First of all, let me state that I know very little about computers but I did virtually take my computer apart today to install the Sound Blaster 16 pci (4.1 digital) soundcard. Here's my situation:
I have a HP Pavilion (about 2000, I would guess). It came with Windows 98. I had been having trouble with it locking up for the last couple of years so I finally upgraded to Win 2000. When I did that my speakers quit working. I still had those little computer "beeps" when an e-mail came in but that was about it. I was told that if I installed a sound card that was compatible with Win 2000 I would be able to use my speakers again. I went to Best Buy, told the service guy what my issue was. He said that unless I was running a surround sound system to just by the basic Sound Blaster and everything should work fine. I was able to get the old card out and the new one in but still have no sound. In doing a little trouble shooting research, it sounds to me like there is something attached to the motherboard (besides the card that I took out) that I have to disable. This really blows my mind. I have no idea what to do.
I found the following text in the sound blasters online help section:
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If there is an onboard sound card in your system, you will almost certainly experience problems similar to those describe above. The reason for this is that both audio cards are usually trying to use the same resources and, in some cases, the audio card device drivers may be conflicting with each other. Our recommendation is never to have two soundcards in the same system. If you want to use an SB Live! card in a computer which already has an onboard card, you should disable the latter. To find out exactly how this is done, you need to contact either your computer dealer or the motherboard manufacturer. It is important to stress here, that in most cases, the card needs to be disable at the BIOS level and that disabling the device in the Device Manger only will very often not resolve the problem. Once the onboard device has been disabled, you can install the soundcard.
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That text is why I'm thinking that they are trying to tell me that there is something else attached to the motherboard. And as far as BIOS, I have NO idea what they are talking about.
I did look more closely at my device manager, at that seems to back up their text above because under Sound, video and game controllers it lists the following:
Audio Codecs
Game Port for Creative
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Videio Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
SB PCI (WDM)
Video Codecs
I have no idea what most of that is. I do know that the Game Port for Creative and the SB PCI (WDM) is for my new sound card. In addition, when I look at the properties for each, I found that the location for all of the devices (except for the two I mentioned here) is UNKOWN. I could be wrong here but is it unknown because I took the hardware out and now it doesn't where it is?? Also, under properties, each of those devices states "this device is working properly". How can it be working properly if it is no longer installed??
I have checked my speakers. They are plugged into the "rear out connector (connects to powered speakers for audio output)" and they do not have an on/off switch.
Any assistance in this would be greatly appreciated.
Jabez
I have a HP Pavilion (about 2000, I would guess). It came with Windows 98. I had been having trouble with it locking up for the last couple of years so I finally upgraded to Win 2000. When I did that my speakers quit working. I still had those little computer "beeps" when an e-mail came in but that was about it. I was told that if I installed a sound card that was compatible with Win 2000 I would be able to use my speakers again. I went to Best Buy, told the service guy what my issue was. He said that unless I was running a surround sound system to just by the basic Sound Blaster and everything should work fine. I was able to get the old card out and the new one in but still have no sound. In doing a little trouble shooting research, it sounds to me like there is something attached to the motherboard (besides the card that I took out) that I have to disable. This really blows my mind. I have no idea what to do.
I found the following text in the sound blasters online help section:
---
If there is an onboard sound card in your system, you will almost certainly experience problems similar to those describe above. The reason for this is that both audio cards are usually trying to use the same resources and, in some cases, the audio card device drivers may be conflicting with each other. Our recommendation is never to have two soundcards in the same system. If you want to use an SB Live! card in a computer which already has an onboard card, you should disable the latter. To find out exactly how this is done, you need to contact either your computer dealer or the motherboard manufacturer. It is important to stress here, that in most cases, the card needs to be disable at the BIOS level and that disabling the device in the Device Manger only will very often not resolve the problem. Once the onboard device has been disabled, you can install the soundcard.
---
That text is why I'm thinking that they are trying to tell me that there is something else attached to the motherboard. And as far as BIOS, I have NO idea what they are talking about.
I did look more closely at my device manager, at that seems to back up their text above because under Sound, video and game controllers it lists the following:
Audio Codecs
Game Port for Creative
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Videio Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
SB PCI (WDM)
Video Codecs
I have no idea what most of that is. I do know that the Game Port for Creative and the SB PCI (WDM) is for my new sound card. In addition, when I look at the properties for each, I found that the location for all of the devices (except for the two I mentioned here) is UNKOWN. I could be wrong here but is it unknown because I took the hardware out and now it doesn't where it is?? Also, under properties, each of those devices states "this device is working properly". How can it be working properly if it is no longer installed??
I have checked my speakers. They are plugged into the "rear out connector (connects to powered speakers for audio output)" and they do not have an on/off switch.
Any assistance in this would be greatly appreciated.
Jabez
