https://forum.asrock.com/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:42:00 +0000 Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:12:14 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.04 360 https://forum.asrock.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=18019 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums_black.png https://forum.asrock.com/ https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=18019&PID=83714&title=z97-asrock-extreme6-audio-issues-with-windows-10#83714 Author: bpatters69
Subject: 18019
Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 10:12pm

Hello All,

This is my first post
I have the ASRock Z97 Extreme 6 Mobo and I have been using it since 2015 on my Home PC. Up until recently, the Mobo has been performing flawlessly. I have been running Windows 10 for at least a year and about 2 months ago, a sound bar icon started appearing the upper left which cannot be closed or minimized. The icon can appear shortly after startup or it might take hours before it appears.

Here is a picture of it:





The icon is always on top of whatever windows I have open so I have to move windows so I can get to menus and fcuntionality as the sounds bar blocks them. Also, when the icon appears sound is disabled. I can mouse over the icon and try to adjust the sound level but once I move off the icon, the sound quickly adjusts down to 0 and sound is muted.

I know this is related to the Realtek Driver in Device Manager. I know this because if I disable the service in Device Manager, the icon goes away. As soon as I re-enable RealTek, the Icon reappers and sound is muted. I have updated RealTek to the latest version but the icon still appears.

I have spoken to ASRock Tech support and their advice was to update the driver which I did and if that didn?™t work, I should purchase a dedicated sound board and disable the onboard audio. I have purchased a SoundBlaster card which should arrive shortly. What annoys me is the sound worked fine with Windows 10 for at least a year and all of a sudden I have an issue.

The only signigiant change I have made recently to my PC was to install the Microsoft Windows 10 app that links a cell phone to a PC. I had issues with the software so I removed the app. The app was difficult to remove and I think I had to download some cleaner app from Microsoft to fully remove it. The odd thing is a similar audio issue occurred on my Phone. The audio would mute and I would not be able to adjust it. Eventually the problem magically went away. I do wonder if some spyware leaked on to my machine from my phone.
Any ideas?

Thanks, Bill
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