No Sound Drives Me Crazy!!

[rxbabe0923]

Hello~

I recently installed Win98SE on my HP Pavilion 8370 and now have no sound. The sound card is a Creative Ensoniq 1371. I have downloaded updates drivers from both the Creative and HP website and still have no sound and states that I need a driver for some "PCI Communication Device." I do not have an internal modem so I don't know what to do! This is so frustrating! I've tried re-installing, going to Safe Mode and deleting ghost files, switching around the sound card in the computer. Help!!

[hudsonsmith]

Welcome to windrivers rxbabe0923. Try this driver:
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download2.asp?Product_ID=420&dlcentric=259&Product_Name=Ensoniq+AudioPCI&OSName=Windows+98SE
Uninstall all existing creative software first.

[rxbabe0923]

Thank you hudsonsmith,

I did exactly that but I still have no sound and the yellow ? and ! next to PCI Communication Device. Also, when I tried to check in "Sounds" it says that my sound card "may already be in use."

I tried plugging headphones into the back of the computer, but there is no sound there either!


Welcome to windrivers rxbabe0923. Try this driver:
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download2.asp?Product_ID=420&dlcentric=259&Product_Name=Ensoniq+AudioPCI&OSName=Windows+98SE
Uninstall all existing creative software first.

[hudsonsmith]

Should have looked here first. According to HP, you have an Ensoniq card w/ a Crystal chpset. They have an audio update for your pc here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?product=57549&cc=us&lc=en&dest_page=product&dlc=en&os=20

[rxbabe0923]

Hudsonsmith,

Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately none of the updates have been able to restore my sound. I just went to BestBuy and purchased a SoundBlaster MP3+ external USB sound card. When I tried to install it I received an Error "unhandled exception" notice and then the set-up was terminated! Could all of this be from the upgrade to Win98SE? What a mess. Thanks again for all your help!

Should have looked here first. According to HP, you have an Ensoniq card w/ a Crystal chpset. They have an audio update for your pc here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?product=57549&cc=us&lc=en&dest_page=product&dlc=en&os=20

[hudsonsmith]

Was this an upgrade over an existing os - If so, what version of windows? If you upgraded from 95, then that certainly could have caused problems.

Open the properties for the PCI Communication Device in device manager. What error message is it giving you?

[rxbabe0923]

Yes, it was an upgrade from 95. Bad news, huh?

I don't have the PCI Communication Device problem anymore. I downloaded several of the upgrades from the HP site, including one for the Lucent modem card that is installed in my computer. That must have taken care of that. I still have the "sound card may be in use" message under the Sound properties when I try to play a wav file.

Was this an upgrade over an existing os - If so, what version of windows? If you upgraded from 95, then that certainly could have caused problems.

Open the properties for the PCI Communication Device in device manager. What error message is it giving you?

[hudsonsmith]

If you run device manager in safe mode, what devices show under sound?

[rxbabe0923]

The only things listed in safe mode are: Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI, Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI Legacy Device, Creative Gameport Joystick and Voice Modem Serial Wave device. All other "ghost files" I got rid of before (although sometimes they come back).

If you run device manager in safe mode, what devices show under sound?

[hudsonsmith]

The only things listed in safe mode are: Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI, Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI Legacy Device, Creative Gameport Joystick and Voice Modem Serial Wave device. All other "ghost files" I got rid of before (although sometimes they come back).
In safe mode, delete all of those except the modem wave device, then reboot. When the sound card is redetected, install the driver from the hp web site.

If you want to use the usb sound card instead, you will have to remove the existing card, or disable it in bios if it is built into your motherboard.

[rxbabe0923]

Hudsonsmith,

Just wanted to close the thread and end by saying thanks for your help. Since Windows 98SE was giving us so many problems we decided to install Windows XP insteadt and now the sound works great!



The only things listed in safe mode are: Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI, Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI Legacy Device, Creative Gameport Joystick and Voice Modem Serial Wave device. All other "ghost files" I got rid of before (although sometimes they come back).

[hudsonsmith]

Glad that you got it sorted.