Onboard Sound driver issue..newbie needs advice

[Xenos]

Hello everyone. I need some advice on how to get rid of all my audio driver WDM file. Here are my system specs:
AMD Athalon 1 GIG CPU
ASUS A7V133 Socket A motheboard w/ KT133A Chipset
VIA AC'97 WDM Audio controller(driver file version 5.10.00.3622) the date on the driver is 11-26-2001 (I have onboard audio on my mobo)
VIA 4in1Drivers 436(on recommendation that 436 ones are the best for Windows 98SE)
GeForce 2 MX 400 64MB w/ driver version 12.41
512 Megs of RAM
Windows 98SE

Now I was told by several people that I am getting some issues with my current audio driver being WDM, and that I need to use a vXD file. Well I have the file, its located at the following link: <a href="http://www.soyousa.com/drivers.html" target="_blank">http://www.soyousa.com/drivers.html</a>

It's the VIA sound version 109 one near the bottom of the list. Now this file is an executable so the only way I can get the file to install properly is extract it to a folder or something like that, because if i just click on it i get a DOS window and when i check device manager under sound part the audio controller hasnt changed. On the advice of several peoplem they told me to clean my registry of the old WDM audio files because they were interfering with my other audio file(the version 109 file). Can someone give me some help on how to edit my registry so I can clean my system of this WDM file so I can stop the stuttering in my games? I am a newbie at the registry stuff so any help is greatly appreciated.

[DANIMAL]

First off Go into sfae mode and remove alll drivers for the sound card and there duplicates in the device manager. then reboot and let windows pick up the onboard sound install it and then disable it through the device manger by selecting do not use this device in the properties of the on board sound.
Then hit refresh and install the correct drivers that you have downloaded for the new card

[Xenos]

Danimal, when you say "reboot and let windows pick up the onboard sound install it and then disable it through the device manger by selecting do not use this device in the properties of the on board sound.
Then hit refresh and install the correct drivers that you have downloaded for the new card"

do you mean this: I go into safe mode and remove the drivers(not the actual sound card itself). Then reboot, install the default audio drivers that come off of my ASUS disk, then go to device manager and check disable in this hardware profile, then hit refresh and install the new drivers I downloaded?

Just making sure since I am new at this.

[Xenos]

I went into safe mode, removed all the audio stuff in device properties and rebooted. I had already extracted the 109 driver to a folder on my desktop. I installed it and it wanted me to reboot. But when I rebooted, Windows will come and say windows detects a new device PCI Audio Controller(WDM). I installed the dos version 109 drivers so I thought i wouldnt see that. I have to put in my ASUS mobo disk for it to let me proceeed with the installation. Then when that's done, I go to device manager and it will say PCI audio controller WDM 1-28-00. I am kinda frustrated becasue I didnt even want the WDM's but windows like forced me to install them(if i didnt..which i tried...i didnt get any sound. Any ideas on how to get the dos drivers in without being prompted after reboot to install the PCI audio controller WDM driver?

[amcfreek]

pardon my existance but, i hate the ac97 codecs,
for a couple of bucks you can get rid of all these isues, disable it in youre bios and or jumper and get a nother sound card without issues, you would be better off, look on <a href="http://www.ebay.com" target="_blank">www.ebay.com</a> and search for a pci sound card such as an aureal vortex .. you should get one for way under 20$ with shipping , or just look for a soundblaster thats pci,, i dont mean to be rude , its just my 2 cents , and please pardon my existance,, happy tinkering

[DANIMAL]

Sorry XENOS I should have mentioned what AMCFREEK said disable the sound card in the bios after removing the old drivers through safe mode. then reboot and install the new drivers for the card.
you shouldn't have to remove the new sound card.

[Platypus]

Xenos, I gather you want to use different drivers for your onboard sound, not install drivers for a new card. I don't think the file you downloaded will do this as it stands.

If you installed the DOS driver, that won't make any difference to Windows. Normally you would do what Danimal said, boot into safe mode, delete sound drivers, re-start the system. When Windows re-detects the sound card, cancel the driver installation (you may have to press more than one Cancel button). Go to the folder where you extracted the files and run SETUP.EXE, which will run the InstallShield Wizard to install the drivers you downloaded. The only problem here is, as you found, it is going to install .WDM drivers again under Win98SE.

There are a couple of possibilities to get round this, but I must warn first if you are uncertain about installing & uninstalling things you could get into a bit of a muddle.

First possibility:

There is a batch file called WDM.BAT in the folder, which runs the SETUP with a modifying switch of -WDM, which may install without using WDM files. If you want to try it, run WDM instead of SETUP and see what happens, I can't guarantee this will work but the batch file is there for SOMETHING to do with WDM files.

Another:

You could try installing the Win95 drivers, which use .VXD instead, which is what has been suggested to you. This may not work correctly, but 98SE SHOULD be backwards compatible with 95 drivers. After you cancel the Windows sound driver installation as above, go to Device Manager and click on the Unknown Multimedia Device or similar with a yellow ! choose Properties and Update Driver button (going from memory here, hunt around if this isn't spot-on). Decline the option for Windows to search for a driver and select Have Disk. Navigate to where the drivers are and point to the WIN9X folder the download created. Hopefully it should install it for you.

Also, since it appears you ran the DOS install, it would be wise to Run SYSEDIT, look in AUTOEXEC.BAT and if there's a line including the word VIAUDIO, delete that line, or type REM in front of it, e.g. REM c:\viasnd\viaudio.com

Hope this helps & isn't too confusing.

[confus-ed]

Platypus, that's spot on, but isn't the whole point of WDM drivers that its a better use of the chip than the vxd under anything 98 onwards, so won't it make it work worse??

Surely he just needs the right driver for his AC97 Chip, there are a few flavours and Asus ought to be able to tell him if he has rasperberry or strawberry or just plain old vanilla!!

[Platypus]

Confus-ed, that's the theory, but it's possible for some particular hardware/software combination that the other way might work better. If it sorts out Xenos' problem he'll be happy, if it doesn't, he'll know to look further.

Even though Xenos was getting advice, it appeared to me his question was misunderstood and he wasn't getting the answer to what he had asked.

[Xenos]

I recently bought a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. I hope this makes games run smoother than my onboard via AC'97 audio controller did.

[Platypus]

Great stuff, Xenos. Hope you enjoy it.