So this is part two of a solution that I had to discover on my own after hours and hours of searching for the answer to a problem that had a very obscure solution. [ See Part 1 here. ]
So after the first fix which was repairing the netprofm service in the registry, I was left with no audio. When attempting to start the Windows Audio service, I got the error very vague message of “Endpoing is a duplicate.” So I searched through the services in the registry looking for something in the AudioSrv key that may be causing the problem. I noticed two keys which were “AudioEndpoingBuilder” and “AudioSrv”. Everything seemed to be correct except for one thing.
(UPDATE 4/20/2015: For an automatic fix, look below at the bottom of this post for download links and an explanation on my registry exports. No knowledge of the registry is required.)
For the manual fix and details, read on…
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Services -> AudioEndpointBuilder -> Parameters
Check the ServiceDLL data, on the problem system it was:
%SystemRoot%\System32\Audiosrv.dll
It should be:
%SystemRoot%\System32\AudioEndpointBuilder.dll
There didn’t seem to be any problem with the AudioSrv -> Parameters -> ServiceDLL data as it was already set to it’s correct value of :
%SystemRoot%\System32\Audiosrv.dll
So if yours is off, I would go ahead and change it.
After a reboot of the system, all sound was back and the services were started with no errors.
I have, as of writing this later, come across these combined problems twice now. The first time took me hours if not a couple days to finally discover these solutions. The second time I knew exactly what to check.
Both computers where Dell systems. One was a laptop, one was a desktop. Both were lower end consumer grade desktops. Not sure what models. I don’t really know what software was in common. I wish I had taken a log of both systems to compare any similarities. If you end up finding this useful, try to grab some information so we can attempt to track down what is causing this odd change in these two keys. I have a feeling it may be something to do with the factory image they use when creating these particular problematic systems. Possibly a bad driver or update that was pre-installed.
Anyways, I hope this helps someone else as it has me on two occasions so far. Please feel free to comment.
UPDATED 4/20/2015: I have been asked to provide further information on how to edit the registry. My stuff on here is for self-help techies with the assumed knowledge of what I know. However, for those that may need help in editing the registry, I’m attaching registry exports that you can execute to automatically fix the registry keys mentioned in both of these posts. I’ve included an export of each of the mentioned keys as well as one combined export. It honestly won’t hurt anything to run the combined file regardless if you only need on or both fixes, but if you prefer to only fix one of them at a time, go ahead and download the individual keys. To use the downloaded files, just save the REG file to your PC and then just run it like a normal setup file. You may want to disable your antivirus. You may also receive a UAC prompt asking for permissions to make changes to your system, you want to be sure to allow this change. You will most definitely then receive a message from Registry Editor warning you about changing or deleting values in the registry, click Yes to continue. You should then relieve a message that the registry key was added successfully. After applying either of these registry keys you will need to reboot your computer.
Keep in mind, after making these registry changes, you may still have issues that this fix just isn’t the root of. I can’t provide Much else tech support via these forums, but if you have issues running the registry export, then post on here and I’ll try and help you out a bit more with my fix.
Downloads:
- Netprofmsvc.reg (Download either this one…)
- AudioEndpointBuilder.reg (…and this one.)
- Combined.reg (Or download this one only.)
Wow. Thanks a lot! I’ve been trying to fix this problem for almost 2 days until I came across your website.
I’m not sure if you’re still reading these comments, but I’ll share what I experienced;
1. Upon system shutdown, the task host process interrupts it, and shutdown takes a long time after I kill the process
2. Programs will freeze and eventually shut down when I try to do something related to accessing the drive structure (ex, choosing destination directory for file output)
3. audiosrv is stopped, and I am unable to start it (endpoint is a duplicate)
I followed the first part of your tutorial and the first two problems were gone(many thanks), yet the audio problem won’t change.
So I searched a bit more on google and came across a forum where someone had the same problems. The moderator of the forum had kindly copied and uploaded all the audio related dlls and exes from his ‘clean’ windows 8.1 system32 and SysWOW64. I just rewrote all the ‘clean’ files onto my system, did a reboot, and now it’s working like a charm.
I was so close to doing a system reinstall. Thanks a bunch! I could share the ‘clean’ files to you, if you need it.
Share with me the dlls and exes, I also have the same problem. Control panel working but no sound. Endpoint is a duplicate is the message I am getting. Thanks in advance.
Did you already do the registry fix as my posts 1 and 2 explain, or use the registry files I have provided?
I did. I changed added srv to the Audiosrv parameters, but the AudioEndPointBuilder was the same as in your recommendation, so I left it the way it was. I have just checked to see if anything has changed but both parameters are the same as you recommended.
After the change two days ago control panel, search, device settings etc were restored to full use, but audio is still not functioning. There is still a cross on the speaker symbol in the taskbar and a message that says “No Audio Output Device is installed”.
Is there anything that I need to do to restore the audio?
Plus, I AM also using AVG, and I’m on a gaming laptop from Hansung, which came with a OEMed windows 8.1. I vaguely suspect that OEM Windows and AVG are causing the problem.
I also did a ‘registry fix’ on advanced systemcare 6 before the problem happened. Maybe this could also have been the cause? Never using that program again.
Thanks worked for me. Problems with control panel and audio service fixed with this simple instructions. Thanks again.
Dude you are awesome. 1 thing of note. The combined registry thing did not work. However when I did the first 2 links separately it worked. Thanks again.
Thank you for this fix! I found downloading both separate components worked, but not the combined one. Also, my volume – and + on my laptop are not working now, but at least I have sound. I’ll look online and see if I can find a fix for that. My biggest relief though is sound is back. Thanks again!
I went to this website: http://www.eightforums.com/sound-audio/32158-volume-keys-stopped-working.html and then: http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/General-Features-Knowledge-Base/TOSHIBA-Function-Key/ta-p/351310 to toggle the notification between off to on and back to on, and the volume key is now working. Hope this is the end of this problem.
Great work mate, im not very computer savy but after reading part one i was able to do it all manually and i now have sound again and acces to my control panel. Now back to trying to fix my graphics issues so i can play skyrim again haha
Thanks so much for this, you’re a lifesaver… Had both problems, plus laptop was refusing to restart.
Certainly seemed like the problem for me was an AVG update – the problem only started after I’d rebooted to allow the update to take effect. Could an AVG update affect these SystemRoot files?
It worked for me!!! Many thanks
You are a ROCKSTAR!!!
You are the man!
Well i concur Dr techo, you are a marvel worker!!! I got a brand new ASUS Laptop, 3 weeks ago; extra ram, 1 TB hard drive, i7, windows 8.1, 2Gig video card etc. and…no sound…:-( Tried for 2 weeks, went back (eventually) to the online support team; to their credit they tried to help, provided a u-tube link (which didn’t work) but in the dialog below the u-tube video was the same error I had and a suggestion to search for “windows-8-and-windows-8-1-control-panel-hangsfreezes”. Followed part 1 & 2 to a tee, I AM NOT a techee at all, 51 yr old non-techee, but can follow instructions 🙂
And now have sound, exactly as advertised. Thank you so, so, so, so much. I’ve passed on your link back to the tech-supprot crew who tried to help me so they can do it themselves from now on.
For over a week I have SEARCHING the internet for an answer to these 2 issues. Finally!!!! This evening I happened to come across your site and WOW!!!! It worked!!!! Thank you so much.
I thought that I was at the end of the road. I had followed so many “tips and tricks” that were supposed to fix my laptop but never did.
I cannot thank you enough for actually having the correct information online. I only wish that I had come across this info sooner.
UH my sound still doesn’t work. I’m glad it worked for you guys but ill need a little more info to fix this problem. This is probably just another one of the countless emails from your blog streaming into your email but I hope you will read this and help me. Thanks in advance, “Dr.Tech” lol
I am very happy to say that the separate downloads worked for me! Thanks so much. Getting rid of AVG and putting Norton on.
Thank you so much this WORKED !!!
Thank you thank you thank you!! I have spent hours on this and tried everything I could find but nothing worked. Wish I’d found this one first!
Thanks!! it help!!! You save me time!!!
I’m a TOTAL computer novice; however, last week I successfully completed both your changes (Part 1 & 2) and got the control panel unfrozen and the sound back. I still had no internet and noticed there was a driver update available to 8.1 so downloaded this. This knocked out the sound again (and still no wi-fi). I went into Regedit to go through the process you outlined above, however it had not altered from the last time I changed it. Any further suggestions? (also still have no Wi-Fi).
Many thanks – dug me out of a pit of despair.
Fixed broken audio, screwed windows update and broken SFC along the way.
hey I clicked on the links and only numbers that seem like gibberish to me came up
marisa, try right clicking on the download link and look for Save As or Save Link As. The file should download as a .REG file. If you still have problems then open them as you did before to see the code. Then open Notepad on your computer. Copy and paste my code into Notepad and then save the file to your desktop as “whatever-name-you-want.reg” with quotes – – Windows will remove the quotes in the file name, but using quotes prevents Notepad from saving the file as name.reg.txt and giving the wrong extension. After you have done that, just double click on the new .REG file that you saved.
Hope that will help you out.