I was uninstalling some software from my PC the other day and came across my Realtek audio driver. I ended up thinking that, What will happen if I uninstall the Realtek HDA Manager?
With a hefty amount of research, I was finally able to find the most accurate answer.
If you uninstall Realtek HD Audio Manager from your PC, your Realtek soundcard will stop working and Windows will automatically detect & reinstall the audio drivers. To stop Windows from auto-installing the sound drivers, go to device manager and disable the HDA Manager as Administrator.
Let’s get to know in detail whether you need Realtek audio drivers or not, and how to disable the driver permanently.
Should You Disable Realtek HD Audio Manager?
It is not necessary to use Realtek audio drivers, but most of the motherboards nowadays support Realtek drivers for your audio devices. You can install any Realtek HD audio manager alternatives but do install the recommended drivers as per your motherboard.
Realtek drivers are not viruses nor they harm your computer. These sound drivers are trusted by millions. The audio manager works as a control panel and detects headphones, speakers, and mic automatically. If your motherboard comes with a built-in Realtek sound card, you don’t need to uninstall the HDA manager.
In fact, if you are facing problems like the headphone microphone not working or your Realtek audio console is not working then you can update your sound and video drivers to fix the problems.
How to Disable Auto reinstallation of Realtek Audio Drivers Windows 10/8/7
When you uninstall the audio drivers, it stops your audio and Windows automatically reinstalls the drivers. So, does that mean these drivers are permanent on your PC?
Actually, No! There is a way to stop the Realtek High Definition Audio driver from reinstalling in your computer. But, you better uninstall the program first.
Can’t Uninstall Realtek audio driver?
Here are the steps to uninstall your current audio driver:
- Press the Windows key + I button simultaneously and select APPS from the settings.
- Search for Realtek HD Audio Manager and click on it.
- Select the Uninstall option to remove current audio drivers from your PC.
Now that you uninstalled the High Definition Audio manager, it’s time to permanently disable the auto reinstallation process.
Here are the steps to disable auto reinstallation of Realtek drivers:
- Open the Run dialog box and type devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager.
- Navigate to the sounds, video, and game controller expansion and Right-click Realtek HD Audio Device.
- Choose Update driver and select browse driver from the list.
- Select the Microsoft generic audio driver (HDA) and click OK.
- Navigate to the local disk C: path: C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA and right-click anywhere.
- Click on Properties > security tab > Edit.
- Select the SYSTEM option and checkmark the deny check box for Full control.
- Press Okay twice to save changes and restart your computer.
Can you Disable Realtek HD Audio Manager from Startup?
The Realtek Audio Manager is an extra program that is not mandatorily needed on your PC. You can turn it off and still your audio system will work perfectly. All the audio drivers will be there in your system even if you disable the HDA manager.
Here are the steps to disable Realtek HD Audio Universal Service from Startup:
- Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Select the Startup Tab and double-click on Realtek HD Audio Universal Service.
- Click on Disable and restart your computer to save changes.
If the program starts to misbehave, you can enable the audio manager later onwards.
Is it safe to uninstall Realtek audio console?
It is impossible to uninstall Realtek audio console without completely deleting all the drivers. Additionally, the Sound console is the only mechanism to switch between wired headphones and speakers. It is a wiser decision to keep the audio console as uninstalling it will remove all the drivers from the PC. You may think that this console is just a Microsoft Store Bloatware program that works as an equalizer. But, actually, it’s more than just equalizing stuff.
So, it is a wise decision to keep Realtek audio console so that you don’t run into trouble messing around between your speakers and headphones.
If you ask me:
Is it safe to remove Realtek audio driver?
It is not safe to remove Realtek audio drivers as some Motherboards audio card depends on Realtek drivers. You won’t be hearing any audio if you remove any audio drivers from your PC.
Conclusion
Although, Windows will automatically detect sound drivers for you if you uninstall the drivers. But, it is safe to not mess around with the Realtek HD Audio manager or audio console.
