Sound is Gone

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Hey,

My two month old computer came with a Soundblaster Audigy Advaned MB sound card. The other day all of a sudden, when I went to click my volume control a message popped up saying:

"The audio device supported by this application is not detected."

I could play music fro my Windows Media Player but that was it. Eeverything else was either silent or a generic windows beep.

So the Creative website advised to uninstall any Soundblaster applications from my Add/Remove Programs and resintall the drivers. I uninstalled them, and when I restarted the computr, my computer recognized new hardware in one of the PCI slots. When I chose to install it, it wasnt able to.

Now I'm completely stuck. My Audio options in the Control panel say "No Audio Device" and when I went to Run-> msinfo32.exe and I looked to see what my sound card was it said:

Unimodem Half Duplex Audio Device

Which I assume is what the beeps are in the absence of my card.

I did not get an installation CD for Soundblaster when I got my computer so I'm out of ideas.

When I downloaded the apporpriate drivers for my sound card and installed then, I kept getting a message saying no supported audio device for these drivers is found.

Right now I dont know if the central issue is it wont recognize the sound card, or if I just cant reinstall the audio and install the apporpriate drivers. I really have no clue what to do.

How do I get my sound back?

Thanks.

**street1** · October 9th, 2006, 05:52 PM

Use System Restore to an earlier time when the problem did not exist.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...w_03may19.mspx

**NooNoo** · October 9th, 2006, 05:53 PM

Welcome to Windrivers deeman

Download everest and run it.... does it detect your sound card?

If you computer is only two months only and this suddenly happened, it might well be that the sound card died. Infuriating, but it happens. Is this a branded machine or was it built for you? If it is branded, the drivers will be at the manufacturer's website and may not necessarily use the standard creative drivers - you may get a different result using the manufacturer's drivers.

The unimodem device is the sound output from your dialup modem which can route the sound of the modem connecting through the speakers.

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by street1

Use System Restore to an earlier time when the problem did not exist.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...w_03may19.mspx

Conveniently, every time I try to restore to a past restore point.. the restore fails every single time. I've never had nay luck with System Restore, even with my old computer.

NooNoo, I d/led it and ran the program. Under Multimedia-->PCI Audio the only thing it finds is an Intel High Definition Audio Controller. I dont know if thats what ti should be finding but everywhere I've looked I see no sign of a Soundblaster Card.

Edit: My OC is a Dell XPS 400. I misstated in my original post, it came with a Soundblaster installation CD but I lost it, although I dont know if that would even help.

**NooNoo** · October 9th, 2006, 06:41 PM

Then the soundblaster is not being detected - usual reason for this is that it has been jolted or jogged enough so that it's no longer seated correctly or that it has died - or possibly the slot that it sits in had died. Either way, if you did not build it yourself, this is a warranty job.

the intel controller is onboard sound, so you might be able to get that going in the meanwhile. What is the motherboard make and model? The drivers for it will be on the motherboard manufacturer's site.

Edit - unless this is xp64 bit or 2003 sp1 - in which case may be it wasn't the audigy that was playing Intel audio unexpectedly quits

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Then the soundblaster is not being detected - usual reason for this is that it has been jolted or jogged enough so that it's no longer seated correctly or that it has died - or possibly the slot that it sits in had died. Either way, if you did not build it yourself, this is a warranty job.

the intel controller is onboard sound, so you might be able to get that going in the meanwhile. What is the motherboard make and model? The drivers for it will be on the motherboard manufacturer's site.

Edit - unless this is xp64 bit or 2003 sp1 - in which case may be it wasn't the audigy that was playing Intel audio unexpectedly quits

But the slot its in is being recognized. Every time I start up my computer a bubble pops up saying "PCI Device detected" Then it gives me the option to install, and it asks me to specify the location of the appropriate software. When I tell it to search for it, none can be found. So that indicates to me that the slot isnt dead and its recognizing hardware in that slot, just taht it cant install it.

**NooNoo** · October 9th, 2006, 06:51 PM

But there is no soundblaster audigy showing up in everest which leads me to believe that the card is kinda alive, but dead for the purposes of actually using it - or as I said, is no longer seated correctly in the slot.

Edit oh and the intel hd would show up as a pci device, because onboard devices use the PCI bus to connect.

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

But there is no soundblaster audigy showing up in everest which leads me to believe that the card is kinda alive, but dead for the purposes of actually using it - or as I said, is no longer seated correctly in the slot.

So whats the best course of action? Contact Creative or contact Dell?

**NooNoo** · October 9th, 2006, 06:53 PM

OK, it's a Dell, you contact Dell if you have the warranty... what model dell is it?

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 06:55 PM

Everest says ithe motherboard is Dell DXP051

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

OK, it's a Dell, you contact Dell if you have the warranty... what model dell is it?

XPS 400

**NooNoo** · October 9th, 2006, 07:03 PM

The Dimension xps 400? latest drivers are here

To be sure you have the right model go here and type in the service tag on the left hand side That will bring up your actual model. If you don't know where you service tag is, click the find my service tag link just below the box.

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 09:10 PM

I called Dell and although I dont think they knew what the hell i was saying, the guy(through remote access) installed SigmaTel Audio on my system somehow. He thinks this is what I had before even though I kept telling him I had Soundblaster as my audio device, but at least I have my sound back for now,

**deeman11747** · October 9th, 2006, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by deeman11747

I called Dell and although I dont think they knew what the hell i was saying, the guy(through remote access) installed SigmaTel Audio on my system somehow. He thinks this is what I had before even though I kept telling him I had Soundblaster as my audio device, but at least I have my sound back for now,

I knew this was to good to be true. The sound now only plays out of my front 2 speakers, while I have 5.

How the hell do I get my computer to recognize my SoundBlaster again other than seeing if the card is dead?

**NooNoo** · October 10th, 2006, 02:28 AM

But there is no soundblaster there!!! Get your Dell invoice. See what you paid for, because the Audigy is an option.

Now the sigmatel codec (which is the driver for the intel audio) can do up to 5.1, it is just a matter of using the icon in control panel > sounds and audio or the sigmatel icon and setting it correctly.