On Sat, 3 Oct 2020 19:53:11 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

12. Win+R devicemanager
"Browse my computer for drivers"
"Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer"
[Have Disk] [Browse]
But the only things you can select are the 114 INF files; not the sys file.

Well... all that failed.
o Back to googling....

13. You'd think it would be simple to find a driver on the Realtek site.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=windows+10+driver+Realtek+High+Definition+Audio +6.0.8988.1+-codec
Scroll pretty far (multiple pages) before you give up.

14. Try the search at the Realtek web site itself:
https://www.realtek.com/en/
"windows 10 driver Realtek High Definition Audio 6.0.8988.1"
Press "Q" to search all you want, the search appears to be broken.

15. Just try their search engine directly:
https://www.realtek.com/en/search?
"windows 10 driver Realtek High Definition Audio 6.0.8988.1"
That finds nothing.

16. Search the Internet for how to update realtek audio drivers:
o How to Update and Reinstall Realtek HD Audio Manager
https://www.maketecheasier.com/update-realtek-hd-audio-manager/

Win+R %comspec% /k dir "C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA"
BlackSkinImages64.dll
DarkSkinImages64.dll
EP64.exe
GrayJadeSkinImages64.dll
PremiumBlack2SkinImages64.dll
PremiumBlackSkinImages64.dll
RAVBg64.exe
RAVCpl64.exe
RtkAudioService64.exe
RtkNGUI64.exe
RtlUpd64.exe
vncutil64.exe
The article says to execute "RtkNGUI64.exe" but on my system
that does not open up the Realtek HD Audio Manager.
Clicking on each executable in turn, only 2 bring up a GUI:
RAVCpl64.exe brings up the "Realtek HD Audio Manager"
Clicking the "I" (info) button says:
Audio Driver Version: 6.0.8967.1
DirectX Version: DirectX 12.0
Audio Controller: HD Audio
Audio Codec: ALC888S
RtlUpd64.exe brings up access control acceptance for the
"Driver Setup API for Realtek HD Audio", but nothing happens.

17. The aforementioned article says we have to go to tenfourms:
(even though I'm _not_ seeking a "codec" - I'm seeking a driver.)
o Latest Realtek High Definition Audio Codecs
https://www.tenforums.com/sound-audio/5993-latest-realtek-hd-audio-driver-version.html

Which brings you to he
https://www.tenforums.com/sound-audio/135259-latest-realtek-hd-audio-driver-version-2-a.html
Last Updated: September 22, 2020
HDA DRIVER VERSION: 6.0.8978.1 FF00 (For: Windows 7, 8, 10)
Download at: Microsoft Update Catalog
Direct download links from Microsoft Update Catalog:

Which brings me right back to where I had started:
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=6.0.8963.1
http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2020/09/fa0cd2ef-98a8-4455-a98c-6883344fa806_72b92e2bb97699f35f8875d2042090dd48464 d03.cab
Name: fa0cd2ef-98a8-4455-a98c-6883344fa806_72b92e2bb97699f35f8875d2042090dd48464 d03.cab
Size: 153178945 bytes (146 MiB)
SHA256: 57199A5CB0642BFA47E91B571B06DFC1DBCD32D2454BE7F457 517C94B9230F0A

Note: That's a slightly older version and cab file than what I had
downloaded previously from the Microsoft Catalog earlier today.

Tenforums has a link to how to install the driver from a cab file:
o How to Install a CAB File in Windows 10
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/66346-install-cab-file-windows-10-a.html#post873775

NOTE: A lot of advice in that thread is dead wrong; but some is good.

Which warns: "The options in this tutorial will not work to install
Realtek HD audio drivers from a .cab file.
For that, see: Install Realtek CAB file in Windows 10
o Another way to install a cab file (Realtek Audio driver as example)
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/66346-install-cab-file-windows-10-a.html#post873775
But that simply explains what we've been doing all along.
And, of course, they all get the same DISM errors we had all along.
(Every single person who uses DISM gets the same errors.)

Expand -F:* c:\tmp\cab\1.cab c:\tmp\cab
What's different is this expands to 287 files and one directory.

There is no "setup.exe" although there are 10 executables:
CreateRtkToastLnk.exe
DTSAudioService64.exe
EP64.exe
ICEsoundService64.exe
RAVBg64.exe
RAVCpl64.exe
RtkAudioService64.exe
RtkNGUI64.exe
RtlUpd64.exe
vncutil64.exe

Win+R devicemanager
Sound, video and game controllers
Realtek High Definition Audio
[Driver] [Update Driver] Browse my computer for drivers
Search for drivers in this location C:\tmp\cab
[x]Include subfolders
[Next]
Searching cab for drivers
Installing drivers...
Windows has successfully updated your drivers

18. Check the version using the device manager:
https://i.postimg.cc/fR8yW1WS/driver13.jpg
Win+R devicemanager
Realtek High Definition Audio
[Driver]
[Driver Details]
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Driver Date: 6/23/2020
Driver Version: 6.0.8978.1

19. Check the version using any device updater softwa
https://i.postimg.cc/wMYTbp2Z/driver14.jpg
Taskbar menu hardware drivers dumo
Realtek High Definition Audio 6.0.8978.1 update available 6.0.8988.1

20. The question is why isn't this the latest version?
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=6.0.8988.1

We're closer, but not yet where we want to be...
o Back to googling for the solution...
--
Solving problems so that everyone can benefit takes perseverence.