Jul 30, 2020 Last Updated: July 29, 2020 HDA DRIVER VERSION: 6.0.8963.1 FF01 (For: Windows 7, 8, 10) Download at: Microsoft Update Catalog Direct download links from Microsoft Update Catalog: Download 6.0.8963.1 CAB for HDA '64-bit Windows 7 to Windows 10 version 1903 and later Servicing Drivers' - 149.5 MB For how to install: How to Install a CAB File in Windows 10.
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This topic provides a high level summary of what's new in audio for Windows 10.
Feature Summary
Here are the new audio features in Windows 10.
Low Latency Audio Improvements
Audio latency is the delay between that time that sound is created and when it is heard. Having low audio latency is very important for several key scenarios, such as the following.
The total latency of a device is the sum of the latencies of the following components:
In Windows 10 work was done to reduce the latency in the OS. Without any driver changes, applications in Windows 10 will experience 4.5-16ms lower latency. In addition, if the driver has been updated to take advantage of the new low latency DDIs that use small buffers to process audio data, then the latency will be reduced even more. If a driver supports 3ms audio buffers, then the roundtrip latency is ~10ms.
The audio stack supports multiple packet sizes and dynamic packet resizing, in order to optimize the tradeoff between latency and power based on the user’s scenario. In addition, streams will be prioritized, in order to ensure that high priority streams (e.g. phone calls) have dedicated resources.
In order for audio drivers to support low latency, Windows 10 provides the following 3 new features:
Signal Processing Modes and Audio Categories![]() Signal Processing Modes
Drivers declare the supported audio signal processing modes for each device.
Audio categories (selected by applications) are mapped to audio modes (defined by drivers). Windows defines seven audio signal processing modes. OEMs and IHVs can determine which modes they want to implement. The modes are summarized in the table shown below.
Audio device drivers need to support at least the Raw or Default mode. Supporting additional modes is optional.
Dedicated modes for speech, movie, music and communications. Audio drivers will be able to define different type of audio formats and processing, based on the stream type.
Audio Categories
The following table shows the audio categories in Windows 10.
In order to inform the system about the usage of an audio stream, applications have the option to tag the stream with a specific audio stream category. In Windows 10 there are nine audio stream categories.
* New in Windows 10.
Generic Microsoft Hd Audio Driver Windows 10![]()
For more information see Audio Signal Processing Modes and Audio Processing Object Architecture.
Hardware Offloaded APO Effects
Windows 10 supports hardware offloaded APO effects. APOs can be loaded on top of the offload pin. This allows for the audio processing to be done in both software and hardware. In addition, the processing can change dynamically. Some or all of the processing can be moved from the software APO to the DSP when there are enough hardware resources and then moved back to the software APO when the load in the DSP increases.
For more information, see Implementing Hardware Offloaded APO Effects.
Cortana Voice Activation - Wake on Voice
Cortana, the personal assistant technology was first demonstarted at the Microsoft BUILD Developer Conference in 2013. Voice activation is a feature that enables users to invoke a speech recognition engine from various device power states by saying a specific phrase - 'Hey Cortana'. The 'Hey Cortana' Voice Activation (VA) feature allows users to quickly engage an experience (e.g., Cortana) outside of their active context (i.e., what is currently on screen) by using their voice. The feature is targeted for scenarios when the screen is off, idle or when it is fully active. If the hardware supports buffering, users can then chain the key phrase and command phrase together. This improves the end to end wake on voice experience for the user. For more information, see Voice Activation.
Windows Universal Drivers for Audio
Windows 10 supports one driver model that works for PC and 2:1’s and Windows 10 for phones and small screen tablets. This means that IHVs can develop their driver in one platform and that driver works in all devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, phones). The result is reduced development time and cost.
In order to develop Universal Audio Drivers, use the following tools:
Resource Management for Audio Drivers
One challenge with creating a good audio experience on a low cost mobile device, is that some devices have various concurrency constraints. For example, it is possible that the device can only play up to 6 audio streams concurrently and supports only 2 offload streams. When there is an active phone call on a mobile device, it is possible that the device supports only 2 audio streams. When the device is capturing audio, the device can only play up to 4 audio streams.
Windows 10 includes a mechanism to express concurrency constraints to insure that high-priority audio streams and cellular phone calls will be able to play. If the system does not have enough resources, then low priority streams are terminated. This mechanism is only available in phones and tablets not on desktops or laptops.
For more information, see Audio Hardware Resource Management.
PNP Rebalance for Audio Drivers
PNP rebalancing is used in certain PCI scenarios where memory resources need to be reallocated. In that case, some drivers are unloaded, and then reloaded at different memory locations, in order to create free contiguous memory space. Rebalance can be triggered in two main scenarios:
Realtek HD Audio Manager comes with Realtek's High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver on almost every Windows computer. At times, it doesn't open/function properly for some absurd and unknown reason. Worse, the Audio Manager goes missing, especially after a Windows update or any malware causing the issues.
With the Realtek HD Audio Manager, the audio devices like headphones, speakers, and microphones are easily detected, configured, and controlled by your PC. The Realtek HD Audio Manager gets installed alongside the driver and rests in your PC's system tray, taskbar, or general notification panel.
When you can't find the Audio Manager, or it goes missing, there are two ways to fix the problem.
Also on Guiding TechHow to Fix No Sound Issue After Windows 10 Update 2019 (1903)Read MoreRecover Missing Realtek HD Audio Manager
On previous versions of the Windows OS (Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1), the Realtek HD Audio Manager works just fine. The sound issues with Windows 10 build 1903 have become more rampant than ever.
The Realtek HD Audio Driver boasts of support for Dolby audio, Dolby's Digital Theater Systems (DTS), Surround Sound, six-channel Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), and others to boost your PC's audio performance up a notch.
In the search for a solution, I discovered that many quite a number of Windows 10 users are also going through the same dilemma. Digging deeper, it turns out that the latest version (v2.82) of the Realtek HD Audio Driver is buggy on the Windows 10 platform. That causes HD Audio Manager to hide from the taskbar. On some PC, it doesn't even launch/open the HD Audio Manager at all.
The trick to solving the missing Realtek HD Audio Manager is to uninstall the latest version (v 2.82). After that, you have two choices — reinstall a lower version or the latest version by fetching it from Realtek's website.
Here are the steps involved.
Uninstall Buggy Realtek HD Audio Driver
The first step is to uninstall the audio driver with buggy audio manager.
Microsoft High Definition Audio Driver Windows 10 Download
Step 1: Tap Windows key + X shortcut to launch the Quick Access Menu at the bottom-left corner of the display.
Step 2: Tap Device Manager on the Quick Access Menu.
Step 3: On the Device Manager menu, expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section.
Step 4: Right-click on the Realtek High Definition Audio and select Uninstall.
Step 5: Check the 'Delete the driver for this software' option and tap the Ok button to proceed with the installation.
Reinstall Realtek HD Audio Driver
The next step is to install the bug-free version (v2.81) of the Realtek HD Audio Driver that comes with a functional Audio Manager. The version is no longer available on Realtek's official website, but I was able to download the setup from Filehippo, a trusted website for software downloads.
Download Realtek HD Audio Driver (v2.81) from Filehippo
Download the setup from the link and follow the steps below.
Step 1: Right-click on the downloaded setup and select Run as administrator.
Step 2: Follow the installation prompts and restart your computer after installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver.
The next thing to do now is to put the Realtek HD Audio Manager in place sight on your PC so it doesn't ever go missing again.
Step 3: Launch your File Explorer and navigate to this location — C:Program FilesRealtekAudioHDA.
Alternatively, you can press the Windows + R keys to launch the RUN window and paste this location — C:Program FilesRealtekAudioHDA. Then, tap the Enter button on your keyboard.
This will immediately open the folder where the Realtek HD Audio Manager app is located in your File Explorer.
Step 4: Right-click on RAVCpl64, tap Send to, and select Desktop (create shortcut).
Note: 'RAVCpl64' is the Realtek HD Audio Manager app.
That creates a shortcut for the Realtek HD Audio Manager on your desktop.
Step 5: On your desktop, right-click on the RAVCpl64 shortcut and tap the Pin to taskbar option.
After that, the Realtek HD Audio Manager will be pinned to your taskbar. Also, it will appear on your system tray and notification area.
And that's it. The Realtek HD Audio Manager is now back to your PC. You can launch the app from the taskbar, system tray with a single mouse click.
In case you want to try reinstalling the latest Realtek HD Audio drivers (v2.82) then you can grab a copy from the Realtek's website directly.
Download Realtek HD Audio DriversWe highly recommend you to check your computer's motherboard maker's site for the latest audio drivers for your motherboard's model. The same thing applies to laptop models as well. Also on Guiding TechHow to Adjust Audio Balance in Windows 10Read MoreEffectively Manage Your PC's Audio
Now that you have restored the Realtek HD Audio Manager on your PC, you can effectively manage your PC's sound output and audio devices. You can also use the app to configure your computer's microphone and use special instruments like Noise Suppression, Speaker Fill, Acoustic Echo Cancellation, and more.
Next up: Are the speakers of your Windows PC performing below expectations? Check out how you can boost the maximum volume of your computer in the article linked below.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next2 Ways to Boost Sound Level above the Maximum Mark in WindowsAlso See#audio #windows 10 Did You Know
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