Smaart v7 crashing at the splash (logo) screen with no error message
NOTE: If Smaart v8.1.3 or higher is crashing, the problem is NOT the Realtek HD ASIO driver. Please see our guide for troubleshooting or send in a support request.
July 2021 Update: Please note that the ASIO driver may be re-downloaded by Windows Update, so it is best to keep the uninstaller handy if you run into issues after an automatic system update.
Recently, Windows began to bundle an ASIO driver with all machines running Realtek on-board sound drivers. This driver, the Realtek HD ASIO driver will always crash Smaart when Smaart checks for audio devices.
This driver is not used for anything except utilizing ASIO instead of WDM to record with on-board sound. In nearly all cases, removing this driver is the best solution for anyone who is trying to run Smaart v7 and experiences a crash.
Realtek does not offer any official way to remove the ASIO driver without completely removing the entire audio driver, so we've created a tool that automatically removes the ASIO driver without impacting the Realtek HD Audio control panel (speakers and microphone will be unaffected).
PLEASE NOTE: This tool is only recommended if you are certain that the device crashing Smaart is the Realtek HD ASIO Driver. Please meet these criteria to be certain:
- You are running Smaart v7
- You are running Windows 10 or 11 (in some rare cases, Windows 7 will have Realtek HD ASIO, but it is best to email us to check)
- You are certain no other audio devices are crashing Smaart
Click here to download the Realtek HD ASIO driver remover.
The file above is a simple batch file that unregisters and removes the "RTHDASIO.DLL" (Realtek HD ASIO) driver file from the system folder. This should allow the on-board sound to continue functioning, but prevents the ASIO driver from crashing Smaart.
The uninstaller MUST be extracted out of the zipped folder, then right-clicked and "Run as Administrator" to work properly:
Though sometimes not necessary, it is recommended you restart the computer as prompted by the uninstaller. The uninstaller may display some error messages--these are benign and will not harm your system.
If this tool does not work, or if it works but Smaart still crashes--please check your other installed audio devices or send in a support request using the links below.