If you're having trouble getting your Intel Smart Sound Technology to start correctly, your driver support assistant could be an issue. Follow these steps to fix it!
If you're getting an error message stating that Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology OED is not starting correctly in Windows 10 or Windows 11, don't despair. You can try a few things to get it up and running again.
Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology (ISST) is a feature of some Intel processors that provides a high-definition audio experience. However, ISST may not start correctly on your system, which can be frustrating.
If your computer is not starting correctly, one possible culprit could be the Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology OED application.
In this article, we'll show you how to fix the problem. We'll also discuss some common issues with ISST and how to address them.
Let's get started!
Table of Contents
- What Is the Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology Driver?
- What Causes Intel (R) Smart Sound Driver Problems on Windows?
- How To Fix Intel Smart Sound Technology OED Driver Issues on Windows 10/11
- Method 1. Update Your Computer's BIOS
- Method 2. Update Your Drivers With Intel DSA (Driver Support Assistant)
- Method 3. Update Your Realtek Audio Driver
- Method 4. Install the Intel Media Driver via Microsoft Update Catalog
- Method 5. Replace the Sound Drivers With High Definition Audio Controller
- TL;DR
- Conclusion
What Is the Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology Driver?
The Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology (ISST) driver is a piece of software that allows your computer to communicate with your audio hardware. This driver is necessary for the proper functioning of your audio system.
Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology is in charge of handling audio pre-processing operations and serves as a computing power bridge between these operations and hardware devices. When specific drivers become corrupted, the hardware device stops responding, resulting in Code 43 and Code 10 Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology OED errors.
Other issues, however, are not off the table.
What Causes Intel (R) Smart Sound Driver Problems on Windows?
Let's look at the most common causes of strange issues with the Intel (R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel (R) SST) OED service. Here are some scenarios you might be dealing with right now:
- Outdated drivers: An outdated Intel Smart Sound Technology driver is one of the most common causes of this error (especially for users who have already upgraded to Windows 11). This issue arises because Windows Update cannot obtain the most recent driver versions compatible with Windows 11.
- The Smart Sound Technology driver is corrupted: You're probably dealing with corrupted driver files if you've suddenly lost audio and recording capabilities.
- Incorrect Smart Sound Technology driver: If you're having audio problems on a Lenovo or Dell laptop, you'll probably need to install the Realtek driver to fix the problem. Although this is only a requirement for certain laptop models, you can easily fix it.
- Driver dependencies are missing from your operating system: In some cases, an additional Intel Media driver may be required to use high-quality audio playback and recording. If a missing Intel Media Driver causes the issue, you can fix it by using the Microsoft Update Catalog to install it.
- Incompatible dedicated driver: Windows 11 replaces the generic driver with an incompatible dedicated equivalent. To keep this problem from recurring, use Device Manager to force your OS to use the HD Audio Controller driver instead of the Intel Smart Sound Technology driver.
These problems are complex but not impossible to fix without some help. Below, we've provided instructions on fixing the most common causes of issues with the ISST OED service.
How To Fix Intel Smart Sound Technology OED Driver Issues on Windows 10/11
If you're having problems with your Intel Smart Sound Technology OED driver, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the issue.
To Fix the Intel(r) Smart Sound Technology has a driver problem, here are some solutions:
Method 1. Update Your Computer's BIOS
Outdated BIOS versions can cause problems, including Intel Smart Sound Technology driver issues. You can first try to update your BIOS to the latest version. Here's how:
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Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility.
- Type in "cmd" without quotation marks and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will launch the Command Prompt application.
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Next, type the following commands one by one. Hit the Enter key after each command line to execute the command:
- system info | findstr /I /c:bios
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wmic bios get manufacturer, smbiosbiosversion
- These commands will help you identify the BIOS version. Use it to find the latest files required to update your BIOS unless you're already on the latest version.
Method 2. Update Your Drivers With Intel DSA (Driver Support Assistant)
If you're unsure which drivers need to be updated or don't have time to update them all manually, you can use Intel DSA (Driver Support Assistant) to automate the process.
Intel DSA is a utility that will scan your computer for outdated drivers and then update them for you.
- Ensure there are no unnecessary background applications or processes running on your system. Close any potentially conflicting software, such as NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Adrenalin, Driver Booster, etc.
- Open your default browser and go to the Driver & Support Assistant utility's home page by clicking here.
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Once you're on the correct page, scroll down and click the Download Now button under Intel Driver & Support Assistant (Intel DSA).
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Launch the Intel-Driver-and-Support-Assistant-Installer.exe file you just downloaded. This is the executable file for the Intel DSA installer.
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Make sure to place a checkmark in the I agree to the license terms and conditions box, and then click the Install button. You may be prompted by the User Account Control (UAC); click here to learn how to grant administrator permissions to your local account.
- Wait until the initial scan is finished before clicking the Download all button and following the on-screen instructions to install all pending Intel drivers.
Method 3. Update Your Realtek Audio Driver
If you have a Lenovo or Dell laptop, you'll need to update your Realtek audio driver to fix the problem. You can download the latest Realtek HD audio driver from the Realtek website and install it on your computer.
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Press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard at the same time, then click on Device Manager.
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Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section by clicking on the arrow icon in front of it. Right-click on the Realtek (R) Audio sound device and choose Update Driver.
- Select the Search automatically for updated driver software option to let Windows look for the latest drivers compatible with your device. Note that you'll require a connection to the internet in order to perform this step.
- Once the new driver has been downloaded and installed, restart your computer. Check if your Intel Smart Sound Technology OED problem has been resolved.
Method 4. Install the Intel Media Driver via Microsoft Update Catalog
If the Intel Smart Sound Technology driver is causing problems because it's incompatible with your Windows installation, you can fix the problem by installing the Intel Media Driver via Microsoft Update Catalog.
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Open any browser of your choice and open the Microsoft Update Catalog page. Use the search box in the upper right corner, type in the "Intel(R) Corporation – MEDIA" query, and then hit the Search button.
- After the search results load, scroll down the list and find the latest Intel(R) Corporation – MEDIA file for the Windows version you're using. Make sure that the third column shows Drivers (Sound).
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Once you've found the correct sound driver, click the Download button.
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A new window will open. Here, click on the download link provided. It'll look like a string of alphanumerical characters with the .cab file extension.
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Extract the contents of the file you downloaded. Locate and right-click on the IntcOED.inf file, then choose Install from the context menu.
- Wait for the process to finish, then restart your computer to see if the Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) OED error has been resolved.
Method 5. Replace the Sound Drivers With High Definition Audio Controller
If you're having problems with the Intel Smart Sound Technology audio driver on Windows, you can try replacing your sound drivers with the High Definition Audio Controller driver. Here's how to do it:
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Press the Windows + R keys. Type in "devmgmt.msc" without quotation marks, and press the OK button. This will take you to the Device Manager window.
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Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section by clicking on the arrow icon in front of it. Right-click on the Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(r) SST) OED. sound device and choose Update Driver.
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In the dialog window, choose to Browse my computer for driver software, and then click on the Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer button.
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Find and select High Definition Audio Device. If you can't see it in the list, uncheck the Show compatible hardware option. Click Next to continue.
- Follow the on-screen instructions until the installation is complete, and then restart your computer.
TL;DR
- This problem occurs because the Windows Update is not yet equipped to fetch the latest driver versions compatible with Windows 11.
- To resolve this issue (on both Windows 11 and Windows 10), use the DSA (Driver Support Assistant) to install the latest driver version compatible with your motherboard.
- Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) is an integrated audio driver and technology (Intel R SST) that enables improved sound quality.]
- Your audio devices may not function properly if the audio driver is outdated, missing, or damaged.
- If the audio driver you're using isn't working properly, you can fix it by updating your audio controller, OED driver, and audio driver in the Device Manager.
- You can also update your OED driver from the Intel website or through the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you fix the issue. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can find more articles on our Blog that will help you keep your computer running smoothly. Thanks for reading!
If you're still having problems with the Intel Smart Sound Technology OED not starting correctly on Windows 10, feel free to leave us a message below and we'll try to help you out. If the same problem reappears on your computer, make sure to return to our page and fix your Intel Smart Sound Technology audio driver using the methods above!
One More Thing
Check out our Help Center for more articles on audio devices, how to use the Device Manager, and other important topics. Thanks for reading!
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