No sound after windows update

Windows 7, Motherboard with integrated sound: ECS RC410-M (Alhena)
Symptom: Windows, dxdiag, and every other diagnostic I have used thinks the sound is working. Media players run successfully, except that no sound comes out of my speakers. I have tried multiple speakers, so the problem is with the computer.
It had been working fine, then I didn't use this computer for several months, since December of 2011. A few days ago, I set everything up in a new place, sound was still working. Then Windows Update does its magic, and I have no sound.
I have tried re-installing drivers (realtek hd for 32 bit, and then several other realtek drivers to be on the safe side). I have looked for several days through other forums, but none that I have seen have exactly my problem.
I would very much appreciate any help!

Could your sound be going to another device rather than your speakers, like an HDMI output? Maybe something would show up if you right click the speaker icon and select Playback Devices..

Hi

One way of trying to fix issues like this is to uninstall the device (in your case the sound device) in Device Manager and reboot your computer.

Windows will detect and reinstall the device and set everything back to default settings.

Go to sounds as Saltgrass said or right click on the desktop select personalize and click the sound button.
Look at the playback tab and see what the default playback device is.

On mine it is Speakers, High Definition Audio Device.

Click Properties and make sure the Device is Enabled,

Then open the sounds tab, select a theme, click on one of the active sounds and hit Test.

See if you have a sound.

Mike

Thank you, but I have already tried reinstalling the drivers. I tried uninstalling the driver, then allowing windows update to find it. I've tried installing the driver that was originally with the motherboard, according to manufacturer's site. I have tried installing the latest Realtek driver.
I have also disabled all other playback devices. None of this has worked.

Hi

Uninstalling the device isn't the same as uninstalling the driver.

When you uninstall the device in Device Manager it forces Windows to rediscover, reinstall and reconfigure the device from scratch, using what Widows 7 thinks are the correct settings.

For the most part Sound, Video and Internet all work when Windows is first installed using the default settings and drivers.
When you uninstall the device it forces Windows to do that again.

Do the settings all look normal in the Sounds Control Panel, i.e. the default device etc.

Mike

Maybe a help? I have had this problem on one of my old stationary's. I have always been succesful installing the Vista driver in compatibility mode - Vista_R263

I'm sorry, I meant that I had been uninstalling the device from device manager. Sometimes I clicked to remove the actual files as well, but tried it without that as well.

***UPDATE ON SITUATION***
After wrestling with the Device Manager, Group Policies, and Realtek installers for about 15 hours, I got sound to come on. I restarted as it wanted me to, and then the sound was gone again. I just haggled with it for about 10 minutes, sound working again, and now I'm planning on keeping it on as long as possible, lol. I have to run the realtek setup program while the driver is still installed, then before it gets around to uninstalling the one already there, I uninstall it through Device Manager. I then let the Realtek setup continue, and it restarts the computer. When the computer starts up again, realtek continues and installs the driver. I have sound.
But not always. Sometimes that works, most times it doesn't. But it's the only thing which has worked so far.
*But* if I restart the computer again, the sound is gone. I have tried removing Windows Update's ability to change drivers, through the Group Policies dialog, but this was ineffective. I would like a more permanent solution than keeping the computer on at all times, since I can't receive system or security updates at the moment without losing sound due to restarting.

Right clicking the speaker icon, as suggested by Saltgrass, will, I believe, only take you to the Microsoft panel options. If you have completed the Realtek install correctly, you should have a Realtek option in the Control Panel. Have you checked in that facility, to see if you have the correct playback devices selected. Configurations change, according to which particular version you are using, but in the navigation bar in the far right, you may have a yellow folder icon. (below “Device advanced settings” ) Click the folder icon, and Click “Disable front panel jack detection” . A yellow check mark shows up. Click “OK". See if the sound remains now.

Hi

I'm not sure if you have a PC or a Lap Top, but if you have a PC and the problem persists and remains unsolvable, it might be worth buying an inexpensive sound card and plugging it in. That should get you around the problem with your on-board sound.

Amazon.com: ASUS PCI 5.1 Channel Sound Card XONAR_DG: Computers & Accessories

Mike