Windows 10 5.1 surround, sound from only front L+R

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I'm really at a loss here.  We have a laptop plugged into a Sony receiver with HDMI.  All speakers in the 5.1 setup work correctly when tested using the receiver's built in tools.  I know the laptop used to work properly as well, but currently when I run a test, I hear the front left and right, but no centre, no rears, and no sub.  If I put Windows into stereo, all channels come through, but just "flattened" to the front L + R of course.

 

I've tried:

• rebooting (no change)
• unplugging and plugging back in (no change)
• different HDMI cable and port on the receiver (no change)
• reconfigured the speakers in Windows to stereo and back to 5.1, as well as 7.1 and others (no change)
• turning sound enhancements off (no change)
• removing/uninstalling the sound device in device manager (no change)
• looking for a driver to roll back to (there isn't one, so no change or N/A)
• running the built in Windows troubleshooting (it just sets it to stereo, so not useful)

everything I can think of, and as far as I can tell, it's set correctly but it does not work.

 

Any ideas?

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I know it's a Windows issue because not only does it work when using the receiver's test mode, but using a different laptop with Linux also works correctly.  Switching OS will be my solution if I can't find another one soon.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

2 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I know it's a Windows issue because not only does it work when using the receiver's test mode, but using a different laptop with Linux also works correctly.  Switching OS will be my solution if I can't find another one soon.

What is the source of the 5.1 audio, and what program are you playing it in? Many Windows programs need a setting tweak, or don't support 5.1 at all. Additionally, you need a file that has 5.1 which seems obvious but customer's at work don't think about that all the time so it's something I want to check.

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13 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

What is the source of the 5.1 audio, and what program are you playing it in? Many Windows programs need a setting tweak, or don't support 5.1 at all. Additionally, you need a file that has 5.1 which seems obvious but customer's at work don't think about that all the time so it's something I want to check.

I'm using MPC-HC, as well as the built in Windows speaker testing.  I know the file is correct since I got it from the Fraunhofer site, which I also tried and got the same results.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

2 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I'm using MPC-HC, as well as the built in Windows speaker testing.  I know the file is correct since I got it from the Fraunhofer site, which I also tried and got the same results.

MPC-HC definitely needs settings changes to play 5.1/7.1. When you try to play the other speakers with it set to 5.1 in the "configure Speakers" settings, they just play nothing at all?

Additionally, when you tried the other laptop, is it the same make/model? Have you tested 5.1 with the current machine with any other 5.1 setup to see if it still has issues?

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14 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

MPC-HC definitely needs settings changes to play 5.1/7.1. When you try to play the other speakers with it set to 5.1 in the "configure Speakers" settings, they just play nothing at all?

Additionally, when you tried the other laptop, is it the same make/model? Have you tested 5.1 with the current machine with any other 5.1 setup to see if it still has issues?

I know this exact same setup, both hardware and softwares worked correctly a while ago.   I wish I had been paying close enough attention to be able to tell you exactly how long, but I don't have that info.  I know it's not an MPC-HC issue because as mentioned, I've tested playback in many different ways and gotten the same result.

 

The other laptop is totally different, both physically and in software (I'm running Linux on it).  The laptop with the issue works correctly under Linux (I'm currently setting that up).

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

I'd double-check the graphics driver as well since that's what will control the audio out for HDMI. There's a chance a driver update borked the EDID handshake, so that the system isn't correctly negotiating true 5.1/7.1 resulting in this issue. If there's no GPU, make sure to update whatever VGA driver is present, as well as the chipset driver. This is, of course, if you wish to still use Windows vs going to Linux on it.

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34 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

I'd double-check the graphics driver as well since that's what will control the audio out for HDMI. There's a chance a driver update borked the EDID handshake, so that the system isn't correctly negotiating true 5.1/7.1 resulting in this issue. If there's no GPU, make sure to update whatever VGA driver is present, as well as the chipset driver. This is, of course, if you wish to still use Windows vs going to Linux on it.

For now I am dual booting and still interested in solving this if possible but it's not critical.

 

As for solutions, this is a good idea, I hadn't thought of that.  However, I do have the Intel driver thing installed that ensures all drivers are up to date and it says they are.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

For now I am dual booting and still interested in solving this if possible but it's not critical.

 

As for solutions, this is a good idea, I hadn't thought of that.  However, I do have the Intel driver thing installed that ensures all drivers are up to date and it says they are.

As someone who does t-shooting for stuff like this all day.... go to the laptop Manufacturer's site. They'll have made sure to vet the driver doesn't have issues on the configured system. Even though two computers may use the same chipset, it doesn't mean the driver will work on both due to other hardware present which may require a modification by the OEM.

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1 hour ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

As someone who does t-shooting for stuff like this all day.... go to the laptop Manufacturer's site. They'll have made sure to vet the driver doesn't have issues on the configured system. Even though two computers may use the same chipset, it doesn't mean the driver will work on both due to other hardware present which may require a modification by the OEM.

I'll give that a try, may as well, don't have any other ideas lol

I know my other laptop definitely needs to be kept on the older manufacturer driver

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20 hours ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

As someone who does t-shooting for stuff like this all day.... go to the laptop Manufacturer's site. They'll have made sure to vet the driver doesn't have issues on the configured system. Even though two computers may use the same chipset, it doesn't mean the driver will work on both due to other hardware present which may require a modification by the OEM.

I don't believe it... That fixed it lol

Just installed the provided video driver (and audio was bundled) for win 8 from 2014 and it's working again.  Thanks a lot!  I don't think I'll bother with updating laptop drivers in the future anytime soon, and I'll be sure to remember the significance the right version can have.