Windows update decided that the graphics driver on my HTPC needed updating. It probably did. However, as I've mentioned before that driver is bundled with the HDMI sound driver. Which meant that sound over HDMI stopped working. Again. Way to go, Vista!
First I was pussled and tried switching HDMI ports on the TV. Of course that didn't work and then I remembered I've had a similar problem before. So I went to Fujitsu Siemens support page, but the sound driver there wasn't possible to install. Yay, Fujitsu!
Then I headed over to Intel's driver page and tried updating to the latest driver (which Vista probably already graciously installed for me), but that didn't do any good. As expected. Perhaps I could reinstall the old driver? I probably could, but Intel didn't have any old drivers listed on their web page. (Fujitsu actually have old drivers, so perhaps that could be an option next time.) Hurray Intel!
Luckily I had saved the driver I downloaded in October, which I could use and now I have sound working again over HDMI. It only took five reboots and an hour and a half of my time. No West Wing tonight.
Now I've turned off automatic updates in Vista. The next time something stops working I'll probably start from the bottom and update the BIOS and then all drivers one by one. Here's hoping it doesn't have to come to that.
Did I mention I ordered a MacBook this past weekend? From now on I will throw as little money as possible Microsoft's way. Go me!
