Major Audio Problem!!! 2

[jimandbobbi]

The system is a Gateway PII 400 Mhz with Windows 98. The sound card is a Creative SoundBlaster PCI64. The problem is I have no sound. I have removed and re-installed several times. The Device Manager shows that the device is working properly with no conflicts. Attempts to access the properties through Multimedia in Control Panel has ALL options 'greyed' out and unaccessable. This problem happened once before but was fixed with a removal and re-install. Programs that utilize sound (ie: Windows Media Player) give error messages stating no audio/sound devices detected.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Jim.

 

[jimandbobbi]

well, the news is that nothing worked. My guess is that the PCI card is bad. I did everything I could think of and everything you guys suggested. I have upgraded, updated, uninstalled, re-installed, etc. etc. etc. I still get no sound and nothing but errors regarding the sound. It is now being listed in the Device Manager with a yellow exclamation point and the message: 'The MMDEVLDR.VXD device loader(s) for this device could not load the device drivers. (Code 2)'. Then it states to fix this I am to click on the 'Update Driver' button. When I do, I cannot find any driver that is more up to date than the ones I have downloaded today.

Tomorrow, I may try a different Sound Card from a different system. My Dell has a Creative SoundBlaster that is newer. I may just have to try that.

I was also unable to find any setting in the system BIOS regarding the onboard sound enabling. So my guess is that since this motherboard does not have onboard sound that this setting does not exist.

I want to thank you guys for all your help. If you can think of anything else to try, I am willing to try it, just let me know.

Also, just so you know, I did try to do the Windows re-install from within windows and it seems that the cab files that exist on this system are ones that have been copied from a Windows 98 SE OEM CD and will not work to re-install the system.

I may try to contact the owner and see if they have a Windows 98 CD and go from there. My guess is that they were using the SE cab files for updating a system that does not have a disk for re-install. I may just do some backing up of their important files and install Windows 98SE for them and start over. I have a OEM disk here that is not being used since I upgraded my system to Win XP Pro.

Laterzzz Guys, Thanks for everything!

Jim

 

[Comtech]

It sounds like it's time for a fresh install.
The file "MMDEVLDR.VXD", is MultiMediaDeviceLoader which is the file that get's all the things needed for windows to recognize the sound card as an installed device, and what it's for (sound duh), and then run it.
If possible, run a fresh install, and see if sound works, if not, then the card has probably gone south.
Hell of a way to find out that it's a bad card, and it's so rare that a sound card would just quit like that.
Is it possible there's a resource conflict messing this whole thing up? Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[jimandbobbi]

Well Mr Comtech, You have come up with the correct solution!!!

I took out the sound card and put it in my Dell with Win XP Pro. It installed without complications and I had sound.

So, I then took one of my old drives that has Windows 98 SE installed on it and put it in the Gateway. Everything installed without complications and I have sound.

So, I need to do either one of two things...

I either need to start backing up my friends important files and do a complete fresh install of Win 98 SE.

OR...

I need to find out if they have the Win 98 CD that came with their system.

I have a feeling this system used to be Win 95 and they 'borrowed' a Win 98 disk and upgraded.

I want to thank you for all of your help. this site is great. I will be using it for every problem I come up with from now on. WAY TO GO TEK-TIPS! YOU HAVE SOME GREAT PEOPLE HERE!!!

Laterzzz,

Jim

 

[ANFPS26]

I stand corrected! I stated that DX9 wouldn't install on Win98FE, well, now it will. I just installed DX9.0a on an FE machine and it worked fine. The last time I tried it I got a message saying it was for WIN98SE and up only. So, I guess MS has changed it. Anyway, I withdraw my previous staement. It will install!

Jim

 

[jimandbobbi]

Thanks Everyone for all you input!!!

This is a great site.

I have got the sound fixed now. I was able to 'borrow' a Windows 98 disk from a friend and re-install the soundcard with it.

I now have a 'copy' of this disk for future problems. And no, I will NOT use it 'illegally'. I will only use it for working on systems that have that OS. Just like the many other OS's I have in my collection.

Thanks again for everything.

Laterzzz,

Jim