How to get sound working in Windows 7 running via Boot Camp

by Ross McKillop on January 26, 2009

Mac Windows

The solution to audio not working in Windows 7 running in Boot Camp is to download and install the latest (2.14) Realtek Drivers. Select the High Definition Audio Codecs (Software) link, accept the license agreement, and after the download has completed run the executable. You may need to reboot your Mac (back into Windows 7) for audio to work.

Thanks BrianSF!

  • http://www.fasterbettersmarter.com Kenneth Denson

    WhenI go to the page in question, the newest version of the drivers that I see is 2.14. I don’t suppose you know of an alternate download by any chance do you?

  • http://www.simplehelp.net Ross McKillop

    Kenneth -

    Sorry about that, 2.14 are the most recent (at this time) drivers. I’ve updated the post..

  • Jim Maney

    The audio does not work properly on my iMac. If I plug a pair of headphones into the back, I can barely hear any sound. Windows does not recognize the amplifier in my iMac. So I either need a pair of USB speakers or amplified ones. Bummer.

  • Michael

    I’ve been looking for a solution to this problem for weeks and finally found this post. Thanks!

  • Matt

    I have tried this and am still getting a “This device cannot start. (Code 10)” message in the device manager, and no sound. Any ideas as to why/how to fix it?

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  • Brage

    Hi
    I cant get this to work, I have tried the realtek driver thing, but i dont know which driver to install, it doesnt say anything about which driver to download.
    I have tried nearly all of them and none seem to do anything…

  • Ethan

    None of the download links on the Realtek website work. They all lead to either “Safari cannot load this page” or a 404 message… Help?

  • Angelo

    Here’s what worked for me and my new MacBook Pro (2009). The audio jack was showing a red light in the Vista boot (which meant to me that it was looking for a optical output). The “geniuses” at Mac support told me jam an object in the jack hole as something was stuck (not). The answer: Go to your Windows control panel and open up the Sound driver and select “Headphone” as the default (over speakers). That did it for me, hope it helps someone else.

  • Aaron

    I can’t get the keyboard, multi touch, or sound working on a 64bit install of windows 7 on my 15 inch mbp. Can anyone out there help me?

  • albert harry

    Thank you for this. The tip worked for me. At the time I downloaded the realtek driver it was version 2.29. Downloaded it on my vista pc then saved the file on a usb and later installed it on my window 7 running on my macbook using bootcamp 2.0…and it worked!!!! hooray…thanks a lot for a great tip!

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  • Ahmed Uzair

    A big thankyou to you and BrianSF. It worked absolutely fine. I don’t know about you guyz but here in Britain the download speed of these files were miserably slow (10-15kb/s). I just searched Vista_Win7_R320.exe (the file name of the driver) on torrent and downloaded it in 30 seconds. It is a 34MB file.

  • korendir

    now if I don’t die of old age waiting for the file to download. Are realteks servers running dialup?

  • Henryk
  • Noel

    how to download and install realtek high definition audio on macbook pro

  • shaffy_oppa

    My sound works but its not clear when its low.

    It’s like theres a static sound too, like talking at a really windy beach. I really don’t know how else to explain it.

  • Sarina

    Hi, I installed the drivers from OS X DVD and I also downloaded the lastest drive from realtek, but I still have no sound on my windows 7. On Sound Control Painel I have this: audio speakers and digital audio (S/PDIF), I have these 2 options before installing drivers from realtek and OS X DVD. After installing the driver, nothing changed. I can volume up and down but I don’t hear anything, I tried using speakers, head phones and still got nothing. Does anyone know what’s wrong?
    thx

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  • Neil

    Worked for me! Thanks!

  • http://www.andremoves.com man and van

    it workd for me thank you

  • San9

    Ідіть нахуй!!

  • Domo

    it seems if you use Safari to download the ZIP file on Realtek,it don’t work.

    have do either download on Firefox, or IE, browsers for it to work.

  • Tom Morter-Laing

    I have done this and now have audio running through my headphones when they are plugged in, but no sound comes through the in built speakers? Whats weird though is that the volume buttons still work and stuff, just no popping sound or audio?

  • Nina

    Installed Win7 64 bit, Bootcamp does not support it now to install any drivers from the Mac OS DVD. Installed those Realtek drivers manually and now my sound is pretty bad (far from the Mac OS quality I am used to *sigh*).

  • http://sswestern.com Ali

    I’m not able to download from either of the 3 mirrors it provides. Anyone else have the same problem? How do you download it?

  • Jason Miller

    IE would not work for me. Javascript error. I had to open download in Firefox,but now waiting for log download. Will let you know.

  • Jason Miller

    6.5kb per sec….

  • ariel

    does any body know if windows 7UPGRADE will work on new mac before i buy it or do i need a full version of windows 7??

    thanks, new2imac

  • Jason Miller

    I am running 7 upgrade, but still cannot get the sound to work. When I expand zip file and exe, win 7 tells me that file is corrupt…

  • Ntinos

    This driver : Realtek High Definition Audio Driver R2.37 just worked for my macbook , bootcamp, Windows 7, 32 bit. Downloaded it fast and free here:
    http://www.brothersoft.com/realtek-high-definition-audio-driver-download-65158.html

  • ericvt

    This tutorial is awesome and has worked perfectly for me:
    imac 21.5 /w OS-X 10.6 /w magic mouse and wireless keyboard. I installed Win7 Ultimate on it using the tutorial.

    The only thing is that when installing Win7, you’ll need to plug-in a USB keyboard and mouse to get thru setup. The issue /w sound applied and the realtek drivers worked well.
    Now the only thing left to fix is finding the proper drivers for the apple mouse and keyboards.

  • Geoff

    The realtek drives do indeed work but the bundled mixer software is so horrible! Is there any way to get rid of this junk and just use the superior Windows 7 mixer?

  • Matt Harrison

    Hi, none of these solutions worked for me (running 27′ imac core i7 with windows 7 on bootcamp). I was without sound and after using the OSX disc, neither mouse nor keyboard worked. Solution: Using USB mouse and Keyboard downloaded and installed bootcamp software update 3.1 http://support.apple.com/kb/DL996. Everything now works like a charm. Just thought I’d post this for anyone having similar problems.

  • THIERRY

    great and many thanks,i have installed windows 7 and i had no sound,now it works thanks to you.
    so the solution is finaly to install realtek driver version 2.4,i run windows under mac os 10.5 AND NOT 10.6 AND IT WORKS GREAT.
    PEACE

  • c

    thank you so much! this solution worked for me and i am running mac 10.5 with windows 7. downloaded the exe file instead of the zip and ran the file. restarted my computer and works perfectly!

  • J

    This Realtek driver worked for m y mini but not for my IMac 21.5″??

  • http://www.007systems.us J

    This solved all of my driver problems with my 21.5″ IMac/W7 install.
    1. First get the Bootcamp 3.1 update drivers from apple here;
    http://support.apple.com/kb/DL996
    2. Install your Bootcamp software that is on your Mac OSX install DVD while in W7.
    It is the setup.exe file in the bootcamp folder.
    These were old drivers for me and it messed up some things I had working.
    3. Then install the current Bootcamp drivers (3.1) that you downloaded earlier.
    This update has all of the latest drivers for everything and everything should work.
    Plus it installs a nice Bootcamp utility in windows you can use while in windows to control Bootcamp.
    Hope this helps
    J Miller / 007 Systems

  • Jonko

    Go to:
    http://www.station-drivers.com/page/realtek.htm
    for fast download.
    Scroll down to:
    REALTEK High Definition Audio (Azalia ALC880, ALC888, ALC882, ALC26x, ALC861, ect…)(Drivers)

    Works for mee.

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  • Katalin

    Awsome, the Realtek driver did the job for me…. Thanks!

  • http://none Brandon

    This is late but might someone post a direct download link for me? id apriciate it i have windows 7 64bit thx =D

  • Marc

    I have a MBP 13″ MB990LL/A running Vista SP2. Angelo’s post on 6/16/09 worked for me, “Go to your Windows control panel and open up the Sound driver and select “Headphone” as the default (over speakers). That did it for me, hope it helps someone else.”. The only thing I would add is the headphones have to be plugged in to make them the default.

  • amir

    hey guys
    i just download windows 7 on tne boot cam p on my mac book pro
    and i could not able to install my boot camp on windows coz its not reading the snow leopard cd
    what should i do?????????
    any idea

  • Ross

    Speakers were working in Vista but not headphones. Sound still came out of the speakers when the headphones were plugged in! Couldn’t figuire it out for ages.

    Thanks to Angelo for the solution:
    Right click the volume icon in the system tray,
    Click ‘Playback Devices’,
    Click on ‘Headphones’ and ‘Set Default;

    Sorted it right out.

  • ed

    hey all,

    is there somewhere to get all of the drivers off of the OSX installation disc and not just the audio? do i only need this driver?

    i left my installation disc in another city and want to install windows 7 now! :)

    i appreciate any help.

  • Zahid

    i have MacBook
    when i intall widows 7 then sound not worked, after that i try hard but when i install this driver in windows i solved my problem,

    http://www.realtek.com/downloads/RedirectFTPSite.aspx?SiteID=1&DownTypeID=3&DownID=10&PFid=24&Conn=3

  • Gab

    It worked, Thanks!

  • Ashwin L

    thank you :)

  • marcel

    realtek site doesn’t work properly in chrome btw.

  • Carrie

    Thanks! installed Realtek on Windows 7… sound still didn’t work through my speaker but worked through mac mini… moved speaker in-jack to headset jack and now have sound through speaks!

  • Denny

    well done, thanks man its works for my macbook 2,2 driver realtek 2.55.

  • AAMIR

    MINE WORKED WITH IDT SIGMA TELL DRIVER, PRESENT IN THE BOOT CAMP DRIVER COLLECTION… CHECKT THIS OUT… AND I HAVE VERY GOOD SOUND NOW…
    THANKS

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  • Bob

    it takes a hour for it to download

  • Bob

    doesn’t work

  • window 7

    This did the trick for me, last post on:
    http://forums.techarena.in/windows-software/1339753.htm

  • LJ_toshi

    This worked for me. I now have sound in Windows 7 64 bit on my Mac Pro 1,1

    Thank you! :-)

  • Jono

    Go to the Cirrus website – search for “CS4207 Win7 driver”.

    Click on the first link then once that opens click the resources tab and download the the right version for your operating system.

    In your device manager select the cirrus audio device, update the driver and point to the file that contains the new driver. Install. Job done.

    Worked perfectly for me.

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  • Dr. Oo

    Juno…you rock! It worked for me! Thanks

  • Lani

    Solution! (for me at least)

    Initial problem: Red light on, no sound. Win 7 64bit installed on Bootcamp 3. Mac Book Pro.

    All I had to do IN THIS ORDER (hardware driver then OS driver):

    Install realtek based on software (vista, 7, xp): restart

    Install “Cirrus” driver included in : windows support > drivers > Cirrus : Restart.

    This is all I had to do… Red light off and clear sound :)

    The best I can guess is the realtek driver is missing or wrong or whatever, but then you install it and it just isn’t intuitive to follow up with the Cirrus driver to bridge from OS to hardware….I mean, I had no idea that Cirrus had anything to do with sound, etc.

  • Kiersi

    This worked great for me! Thanks!

  • Marley

    YES! thank you so much it worked perfectly :D

  • Vania

    Thanks! :)