I hate the Realtek audio driver like no one has ever hated a driver before. Constant popping and clicking throughout the day and night, and constant nagging questions about whether I'm plugging in speakers or headphones-- and if so, which size of speakers or headphones. I hate it. I want to be rid of it. Forever.
The problem is that the driver keeps coming back. I disable it, uninstall it, and it comes right back. I even edited the registry on the suggestion of a few other users, but days later, the Realtek driver came back.
There was a brief 48-72 hr period where I was able to enable and use a basic "HD audio" driver (which I assume was a bare-bones Windows 10 audio driver), and it was glorious. No popping, no clicking, and no asking me questions every time I plugged in a 3.5mm jack. I could listen to music like it was the 1990s and I was using Windows 3.1 with some wired speakers.
Now, I've been shaken back to the dystopian future nightmare of 2021 and the Realtek virus, and all my audio problems are back.
Can anyone tell me how to completely and totally rid my life of this annoying Realtek driver?