While installing or updating the audio driver, if you get an Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure error message with an error code 0xE0000246, here is how you can fix the issue on Windows 11 or Windows 10. We have found some of the common reasons and solutions so that you can get rid of this problem within moments.
The entire error message reads:
Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure !!
[Error Code : 0xE0000246]
Realtek HD Audio Driver is the sound driver that your Windows PC requires to play audio smoothly. If you use an external audio card, you might not need it, but if you rely on the in-built one, you must have this driver installed and updated.
Error 0xE0000246, Install Realtek HD audio driver failure
If you get Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure with error code 0xE0000246 on your Windows 11/10 computer, follow these instructions:
- Reinstall the device
- Download driver from official website
- Add legacy hardware
To learn more about these solutions, continue reading.
1] Reinstall the device
It is the very first thing you must do to resolve this problem on your computer. This solution works in the following situations:
- When you try to update the corresponding driver.
- If you have recently installed Windows Updates.
- If you have made some hardware changes.
To reinstall the device, you need to uninstall it first. For that, press Win+X and select the Device Manager option.
Next, expand the Sound, video and game controllers section and right-click on the device that has “Realtek” in the name. In most cases, it appears as Realtek(R) Audio. Select the Uninstall device option.
Click on the confirmation message. Next, you need to restart your computer and restart the driver installation process.
Read: Realtek Audio Console doesn’t support for this machine
2] Download the driver from the official website
Drivers are one of the best and easiest ways for attackers to inject malware and viruses into your computer. Countless third-party websites provide duplicate drivers that may or may not work. However, we highly recommend you download drivers only from the official website of the hardware manufacturer only.
In this case, you must head to realtek.com, the official website providing the driver you need. You can follow this detailed guide to learn how to download and install the Realtek audio driver on a Windows PC. You must download the driver as per the system architecture.
Read: This device type is not supported, say Realtek
3] Add legacy hardware
To add or install Realtek High Definition Audio device as legacy hardware, follow these steps:
- Open the Device Manager > select Action > Add legacy hardware.
- Select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list option and click the Next button.
- Choose the Sound, video and game controllers option.
- Select Realtek as the manufacturer and click the Next button.
- Click the Next button to start the installation.
Once done, you need to restart your computer.
I hope these solutions worked for you.
Similar errors:
- Error code 0x000003F1, Install Realtek HD audio driver failure
- Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure, Error Code -0001
- Install Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure, Error 0xC0000374
- Realtek HD Audio Driver Failure, Error 0x00005b3
How do I fix Realtek audio driver failure?
There are a few things you could do in order to troubleshoot this issue. First, you can uninstall the device and reinstall it. Then, you can download the latest version of the driver from the official website and install it accordingly. You must download the driver according to the system architecture (32-bit/64-bit). Finally, you can add the Realtek High Definition Audio device as legacy hardware through Device Manager.
How do I fix no Realtek HD Audio Manager?
If there is no Realtek HD Audio Manager on your computer, you have to go through a checklist. First of all, you must know that this audio manager needs to be installed manually. For that, you can download the respective driver from the official website, realtek.com. At times, it could be hidden as well. In such situations, you need to use the Show hidden devices option. If nothing works, you can add it as legacy hardware.
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