Quick fix: Open services.msc. Right-click Windows Audio → Properties. In the Recovery tab, set First, Second, and Subsequent failures all to Restart the Service. This makes the service auto-restart whenever it crashes — you stop noticing the failures.

Audio cuts out. Volume mixer is unresponsive. Restart the Windows Audio service from services.msc — audio returns, but stops again hours later. The service is crashing or being killed by another component, and Windows isn’t auto-restarting it. Fix: configure recovery actions so the service comes back automatically, plus identify the underlying crash cause.

Symptom: Audio fails repeatedly; Windows Audio service shows as Stopped in services.msc; manual restart resolves but issue recurs.
Affects: Windows 11 (and Windows 10) with realtek, intel, or USB audio devices.
Fix time: ~15 minutes.

What causes this

The Windows Audio service (Audiosrv) and its dependency Windows Audio Endpoint Builder (AudioEndpointBuilder) manage audio device enumeration, mixing, and routing. They run inside svchost.exe processes. Common crash triggers: a buggy audio driver (Realtek, Conexant), an over-aggressive third-party audio enhancement app (Razer Synapse, SoundBlaster Cinema, Sonic Studio), or a USB audio device that disconnects/reconnects rapidly.

When the service crashes, Windows’s default recovery behavior is “Take no action” for the second and subsequent failures — meaning audio stays broken until you intervene. Changing recovery to “Restart the Service” makes Windows auto-recover.

Method 1: Configure service recovery to auto-restart

The standard fix for the symptom. Run this first.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
Find Windows Audio. Right-click → Properties.
Switch to the Recovery tab.
Set:
- First failure: Restart the Service
- Second failure: Restart the Service
- Subsequent failures: Restart the Service
- Restart service after: 1 minute
- Reset fail count after: 1 day
Click Apply → OK.
Repeat for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.
Also configure: Multimedia Class Scheduler service the same way (it’s a dependency for low-latency audio).
Now when the service crashes, Windows auto-restarts it within 1 minute — audio returns without manual intervention.

This treats the symptom. Method 2 addresses the root cause.

Method 2: Identify and resolve the underlying crash

For when you want to stop the crashes from happening in the first place.

Open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc).
Navigate to Windows Logs → System. Filter for Source: Service Control Manager and Event ID: 7034 (Service crashed unexpectedly).
Look for entries naming the Windows Audio service. Note the timestamps.
Check Application log around the same timestamps for any Application Error entries. The faulting module name tells you what crashed the audio service.
Common offenders:
- RTKAudUService64.exe — Realtek audio service: update Realtek driver via vendor site, or disable the Realtek service entirely if you don’t need its features.
- NahimicService.exe — Nahimic audio enhancement: uninstall from Settings → Apps.
- SonicStudio3.exe — Asus/Sonic: uninstall.
- USB audio driver — update the device driver from the manufacturer, or try a different USB port.
Update the audio driver: in Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers → right-click your audio device → Update driver → Search automatically.
If a recent driver caused the issue: roll back via Device Manager → Driver tab → Roll Back Driver.
For Realtek HD Audio specifically: uninstall the third-party Realtek Audio Console UWP app from Microsoft Store; sometimes its crashes cascade to the system audio service. Use Windows’s built-in audio controls instead.

This is the right path to stop the underlying crashes.

Method 3: Reset audio stack entirely

For when audio service crashes despite driver updates and disabled third-party services.

Open Terminal (Admin).

Stop and disable the audio services:

net stop AudioEndpointBuilder
net stop Audiosrv

Reset audio endpoint configurations: open Registry Editor and back up HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio. Then delete it (you’ll lose custom audio settings but corrupted state goes away).
Reinstall audio drivers: open Device Manager → View → Show hidden devices. Expand Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click every device (including hidden ones) → Uninstall device. Don’t check “Delete driver software” unless the device is gone.
Reboot. Windows reinstalls audio drivers automatically.
For systems where Realtek/conexant audio still crashes: install the latest driver from your motherboard manufacturer’s site (not Realtek directly — OEM-customized driver). For Dell/HP/Lenovo: their support sites have driver-specific to your model.
If the issue persists: temporarily disable Windows Audio Endpoint Builder (set Startup type to Disabled). Without it, only the default audio device works, but the system stops crashing. Use this as confirmation that AudioEndpointBuilder is the issue, then chase fixes.

This is the nuclear option. Use when targeted fixes don’t resolve.

How to verify the fix worked

Run Get-Service Audiosrv, AudioEndpointBuilder | Format-Table Name, Status, StartType in PowerShell. Both should show Running and StartType Automatic.
Open Event Viewer → System log. Filter for Audio service crashes (Event ID 7034) in the past 24 hours. After fixes, count should be 0.
Play music or video continuously for 30+ minutes. Audio should stay working without interruption.

If none of these work

If Windows Audio service crashes despite all software fixes, the issue may be hardware. For motherboard audio chip failure: rare but possible. Test by installing a cheap USB audio adapter ($5–10) — if audio is stable through the USB adapter, the motherboard’s audio chip is failing. Use the USB adapter as the primary device. For DPC latency issues: open Resource Monitor → CPU tab. Look for high CPU usage by System process or any audio driver. Run LatencyMon for 5 minutes to identify high-latency drivers. Common offenders: Nvidia GPU driver during games, Wi-Fi adapters, USB controllers. Update or replace the problem driver. For PCs with multiple audio devices: a USB headset, HDMI audio from monitors, and built-in audio can confuse the service. In Sound settings, disable devices you don’t use, leaving only the active output. Reduces stack complexity and crash surface. For Windows 11 specifically: spatial audio (Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos) can cause crashes on some hardware. Disable it: right-click speaker icon → Spatial sound → Off.

Bottom line: Set Recovery tab to auto-restart the Windows Audio service for symptom relief, then identify the crashing third-party module via Event Viewer to fix the root cause.