RealTek Audio Sound System Problems

I think I am in the correct place to ask for help, but i'm not really sure. All I know is my RealTek Sound system is driving me insane and I need some help.

I bought my computer with the RealTek Audio system already loaded and everything has been going OK for the past 18 months. Then the system started acting up and I can't fix the problem.

The RealTek Sound Manager window keeps popping up saying that a jack has been unplugged. The sound works fine, speakers are putting out sound. I have never unplugged or plugged in any jacks. As far as I know everything is set the way it was set when I bought the computer. No matter what I do this window will no stop popping up. It does it constantly and then all of a sudden I can cancel the window and it stops popping up. The window won't pop up for maybe a month or so and then it starts all over again popping up. It just keeps repeating this process over and over no matter what I do. I have finally figured out how to stop the Audio Manager window from popping up (I unchecked the boxed to notify when a jack has been plug/unplugged). But now there is a new problem. A bubble over the RealTek icon in my system tray now pops up saying a "jack has been unplugged" and then a few seconds later it will pop up saying a "jack has been plugged" and it keeps going back and forth "plugged" and "unplugged" and just will not stop. This is driving me crazy. I don't know what to do.

The sound works fine. I don't care if a jack has been plugged or unplugged, I just want these popup windows and bubbles to stop.
I don't know what the system wants me to do to stop this. I want a permanent stop, not just a quick fix. Something has changed and I don't know what it is.

PLEASE HELP.

This sounds like one or more of the Realtek device drivers has become corrupted.

I would first open the Realtek Sound Manager from the Control Panel Applet and then check the Sound Chipset Model and note this version.

Then go to Realtek's website to download the correct driver type, it's either the older AC97 or the newer HD Audio CODEC.

When you find the correct type for your chipset then download and run the installer.

This should require you to reboot the machine and then after the desktop comes back, try it out and see if this resolves the matter

Thank you Jmmijo for your help.

I have done as you said, but I have hit a wall and I need more help.

I got the driver version info, which is a HD Audio CODEC.
I used the link you provided for Realtek's website which opens to the PC Audio Codecs choices.
I clicked "High Definition Audio Codecs" which gives me 3 choices.
I clicked "software". This is where I'm not sure what to do. Since I can't find any of the info I got from my Realtek Sound Manager among the choices offered, I am going to assume these choices are for system compatability. Is this correct?

I use WindowsXP and this if the info I got from my Realtek Sound Manager:
Version: 5.10.00.5172
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c
Audio Controller - HD Audio
Audio Codec: ALC861

I am sorry to sound so stupid but I would rather do that than totally screw up my system.