used my second e-mail account to send mail to myself and the notification appeared accompanied by the notification tone. Done this a few times in the last 10 minutes and each time it worked perfectly.

So i turned off the music player and am waiting to see if it continues to work properly. I also continued to check online and one chap had the same issue as me. He received no help in resolving it but after a few days the problem "fixed itself". He said he done nothing, but it just came right.

So waiting to see if it stays working.

Cass

Started up the computer about 90 minutes ago and everything is working fine. Done it the way i always have and all the sounds and tones are fine.

Seems to have resolved itself, but it's annoying to not know what the cause was.




EDIT - Balls. Spoke too soon. After 4 hours it just "went off". Back to square one.

Anyone?