More help needed!

I am once again about to gleefully melt my soundcard. Shibbie not working.

I am using an out-of-the-box computer, (detailed specs here) but something has happened and it cannot make a single sound. The windows tune does not come on as it boots up, and I get this error message when I try to use Winamp:




This problem occurred once recently, and I fixed that problem by installing a new driver for a program called 'Realtek AC'97 Audio' and by moving the jack for the speakers from the rear soundcard mounted plug to the integrated plug on the front.

This time however nothing works. I've installed and re-installed every program I can, including DirectX and the driver for the sound card, but still nothing works.

I am using a 'Genius Sound Maker Value 5.1' sound card, specs here, but looking in Device Manager, it is not there.




Also, looking at the 'Audio' tab in Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices, no playback device is selected, and it does not allow me to select one. So I suspect my computer does not recognize the sound card, because there should be a playback device, right?
I swapped the soundcards' position with an old internal modem chip that was still in there, in case one of the connectors or something was broken, but nothing happened.
Additionally, Dxdiag, instead of showing a single 'Audio' tab like this previous screenshot I took here, shows 'Sound 1' and a separate 'Sound 2' tab instead, each with a different device and driver. 'Sound 1' pretty much shows what was in the previous screenshot.


I just have no idea at all what's wrong. I can't think of any more drivers I could install, and I know it's not necessary to buy a new soundcard because this one was working just yesterday. ARGH!!! That *#%&!$@ evil error message . . .

What is that "CMI..... ....PCI audio device"?

Loks like another soundcard maybe? Perhaps what you are looking for? I dunno really, but perhaps the name of the audio card is not exactly the name that comes up in Device Manager...

I think this might be a driver conflict issue....

but I am in no way an expert (but have had my share of "experiences"), best to get a second opinion...

Realtek AC '97 is onboard audio (had it in a previous computer)

If you have another audio card installed as well, but have not completely disabled the onboard audio(Realtek), I would think that there would be problems due to both onboard and external audio trying to do the same thing at the same time.

Forgive me if I am mistaken, but it sounds like you do have a soundcard, as well as the Realtek onboard sound. The onboard audio can usually be disabled in the BIOS, iirc.

and that is what I would suggest trying to do, first. It's easy, and you can always re-enable it.

[edit on 6/21/2007 by Mechanic 32]

Do you have "onboards sound????

Have you turned it off when using a seperate sound card???

I couldn't find anything about onboard sound in the BIOS, so I don't know how to turn it off.
On my computer data sheet it says it has a 'Integrated Realtek ALC655 CODEC' and makes no mention of the seperate sound card. I going to remove the soundcard, then see if I can isolate and disable the onboard sound when I get home.

This may help you.

Best of luck
makeitso

Looks like you are doing it, but my recommendation is to remove the sound card, completely uninstall any associated drivers/programs, reboot, then...

Shut the computer off and reinstall the sound card...

I had to do that with my ATI, TV Wonder Card before it would work..

Semper

This is screwed. I physically removed the sound card, but the onboard one would not work even when I loaded a brand spanking new driver onto it.
I disabled the integrated sound in the BIOS, installed the external sound card using drivers off the manufactures website, and sound still doesn't work.

But in Dxdiag, under the Sound tab, when I test a component it claims that the soundcard - whichever one I've got installed (with the proper software!!) at the time - does not have a driver. DOES NOT HAVE A DRIVER!?!?

[edit on 22/6/2007 by watch_the_rocks]

YES!!! I DID IT!!!!

After isolating and testing each sound card, I thought that perhaps the problem was in a program Windows used, rather than the sound cards. I thought that perhaps that AC'97 program, apart from having something to do with the intergrated sound card, might also control all Windows sound. So I found that a replacment was released for that program some years ago. I found it, downloaded it, and then removed everything to do with sound on my computer, so no hardware or software remained. Then I installed the AC'97 replacment, reinstalled the external sound card, and volia!
Course, the sound sounded like it was coming through a scratchy radio, but I somehow managed to fix that up (no idea how I did it), so yay!

My logic sounds pretty flawed, but it worked . . . somehow . . .

OUTSTANDING

Glad you got it going...

Semper