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Since getting this LG Gram 17" laptop in April, I've been having issues. Firstly the audio is very crackly, and occasionally just gives up altogether. Secondly, multiple BSODs - every few days, except last week I had three in one day. It's outside the return window for Amazon, though I may pursue it anyway. I've completely reset Windows 10 on it twice now but the problems persist.

First the audio. As I say, even on low volume, the audio is very crackly. I have followed instructions to disable enhancements, to remove Conexant/Realtek drivers and replace with Windows HD, but to no avail. Event Viewer shows multiple entries related to audio such as:

The SynaAssist service failed to start in a timely manner (paraphrasing)
The Conexant service failed to start (same as above; different drivers this time)

Sometimes after a BSOD one of the above entries appears and until I start going into Device Manager and fiddling, there is no audio at all - laptop speaker, headphones, HDMI to monitor, anything.

Secondly, another mystery (to me) entry:

The speed of processor 7 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware...

Some searching suggests the CPU is being slowed, so disable the slowing. Except there's no BIOS setting for it, nor does Windows' Power Settings have an option (just time for sleep and screen saver), so I can't do anything there. And why should I on a brand new laptop costing $1600?

Finally, the BSODs. Some have entries around the appropriate time; others do not. When there are entries, after the reboot, they're like this:

The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first
The previous system shutdown at <time/date> was unexpected

This is while on mains power, not battery. While on the subject of batteries, I know the advertising is optimistic but the advertised 17 hours is more like 11 hours with nothing running beyond the desktop. Very disappointing. I mean, it's long enough if it actually lasts that long, but to use it a few times back in April and get figures like that after a few usages for metrics is pretty rubbish.

All drivers and software are up to date. Windows 21H1 (Home), including according to LG's awful software, and from searching their support database (which seems not to know about this specific model, 17Z90N-R.AAC8U1). I have tried older drivers too. Only Windows Defender is running; no other AV or antimalware. In fact I just had a BSOD after a fresh reset with literally nothing beyond Windows (and LG crap) installed.

I have contacted LG and they have sent return labels but with a warning: if they don't find anything wrong with hardware it'll be returned with a service fee (without mentioning what the service fee is). What if they turn it on, decide it looks fine, and demand payment for "no fault found"?

I have considered Windows 8.1 because Realtek and Windows 10 seems to be a hot issue, but don't have a (legal) product code, and again, why should I be rolling back to an older version on a $1600 laptop?

The question: Have I missed any troubleshooting steps, and/or should I risk the service fee - or try an Amazon return?

Thanks.

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I happened to find somewhere that once you enter UEFI-config, Ctrl + Alt + F7 gives all the advanced settings.

There are a lot of them.

Also.. I'm having the same issues in audio (In Windows 11, as per today, Windows 10 worked fine, but I wanted to test the new thing). Fortunately Bluetooth-audio bypass works for me, either in a single headset or a speaker, So I think I'll have to work this.

In my case the audio device in Win11 suddenly stopped working and there are no driver matches for the ID... tried my classical approach of searching: "Windows driver Audio Controller Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_9DC8&SUBSYS_03251854&REV_30 "

And I come out with near nothing.

HWInfo told me that the drivers are for Audio Adapter: Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech) [D0]

Maybe HDMI redirection to a TV will work, but haven't tested it.

For now, the bluetooth workaround is enough for me, but it is annoying to have to carry an additional gadget because something doesn't work out of the box.

EDIT: Adding the details I used to make audio work, after a proper reinstall.

1.- Installed Windows 11 from the ISO that can be downloaded from Microsoft. The install required an internet connection and entering credentials for a microsoft-enabled account.

2.- First it activated as Windows Home, and after some updates and reboots, it took the Windows Pro license I had prior to the Win10-Win11 upgrade. Make sure to have it fully updated with WindowsUpdate patched before proceeding.

3.- For drivers, I used: Intel drivers for Video, WiFi and Bluetooth.

4.- Installed the LG update app, and then let it install everything, reboot several times and keep installing, until it is done. Even with audio working from the fresh install, it downloaded a specific Conexant Audio Driver. The repository where it downloads the installers is in:

C:\ProgramData\LG Software\LG Update Center\Download

5.- If you go to windowsupdate optional drivers, I would avoid installing the 25.x driver version.

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  • As it’s currently written, your answer is unclear. Please edit to add additional details that will help others understand how this addresses the question asked. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Apr 10, 2022 at 19:51
  • After some failures to make audio work properly, I made a full wipe and reinstall of the LG Gram 17Z990. I'll detail in the answer. It works now with the onboard audio as it should.
    – zRISC
    Apr 11, 2022 at 22:45

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