// System speaker doesn't work well in Windows98SE //

[RickTrelles]

I am using a system with Win98SE I installed fresh a few years ago. Only now I noticed that the system speaker makes almost no sound. The speaker only makes like very brief taps when beeps should be coming (but *it sounds OK at boot time*). I need to run there an application that makes a lot of use of the speaker.

I have learned that the file beep.sys drives the speaker in Windows, and I don't even find that file in my system.

Is that file really necesary? If so, where ccould I get it? (don't find it even in the installation CD)

Any ideas of what's happening?

Thank you.

 

[Glenn9999]

I've never had a problem with the system speaker in software. With 98, the old DOS coding (interrupt calls) gets used and generally works well - there is no API call. I've never had to load BEEP.SYS to get anything to work, either. I see it's not loaded in Windows ME.

For what I understand in looking it up, BEEP.SYS handles the speaker for NT-based Windows.

It's hard telling what it is doing, precisely. All I could suggest is to see if you can find something else to test it with.

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Measurement is not management.

 

[RickTrelles]

Thank you, Glenn. I read in some postings that windows 98 uses beep.sys and I don't have it.

However, my system comunicates with the speaker, only that it doesn't do it right (makes only low frequency very brief, almost inaudible, ticks).

I really need to make it work in this system, so I'll continue searching.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[G0AOZ]

Are you sure it's not the speaker itself which is faulty? Try temporarily replacing it with a known good one.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[edfair]

Is it really a speaker? You may be attempting to force an analog signal into a device meant for on/off pulses. ie, piezo sound device. The BIOS code may be manipulating the sound devices to get the system beeps on bootup.

You may want to consider a sound card and speakers.

Try a google search for "beep.sys 98" to get some further information. There are several links there describing how the parts work together.



Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[edfair]

The speaker driver on my 98SE is a vxd found via device mangler, system devices, speaker.

My suspicion is that the beep.sys that you are looking for is somebody's driver for the timer chip that drives the system speaker, not a driver for a real sound producing device. And that if you find one it may not work for your system unless it has the same chip or out of the same family.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[kjv1611]

I'd say just get an old Sound Blaster Sound card that'll work in your system - ISA or PCI slot one, and get the Windows 98 driver and app(s) if you want. There are usually plenty of such on eBay for dirt cheap.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me