odd audio problem... should I worry about it?

[Matthew]

I built a new system with a MSI x58 pro-e motherboard for my Photoshop work.
For my Photoshop computers, if the system's running stable, I usually don't
mess around with updating drivers since I only use the computer for editing
pictures and occasionally listening to music while I work (it's really only
connected to the internet when there is a Photoshop upgrade). This system
has been running rock solid for several months then yesterday the audio went
out. I downloaded the newest realtek driver set and it started working again
but since it's not doing anything but running Photoshop and windows media
player (Win7pro) I am worried about why the audio died in the first place...
should I be?

 

[John Doe]

I built a new system with a MSI x58 pro-e motherboard

has been running rock solid for several months then yesterday
the audio went out.

FWIW. I had an Microstar International (MSI) motherboard with bad
audio, the left channel went out.

 

[Matthew]

FWIW. I had an Microstar International (MSI) motherboard with bad
audio, the left channel went out.

Well the odd thing about mine was that it started working again when I
updated the audio drivers.. but I can't imagine any reason at all for it to
fail with the existing drivers.

 

[Jan Alter]

Well the odd thing about mine was that it started working again when I
updated the audio drivers.. but I can't imagine any reason at all for it
to fail with the existing drivers.

I don't think it's anything to have nightmares, but just for the heck of it
make a restore point and if it should happen again see what hitting that
restore point does for bringing back the sound.

 

[TVeblen]

I don't think it's anything to have nightmares, but just for the heck of it
make a restore point and if it should happen again see what hitting that
restore point does for bringing back the sound.

Do you have Windows Update set to automatically install updates?
What OS and version are you running?

 

[Matthew]

Do you have Windows Update set to automatically install updates?
What OS and version are you running?

It is off and I'm running Windows 7 Pro 64

 

[TVeblen]

It is off and I'm running Windows 7 Pro 64

Well, that would have been way too easy!

The only other thing I can think of is that if you have a modern video
card with HDMI that may be able to cause a driver conflict, but it's a
long shot. The video card has a sound chip and the video driver produces
sound when using HDMI. Normal computer sounds through the speakers is
still handled by the sound chip and the audio driver.
But if you haven't changed anything (drivers) then that's not very likely.

I'd just keep my eye on it. Once could be just a fluke. Twice is a problem.

 

[Jon Danniken]

I built a new system with a MSI x58 pro-e motherboard for my
Photoshop work. For my Photoshop computers, if the system's running
stable, I usually don't mess around with updating drivers since I
only use the computer for editing pictures and occasionally listening
to music while I work (it's really only connected to the internet
when there is a Photoshop upgrade). This system has been running rock
solid for several months then yesterday the audio went out. I
downloaded the newest realtek driver set and it started working again
but since it's not doing anything but running Photoshop and windows
media player (Win7pro) I am worried about why the audio died in the
first place... should I be?

If Windows is set to auto-update itself, it may have downloaded and
installed itself a new audio driver that borked your audio.

I generally don't use Microsoft's suggestion for device drivers, instead
preferring to go to the chip manufacturer, as you ended up doing.

If you go to the Windows update page, look on the left frame for your update
history, and go there to see if Windows updated itself around the time of
your audio failure.

Jon