Souhd card problems

[Pheasant]

I accidentally deleted some drivers. Windows ME automatically reinstalled the missing drivers on reboot, but my sound card is now not functioning properly.

Windows Media Player reports that it 'can't open the audio device'. I used a utility called Soundcheck to check this - this reported a problem with MMSYSTEM032, but this software is able to play sound files perfectly (which shows that the card works !). I checked the drivers in Control Panel/System and found some duplicate drivers. I deleted all copies and reinstalled - I now only have one copy each of SiS7018 and Wave Device for Modem. These are reported to be functioning properly. Are these the correct devices for an SiS sound card ?

I have downloaded up-to-date drivers for SiS7018.

Volume control is greyed out in Sounds and Multimedia, and Volume control will not load, although Sound recorder will. There is no volume control icon in the system tray.

In Settings/Sounds and Multimedia, there are two entries per device for each device - I cannot remove these entries in this dialogue box, and am referred back to System/Device Manager, which only reports one entry per device. Bit odd that.

I believe that the problem might be due to the duplicated entries in Sounds and Multimedia/Devices.

The Sounds and Multimedia/Voice play & record dialogue boxes report that two sound devices are available - Game Compatible Device and Voice Modem Wave #00 Line. I have chosen the first of the two.

Going back to Sounds and Multimedia/Devices, as I said already there are two entries for each device in Audio Devices - ie. two entries each for my Conexant Modem and my SiS7018 audio driver. It is not possible to remove these whilst I am in Audio Devices - WinME simply sends me back to Device Manager and tells me to remove them there. So it goes round in circles.

Can anyone advise me on how to recover the sound function in my PC ?

Additional remarks: I tried to use System Restore to return me to an earlier Restore point. None of the restore points seem to work - even in Safe Mode, and after uninstalling Norton Utilities. Bit odd that.

Another oddity - I loaded a little Volume control utlity called ZVolume Pro (

http://www.shelltoys.com/).

This won't install, and gives a message that it can't find Mixer. There is no Mixer under any group heading in Device Manager.

Going round in circles here !

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Is this sound card on board or is it a PCI card? I use an onboard sound with the same chipset as yours.



Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Hello Ken

I thought it was on-board, because there is no PCI device section in Device Manager. But I'm not quite sure - I ran AIDA (I could e-mail you the report) and this shows that there is no driver for sound devices loaded - a bit odd, because I have reinstalled the SiS7018 driver, and Device Manager reports that the card is working, with no conflicts.

However, using DXDIAG, the DirectX diagnostic tool, this reports that the device ID under both 'Sound 1' and 'Sound 2' is my old Conexant PCI Modem. This seems a bit weird - how can my (disused) modem be the only recognised sound device, and how can Device Manager tell me that the SiS driver is working fine when it seems that a modem is the only sound device configured ?

Going bald here !

Kind regards
Richard

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Richard

Yeah send me the report if you wish...I may have an idea of what the problem is. It is possible that the modem is sharing some fo the same software(driver)components as the sound card. If you are able to find out if the sound card is on board or a PCI card that would be helpful as well as your motherboard model. I suspect you have either a PC Chips or a ECS Board in either case the sound would be on board. Get back to me and I will see what I can do to help.

You can contact me on MSN Messanger DJ_Cyber_Rox@hotmail.com
or e-mail me at info@mediafrenzycomputers.com




Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Thanks Ken.

AIDA report attached - sorry it's a rather large file.

I will have a dig around to see if I can identify whether the sound card is on-board or PCI.

AIDA has this to say about the motherboard:
Motherboard:

CPU Type Intel Pentium IIIE, 1000 MHz (7.5 x 133)

Motherboard Name Unknown

Motherboard Chipset SiS 630

System Memory 240 MB (SDRAM)

BIOS Type Award Medallion (04/24/01)

The machine is a Sony PCV-LX1.

http://www.vaio.sony-europe.com/eng/products/desktop/lx_frames_top.html

http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/desktops/0,39023849,10000246,00.htm

Kind regards
Richard

Attachment sent to your private e-mail address.

 

[MediaFrenzy]

I take it that this is a laptop and not a desktop system....am I correct?



Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Yes - it's just a prettied-up desktop. There is a picture and spec at

http://www.vaio.sony-europe.com/eng/products/desktop/lx_frames_top.html

Kind regards
Richard

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Actually I am wrong it is a desktop system....sorry. OK then it sounds like windows replaced the drivers when you restared....so I would be popping in your setup cd and reinstall the sound software that came with your system originally. Even though the drivers sound like they were reinstalled by windows there is a good possibility that he actual software that controls these drivers could have been effected by not being able to find the drivers needed (directly after you deleted the drivers accidently.)reinstalling them could very well solve the problem.

If that does not work go back to device manager and remove the duplicate entries of both your modem and sound card (ones with double entries). Before you reboot clear your windows "temp" file. This is because when you reboot and windows autodetect that drivers are missing it will pull them from the temp files and we want windows to only get them from the CD this time.....OK next reboot the system and go into CMOS Settings and disable your sound card (it is onboard).....reboot your system .....when windows loads it should detect your modem and it will request the setup disk....follow the prompts. Once the modem is installed reboot again and go back to the CMOS setings and enable your sound card....save settings and reboot. Once again when windows loads it should detect your sound card....insert the setup disk and let windows find the drivers on the cd.

I am hoping this will solve your problem...if it does not I would be either doing a reformat (system restore disk as a last resort)or calling Sony for additional support.

One more question....you said you accidently deleted the sound drivers...how can you be sure that ONLY sound Drivers were deleted and possible other drivers were not also erased which could cause unforseen problems in the future?

Best of luck.


Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Ken

Made a little progress today.

I followed your last round of advice.

I removed the Conexant modem and the SiS7018 in Device Manager, cleared the Windows temp file. I also disabled on-board sound in the BIOS, then re-added the modem in Device Manager.

I then re-enabled on-board sound in the BIOS, and reinstalled the SiS sound card.

Now, when I look in Sounds & Multimedia, all the duplicated entries are gone, and I only have single entries for Game Compatible Device and Audio for Conexant Modem, which is at it should be. If you recall, there have been duplicated entries here from the start.

However, the sound card still doesn't want to know, and Volume Control is still greyed-out/missing from the System Tray.

Does this tell you anything ?

Kind regards
Richard

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Glad to hear we are getting there

What this tells me is that the drivers seem to be OK now. I would now see if there are any red or yellow flags in your device manager. If there is this could be a case of driver conflicts or even possibly IRQ and or DMA conflicts.

Check your flags before we proceed.

Later



Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Ken

No flags showing in device manager.

Richard

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Hmmm...I am almost stumped now.....as I said I have the same mobo and had a similar problem. If I find any more info I will post it here for you. If it were my system ; I would probably reformat....but that may seem a bit drastic in your situation.



Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Ken

I'm stumped too.

New PC in the offing, following which I will 'recover' this machine. Never buy Sony !

Richard

 

[MediaFrenzy]

Hey I build systems (I own a business) and one time I had an order for 5 identical systems.....all systems had identical parts right down to the case and floppy drive....4 systems ran flawlessly and one I had a bitch of a time with.

Sometimes you get a dud.....it happens..don't blame the company (It is frustrating though...I know)

If I were able to see the system (which I can't) I would be able to maybe give you more insight.

I tried....If you have more questions you can still e-mail me.



Ken

===================================
Rebooting your computer does NOT
mean kicking it for a second time!!
===================================

 

[Pheasant]

Ken

Finally grasped the nettle and installed XP - it took a bit of wrestling to get ME off the system, but it gave up the struggle in the end.

After the customary 9 hours of frustration, my PC is running like a top, and all I have to do now is spend another 9 hours restoring all the data !

Many thanks for your valiant attempt at sorting out my sound card problems. I think that problem was just a symptom of a deeper malaise - driver conflicts, problems with VxDs, and all sorts of ME debris. I should have upgraded ages ago !

Many thanks again.

Richard