No Audio Output Device Installed

[BetaTime]

My HP laptop is having a very vexing issue with audio. When you hover over the speaker icon in the bottom right corner, it displays the message "No Audio Output Device is installed". I have spent an aggravating amount of time trying to fix the

issue. I have been on many different forums and followed the advice. I finally chose to follow the HP Support forum. Here is a summary of what has happened so far:

 

 

1) I ran the sound problems troubleshooter, first by simply right-clicking the speaker icon and second by opening it from the actual settings. Neither showed any results for possible fixes.

 

 

2) I found my way to the Device Manager, as suggested by various forums, and went to the Sound, video, and game controllers drop down. Unlike in the examples shown in the forums, there was only one item under the drop down, named something along the lines

of Intel Audio. There was another drop down simply entitled Other devices that listed "Intel High Definition Audio". Twice. This one had the yellow triangle with a black exclamation mark in it.

 

 

3) I used the "Search automatically for updated driver software" for both options, because I wasn't sure which was the correct one. For the one under Other devices (aka Intel High Definition Audio), the message said Windows was unable to install

it. For the second (the one under Sound, video and game controllers), it said that the best devices were already on the computer.

 

 

4) I moved on to uninstalling and reinstalling. I started with the one under Sound, video and game controllers. The directions said to select "delete the driver software for this device", so I did. For some reason, this got rid of the tab it was

under as well (probably because it was the only one). I went to the "scan for hardware changes" button under Action as directed, but it showed the same screen, without the tab. Basically, there was no reinstalling, which apparently should have happened

automatically.

 

 

5) I restarted the computer to get it to reinstall the device. However, the tab was still missing when I re-entered task manager. I exited the manager and ran troubleshooting for audio again, and this time it said it had found a possible solution. I had

it do this, and it prompted me to exit all programs (already done) and restart the computer, so I did. This STILL didn't work, and the "Sound, video and game controllers" was still missing.

 

 

6) I went to action and "Add Legacy Hardware". From what I recall, there was no installation CD, so I clicked next and used the recommended option. I proceeded to the list as prompted and selected the Sound, video and game controllers. There was

no Intel, who I am pretty sure is the manufacturer.

 

 

7) Not sure which option to choose, I exit out of Wizard and tried to uninstall the duplicate for Intel High Definition Audio, but after restarting it was there again.

 

 

Everything I look at says to go under the tab I no longer have (or at least don't know how to set up) and I honestly have no clue what I should do next. Updates and restarting do nothing, and I even completely shut the computer down for a while and that

didn't do anything either. The device didn't automatically reinstall (as everything I have seen has said it should) and I am truly at a loss.

 

 

More...