Fix Crackling Audio on Windows 11: 7 Steps (2026)

By ToolNerdy Editorial Team Updated May 2026 3 min read

The verdict

Crackling, popping, or stuttering audio on Windows 11? Here are 7 fixes in priority order, drawn from Microsoft guidance and user forums, plus how to check DPC latency.

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Crackling, popping, or stuttering audio on Windows 11 is a problem nearly every machine runs into, especially after a system update or new headphones. This article walks through fixes in priority order, from the simplest to the deepest, drawing on guidance from Microsoft Support and experienced users on community forums.

What’s going wrong, and why

Crackling audio on Windows 11 usually comes from several causes at once: Audio Enhancements that switch on automatically, an audio format that doesn’t match the hardware, DPC latency from other drivers (especially Wi-Fi), or outdated audio drivers. According to discussion in Microsoft Q&A, reports of this issue rose noticeably after Windows 11 24H2.

7 steps to fix Windows 11 crackling audio

Step 1: Reboot

It sounds obvious, but Microsoft lists it first because crackling can be caused by an Audio Service stuck after sleep or an update that hasn’t fully applied.

Step 2: Disable Audio Enhancements

Go to Settings → System → Sound, pick your output device, then set Audio enhancements to Off. Audio Enhancements are one of the leading causes of distorted sound, as Microsoft Support confirms.

Step 3: Change the default audio format

Go to Settings → System → Sound → (audio device) → Properties → Advanced and try changing the Default format from 24-bit/192000 Hz to 24-bit/48000 Hz or 16-bit/44100 Hz. Older hardware often can’t keep up at high sample rates, which causes pops and stutters.

Step 4: Run the Audio Troubleshooter

Press Win + I → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters and click Run next to Audio. The system will automatically check codecs, services, and drivers. It takes under a minute.

Step 5: Update or reinstall audio drivers

Press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click your audio device, and pick Update driver. If that doesn’t help, Uninstall device and restart — Windows will reinstall the driver automatically. Driver Easy recommends downloading the latest driver directly from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer instead of relying on Windows Update alone.

Step 6: Disable Fast Startup

Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable, uncheck Turn on fast startup, and click Save changes. Fast Startup can prevent audio drivers from loading fully on some machines.

Step 7: Update BIOS / chipset drivers

Visit your motherboard or laptop manufacturer’s support page and download the latest BIOS and chipset drivers. Several Microsoft Q&A threads report the issue cleared after a BIOS update because of fixes to power management and DPC latency bugs.

If it’s still happening, check DPC latency

Download LatencyMon (free), run it, and watch which process consumes the most DPC time. If nvlddmkm.sys (NVIDIA), Wdf01000.sys, or a Wi-Fi driver is the culprit, update that specific driver. This matches advice from the MSI Forum, where users solved the issue by updating Wi-Fi and chipset drivers.