Sound stops working when I turn connected receiver off

So this may be more of a Windows issue than an XBMC issue, but I feel like XBMC HTPC users would have the best knowledge on how to fix this. Long story short, I have an HTPC hooked up to a Denon receiver. I keep the HTPC running all the time but obviously turn the receiver + tv on / off when I want to watch something. The problem I'm having is that if I turn the receiver off, Windows thinks that the device doesn't exist anymore. Then when it comes time to turn it back on, Windows doesn't recognize the receiver and it's disabled in the sound devices. This usually happens after waiting an hour or two of the receiver being off. Strange thing is, the receiver should automatically be detected if the display is working because both run over the same HDMI cable (I'm connecting it to a GeForce 210 via HDMI for both audio and video). Is there any way to prevent Windows from trying to "auto-detect" these sound devices and just keep it set to the receiver, even if it's off? Thanks in advance!

Side note: What should I have my audio device set to in XBMC? Wasapi, DirectSound or Primary Sound?