What to Do When Dolby Advanced Audio Drivers are Not Working in Windows
Whether you recently performed a Windows update, or you updated your sound driver, there will come a time that the changes you make to your system generate an error.
As a Dolby sound user, you may encounter your Dolby Advanced audio drivers not working in Windows more frequently after Windows updates.
You may receive a direct error, or you may encounter the phantom issue where it appears in your program list, but the desktop icon goes missing.
Regardless of which, when you try to launch your audio program, you get an error message telling you:
“The current Dolby audio driver version is XXXX and the software application expects driver version XXXX. Please install a valid driver and software application combination.”
Reviewing Error Codes When Dolby Advanced Audio Drivers Stop Working
The audio driver version and software application version numbers differ depending on your computer and your recent update.
However, when you get the error pop-up, you will notice that your PC’s speakers do not work, or you get multiple errors when you run them.
Despite the numbers you see, most likely the malfunction is related to the Windows update because when you update your operating system, it replaces older drivers with the latest drivers it likes.
To fix the incompatibility created from your recent updates, you have a few troubleshooting options to try first.
Ways to Troubleshoot After A Windows Updates
To fix compatibility issues between your new operating system update and your Dolby Advanced drivers you must either:
- Repair the existing files
- Roll back to a previous application version
- Download the right application driver manually
- Use software to detect the correct application
Option 1: Roll Back on the Device’s Audio Driver
The first solution is to do a roll back. If you have different software version numbers showing on your error, this could indicates you need to roll back your audio driver to a previous version for compatibility.
1. Locate Your PC’s Device Manager in Windows 10 Using One of Two Methods
To get started, you must access your Device Manager. Windows 10 has two primary ways to access your Device Manager, which include:
The first comes from your Settings menu.
Click on Devices, then in “Related Settings” click on Devices and Printers, then Hardware and Sound off to the left.
Under your Devices and Printers menu, you will see Device Manager with a Windows defense icon next to it.
Another way to access your Device Manager is to search using the search icon next to your Windows button.
2. Locate the Right Device in the List and Access It
In the Device Manager, expand your Sound, Video, and Game Controllers.
Once expanded, right-click on the audio device you need to adjust and choose Properties from the menu options.
Make sure to click the audio device for your speakers and not any live web cam or USB devices.
3. Find a Roll Back Version to Use for Your Device
Under Properties, look for the Driver tab at the top.
In this menu, you see the current driver information, including the version and date.
Here you select Roll Back Driver to roll back to the previous version automatically.
Your system asks if you’re sure you want the roll back, which you click Yes.
Note: If you have Roll Back Driver greyed out, you do not have a previous version of rolling back to, and you must try a different troubleshooting method.
4. Wait for the Roll Back to Complete and Restart
One the roll back finishes, Windows prompts you to restart your computer for the roll back to take effect. Click Yes and wait for the restart to complete.
Now, launch your audio system and see if you get the version error again. If you do, proceed to the second troubleshooting step.
Option 2: Uninstall Entirely and Let Windows Fix It
Another option is to remove the Dolby driver from your computer and let Windows correct it on its own as it restarts.
1. Locate Your Device Manager for Uninstallation
Using the same method as before, access your Device Manager once again.
Then, expand your Sound, Video, and Game Controllers option and right-click on the audio device for your speakers.
Instead of going to Properties, you will select Uninstall.
2. Confirm the Uninstallation with Windows
A prompt will come up confirming you want to uninstall the driver. Select Uninstall.
3. Repeat for Any Remaining Audio Drivers and Restart
Repeat the process for any other audio devices, including Realtek High Definition Audio and Conexant HD Audio drivers.
Doing so ensures you have no outdated drivers on your system that could be the root cause of the compatibility error.
After you have removed all applicable drivers, restart your computer.
While restarting, Windows 10 automatically reloads the drivers for Windows 10, which should solve your audio issues.
After the restart, if the problem persists, move to step three.
Option 3: Download the Right Driver
Unfortunately, when Windows 10 cannot repair or install the correct driver, the task falls on you. You can manually download the driver by searching for an older version online, which means going to the official website for Realtek or Conexant.
There you will look through their list of driver versions to find one compatible with your operating system version.
Manual downloads are time-consuming, and if you pick the wrong version, you will only encounter the same error message as before.
Therefore, it is best to use software that automatically detects your operating system version and selects the correct driver for installation.
Driver Support’s software uses Active Optimization, which automatically detects existing drivers and corrects incompatibility issues with new system updates.
1. Download Driver Support’s Application
To install the right Dolby Advanced driver, first, download the Driver Support application from the website.
On Windows 10, you will get a message that Driver Support is not Microsoft-verified. Click Install Anyway to proceed.
2. Wait for the Post-Installation Initial Scan
Driver Support automatically starts scanning your computer for out-of-date drivers upon installation, which takes anywhere from five to ten minutes – depending on how many drivers you have.
3. Locate the Drivers You Need Updated from the Menu Bar
Once the initial scan completes, click on the Drivers option at the top of your menu.
After opening Drivers, select the driver you need to be updated. The application automatically lists those that require updates at the top of the list, and you will see an alert symbol next to it letting you know it is out-of-date or needs repair.
4. Select Your Out-of-Date Driver and Begin to Update
Click on the driver, then press Fix It! to the right of the application.
From here, Driver Support takes over and automatically finds the correct driver, downloads it to your computer and installs it.
Some audio drivers take time to download, but once complete, Driver Support’s application lets you know it has been updated.
Restart your computer, and you should no longer see the dreaded version compatibility error message.
While you’re on the Driver Support application, you might as well download and update any other drivers out of date to avoid future error messages.
An Easy Fix for Dolby Advanced Audio in Windows
Driver Support is a trusted name in driver management.
Instead of spending hours scouring the internet for the correct driver, you download our software, and we take care of the rest.
Driver Support automatically reviews your existing devices and drivers and updates them as you conduct Windows 10 updates to prevent unwanted driver compatibility errors in the future too.
See how easy it is to update drivers, repair compatibility issues, and avoid the dreaded version errors every time Windows 10 does a system update. Give DriverSupport | ONE a try today! today!
