No audio in vista on realtek

[jlockley]

Working (my last ever) off the shelf desktop, ACER with 946gz-am board with onboard Realtek audio, I suddenly lost all sound. Googling I find that I am not alone. I uninstalled driver and software and reinstalled from Realtek site, with the result that I not only have no sound but the system does not recognize the speakers (It did previously).

I have contacted Acer tech support (" my resources are very limited"), whose best solution is to reinstall the system (which means data loss, two weeks reinstalling software, etc) - to see if it isn't a hardware issue. ("If it works, we will know anything is all right").

I really, really want to keep my relatively new system, which it took a long time to transfer from my old one. anyone can help me with information while I am buying a backup drive, I will be eternally grateful.

Rest info: Home Premium 2 gb ram, all recently installed software and Windows updates removed, removed gaming and sound from device manager and rebooted.

 

[linney]

Have you tried the Driver Rollback feature in Device Manager to rekindle the old driver which worked?

Possibly System Restore might help?

Run the DxDiag from the Start Run box, see if that picks up anything.

Vista update killed my sound!
thread1583-1429030

High Definition Audio problem
thread1583-1314814

5.1 Speakers not working
thread1583-1419382

HOW TO: Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q307918

 

[jlockley]

The driver rollback does not work. I have tried twice to install ac'97 from realtek, but doesn't show. As said, support insists on full new install. Will be a mess.

 

[GrimR]

try Acers site

http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/downloads.html

there are others obviously
Next time before you go formatting or changeing hardware backup the drivers, get somthing like Driver backup

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=176359

 

[PRPhx]

Do you have the install disks for your programs? If so, not a big deal. Back up to cd/dvd your data, or to another har drive.

I know it sucks to have support tell you to do a full re-install, but after exhausting all other possibilities, you may need to.

Just curious, is your on-board sound enabled in the BIOS????? Did you matyybe turn it off by accident?

Did you remove the hardware from within Device Manager? If so did it not find new hardware????

 

[jlockley]

I have the install disks or downloaded programs for everything,and if all else fails, of course I will. I know full well, though, that about every transfer results in losses which you realize later.

Linney..thanks for the links. I found none in a search here..probably just to frustrated and impatient by then. I am working through them one by one.

Driver backup sounds good. In fact today's task is a second backup drive and researching shadowing software.

I have found the appropriate driver by now and the speakers are indeed recognized by the system. Attempting all possible constellations I discovered that using surround sound I get a positive test on the side rear speakers. The two bit speakers I am using (don't worry..I tried several) pick up on the occasional system sound, but still will not play any other audio.

The problem appears to be very frequent with Realtek and Vista. I am sure there is an answer which the resource tech I got on the support lottery didn't care to find. (Was impatient when I said I would not reinstall until at I had at least uninstalled any changes since the possible problem start).

Somewhere there is an answer for this sucker.

 

[linney]

Is the Windows Audio Service disabled or otherwise a problem?

Are there any clues in the Event Viewer?

You could try the System File Checker program.

How to analyze the log file entries that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker (SFC.exe) program generates in Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228

Installing and reinstalling Windows

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/e77344fa-e978-464c-953e-eba44f0522671033.mspx

 

[jlockley]

worth the try. No, nothing is disabled as far as I can see, unless I am missing something. Everything checks as functioning properly. I am on another system now, but I am thinking of uninstalling media player and then reinstalling.

On a number of similar complaints I read that this often either sets in after sleep or a system upgrade. I'll try those as soon as I am on. That will be tonight. Thanks.

 

[Leibniz]

could it be because of the drivers of the sound card, maybe by unisntalling the drivers and installing the updated drivers on the Realtek website might solve the problem.

 

[Leibniz]

perhaps by trying many different version of the drivers,there might be one that works with your current system configuration

 

[jlockley]

That far I am. Tried all drivers. One works, at least to the extent that the system recognizes the speakers. Otherwise still no sound. with windows audio service, what string would I be looking for? Don't find audio. (Still working on it).

 

[linney]

What do you mean by "string"? It is listed in Services as Windows Audio. Windows and the Registry also know it as "Audiosrv".

 

[jlockley]

Nothing in event log except reports of successful driver installation and a few instances of stoppage earlier. "audio" and "audiosrv" string search comes up blank in log files. Audio Service on Automatic and running normally.

Looking up system file checker. Assume it's a vista program. Will report next.

 

[jlockley]

Mean "audiosrv". No finding in event log, cbs log, etc. Ran Sysem File Checker with no apparently related findings. Still working on your leads. Thanks.

 

[jlockley]

Here's what I get with Direct X diagnostics. What am I missing?

Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_1019E619&REV_1000
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5548 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 1/15/2008 19:19:04, 2047576 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_1019E619&REV_1000
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5548 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 1/15/2008 19:19:04, 2047576 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Aux (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5548 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 1/15/2008 19:19:04, 2047576 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x0
Format Flags: 0x0

Description: Modem #0 Line Record
Default Sound Capture: No
Default Voice Capture: No
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
Date and Size:
Cap Flags: 0x0
Format Flags: 0x0

 

[linney]

Have you tried HeadPhones to see if they work?

Do you have any Problem Devices listed in MsInfo32?

Are your Speakers configured correctly (in Windows)?

 

[jlockley]

OK.
Headphones: no difference (not surprising, as I have tried two speaker sets..should be the same>)

Msinfo shows no problem devices. MS info on sound
Name Realtek High Definition Audio
Manufacturer Realtek
Status OK
PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_1019E619&REV_1000\4&E6264DD&0&0001
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\rtkvhda.sys (6.0.1.5548, 1.95 MB (2,047,576 bytes), 1/29/2008 11:50 PM)

Name Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Manufacturer Microsoft
Status OK
PNP Device ID MODEMWAVE\0\{914795B2-5D7B-4E18-9161-CB01094164BA}
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\modemcsa.sys (6.0.6000.16386, 18.00 KB (18,432 bytes), 11/2/2006 3:25 AM)

Speaker Configuration: In the sound device interface at the moment they are not, but configured as surround sound (or am I missing something). This is because I get one positive from the two rear side speakers on test in this configuration. The default configuration (I think this is what you mean) brings no sound. Changing the configuration to stereo has no effect.

 

[jlockley]

Dell recommends unplugging all peripherals and power, powering down and restarting after ten minutes. I did it last night and reconnected and booted this evening. It works. Perhaps because I bought a $29 oem sound card, not installed. Perhaps it felt threatened. Go figure.

I have always heard good things about Acer. Never again. I am keeping the sound card as a backup..I figure it will happen again.

 

[jlockley]

And thank you all for hanging here with advice. I tried to send stars, but no luck.

 

[linney]

Fingers crossed, and hope for no more problems, thanks for the feedback.