Can't find Sound card or Drivers for it

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi, I have the same problem as posted by Devlin on 28th November. I've recently put a new copy of XP onto my computer but can't get any sound when using it.

 

I followed the instructions that Devlin was given and no sound card is listed. Obviously it must still be physically there as I haven't removed it following the re-installation. I can seen an actual 'card' such as the usb adapter I have fitted. I chose a driver from a list within the pc (VIA AC'97) but it came up with a warning that the computer may become unstable if I chose one of the listed drivers.

 

Windows searches for a driver but finds nothing, even when I insert the original XP installation disc.

 

How can I resolve this and get sound again? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Many thanks, Jon-Paul.

Edited February 5, 2009 by Jonny5isalive

[Jonny5isalive]

In Device Manager it has the yellow exclamation mark next to Multimedia Audio Controller.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Jony, can you tell us, is this a separate sound card slotted into a PCI slot, or is it the sound system on the mother board.

To help further we need to know what make the card is and model number if a separate card, and if on board we need to know the mother board make and number. Next, you say there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the multimedia controller, a right click on it should give a bit more info as to what may be wrong.

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi Nev. Thanks for your reply. It' built in sound on the motherboard. I don't game on it so just stuck with the basics.

 

I'm unsure as to the make of motherboard sorry but it has P4MDPT written on it. Hope this makes some sense. There are a lot of VIA components on the motherboard.

 

I tried using the driver that was listed before: VIA AC'97, and that's where the warning from Windows comes up.

 

Since then I have tried a PCI sound card with built in modem from another pc and windows installed the drivers with no problem. I checked the volume levels on Mdia Player etc, but still get no sound from either the speakers or headphones? There are no conflicts in Device Manager and music begins to play in Media Player itself, just with no sound

 

Will a new sound card cure the problem?

 

I'm really confused because no changes have been made apart from foramtting the HDD and re-installing xp. The sound worked fine before that.

 

Many thanks, J.P.

[stain]

this is how i've been doin it. havin good luck so far. you need a small program called SIW. i'm pretty sure i got it from here but not positive. run the program than click pci as shown

[stain]

than look here and get your manufaturer and the name of the device. now u should be able to go to the manufacturer's site or a third party driver site. :)

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi Stain, thanks for your suggestion, much appreciated. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the SIW program or where to get it. The computer found the PCI sound/modem card straight away and installed the drivers for it. I was chufffed until I tried to play music in the normal way through Media Player. The tracks play on screen but theres no audio.

 

I've followed instructions recently to repair the registry and to copy files to it and replace ones already there, with regards to system32 files and drivers, but to no avail...

 

Any ideas anyone?

[Jonny5isalive]

I'm using on-board sound and want to keep on using this, if possible, as it worked fine until recently. Tried lots ofthings but no joy as yet...

[BeeCeeBee]

Have you ever checked to make sure that your card is named as the default device in your sound and audio devices?

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi beeceebee, I'm pretty sure you've helped me before. Thanks for the previous help. It says No Audio Device in Sound and Audio Devices. When I put the PCI Card in it said Intel 536EP and found the driver no problem, but I still got no sound. Edited February 7, 2009 by Jonny5isalive

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi Stain, I downloaded SIW and found the sound card, unfortunately, it just says Standard System Devices beside Manufacturer...?

[BeeCeeBee]

Jonny are we sure we are on the same page? I am not referring to the device manager but sound and audio devices in your control panel. The third panel is audio and the default sound device is on the top.

[stain]

Hi Stain, thanks for your suggestion, much appreciated. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the SIW program or where to get it. The computer found the PCI sound/modem card straight away and installed the drivers for it. I was chufffed until I tried to play music in the normal way through Media Player. The tracks play on screen but theres no audio.

 

I've followed instructions recently to repair the registry and to copy files to it and replace ones already there, with regards to system32 files and drivers, but to no avail...

 

Any ideas anyone?

 

if the sound modem card is still in there do u have the speaker icon down on the taskbar? if u do double click it and see if your wave volume is turned all the way down.

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi again. Right, I'm going to forget about the on-board sound and concentrate on the PCI sound/modem card as windows finds the drivers for this no problem. Here is my problem

[Jonny5isalive]

There's no option to choose Wave sound by the looks of it.

 

Any ideas anyone? Hope the screenshots help. If not, I can do more.

 

Thanks, J.P.

[BeeCeeBee]

Jonny you are just in the wrong place. Your problem is not with Media player. So lets try and do this with one stop.

 

Go to your control panel and click on Sound and Audio devices.

 

Next click on the Audio tab. The first thing you should see on top is the Sound Playback Default Device. Make sure your card is recognised in that box. (don't forget to look for it in the drop down if it is not)

 

If it is click on volume and make sure that it is turned up high enough (just push them all up you can adjust later if need be.)

 

Does that solve your problem?

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi, I'm aware that it's not a problem with Media Player, just did the screenshot to show you what comes up.

 

My previous post shows the screenshot of where you have just told me to go to. In the Volume tab it says No Audio Device, and in the Audio tab it shows the installed card as Modem #1 Line Playback, and that's it, no other options to drop down to.

 

The screenshot below shows what comes up when I go into Volume Control:

[Plastic Nev]

A little obvious I know, but when the PCI card is installed, the speakers should be plugged in to the speaker socket on the card, not the original socket on the machine. Next question, are you sure the speakers themselves are OK and have you tried them on something you know is working?

Once the PCI card is installed, you should see a speaker icon on the right hand side of the bottom task bar, a double click on this should bring up the full control panel, check there are no ticks in the mute boxes, also the sliders are all at the top. For now the only one that can stay at the bottom, is the slider for "microphone". If a microphone is plugged in, you will get a howl round otherwise.

[BeeCeeBee]

Unless I have missed it, nowhere does it say what shows up in your device manager under Sound and Audio devices. The Via ac97 appears to be your onboard sound card. Does it show up at all in device manager?

 

Downloading drivers for an installed device should not make your operating system unstable.

[Tootech]

I think the board is a Jetway P4MDPT - I picked the info up from one of your earlier posts.

 

I've had a look around and am finding it difficult to find the Audio drivers.

 

I'll have a look for the manual, and find the chipset info, then hopefully from there find the audio device info.

 

Watch this space........

[Jonny5isalive]

To Plastic Nev: Been trying them speakers in the correct socket on the card. No joy. Tried them with my hi-fi via the h/phone socket and they work fine.

 

Volume Control won't let me access it because it says no active Mixer Devices are available.

 

To Beeceebee: I HAVE been using the onboard sound previously (VIA AC '97) and this appears in Device Manager as Multimedia Audio Controller with a yellow symbol and exclamation mark next to it. At the minute, I was intending to concentrate on the PCI card instead of the on-board audio as Windows actually FINDS the driver and installs it.

 

I've run the Harware Update Wizard for the VIA 97 several times without it finding a driver, even when it searches Windows Update. I've even ticked the box to 'Install from a list or specific location>Don't search, I will choose a driver to install'

In the Harware Type list I chose Sound, Video and Game Controllers. A list of 4 manufacturers comes up, with 3 of them being game ports and VIA Technologies being the Audio. I chose the VIA option - (VIA AC'97 Audio Controller WDM) and that's where I get the below warning:

 

I've tried going ahead with installing it and it appears in Sounds and Audio devices as the Default Device, but I still get no sound, even when adjusting things in Volume Control.

 

I apologise if you guys are getting frustrated or impatient with me or if I'm not explaining things too well, but you'll know a lot more than I do about these things.

[BeeCeeBee]

Just below what you are showing there is a group called "Sound, Video and Game controllers" your card should be listed there. What does it show?

[Jonny5isalive]

Thanks Tootech.

 

Ths is what Device Manager shows beeceebee:

 

The PCI sound/modem card is listed there but I'm not sure what the on-board audio comes under. Theres Audio Codecs, Legacy Audio Drivers and Media Control Devices.

[BeeCeeBee]

Jonny exactly what is the make and model number of this machine? With all the posts I do not see that mentioned.

[Jonny5isalive]

I have an original configuration sheet. It says:

 

System Manufacturer: VIA Technologies

Product: P4M266-8235

 

Motherboard: Product: P4M266-8235

 

Audio: VT8233 AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller

 

I've looked online for a Driver for the sound card but have had no joy as yet. I've tried the VIA website but couldn't find anything with this code on either.