[Tard]

I just reinstalled windows today (not a full format) and after I got it back up and running it ran perfectly... exept without any sound. So I popped in the CD that came with my mobo for it's onboard sound (nForce4 chipset, 8-channel sound) and installed the Realtek AC'97 software drivers that came with it and what I was using before the install, when it worked perfectly. Well it showed up in the device manager and had no device conflicts anywhere to be seen, but windows didn't seem to pick up that I had it installed and it wouldn't let me select anything for my audio device in the "sounds and audio devices" menu in the control panel, everything there is just ghosted. There's no lil speaker icon in my taskbar for volume control, and when I click on volume control in the Entertainment tab in Accessories, it says I have no "Audio mixer device" installed. Well Realtek AC'97 is my freakin audio mixer device damnit, why won't it pick that up?! I have it installed and have uninstalled and re-installed and updated several times and it still won't detect it and let me use it as my audio device or mixer device! I need help ASAP, I'm a big gamer and can't go without sound. Also, system restore won't let be go back before I reinstalled windows either to get my sound back. Can anyone help me with this?! It'd be GREATLY appreciated!!!

[Triple6]

Before you installed the Realtek did you install the latest NFORCE drivers?

You can get the latest drivers from here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_nf4_winxp2k_6.53

[Tard]

Yeah, I've downloaded the latest drivers for everything for this friggin mobo. Not like I think it would matter anyway cuz it was runnin fine off these drivers from my CD before I reinstalled XP. I even uninstalled the old drivers 1st. I think this is some kinda huge screw up on XPs part cuz it should pick up that Realtek is installed and it's not detecting it whatsoever. I've even enabled all three catagories for Realtek in the Properties (audio device, MIDI device, and Mixer device) so it SHOULD use Realtek for all three of those functions and it's not even picking it up for me to use it as an option. I've did everything I can think of, like uninstalling Realtek and letting Windows detect my onboard audio and installing the drivers by itself. I've literally spent the last two days working on this sound. I refuse to reformat this drive to fix this small of an error. This is getting severly frustrating and I'm a pretty patient person....

[professorxox]

Check in your bios to make sure that audio is enabled.

[Triple6]

Out of curiosity, why did you reinstall? Were you having problems?

[richman1068]

If you are getting sound, it isn't a major problem. To get the speaker icon in the sysyem tray by the clock, go to Start... Control Panel... Sounds and Audio Devices... and click the box next to Place volume Icon in taskbar. Other than that, I can't help much. Try reinstalling drivers from the nVidia website like Triple6 said. Good luck!

[Triple6]

It might be this as I've run across a similar problem with Windows ME and Windows XP: http://www.tymes.net/swenum/fix-swenum0.htm

[Tard]

I actually disabled the sound in the bios and then re-enabled it to see if windows would pick it up as new and try to install the drivers itself, and I got it to do it itself, but not using that method. I re-installed windows cuz Norton found a bunch of files "at risk" so I told it to delete them, and when it did, I had no more control over my network settings (no internet), and could not even access the device manager anymore. Richman, I'm not geting sound at all, there's no audio device detected in the sound devices menu so everything is ghosted in there and I can't select anything on any of the tabs. I'm using the most up to date drivers as possible fro my mobo manufacturers website. I honestly think this is some kind of glitch in windows or something, cuz I have everything installed that I have to have for sound and XP just simply isn't even recognizing it. My buddy has an external hard drive I can use to back up all my files, and I think I'm gonna end up doin a full format and re-install soon, mabye tonight, if I can't fix this very soon. Thanx for the site, Triple6, I found that the plug & play device enumerator (or whatever it is) is installed in my system devices.

[pctech_wannabe]

I had the same problem. Windows sounds were disabled. Start>control panel>admin tools>services>windows audio, dbl click that and make sure on the "log on" tab its enabled. Then on the general tab make sure its started. Thats how I resolved it.

[mehr520]

I faced this problem since last week. I tried so many methods to solve but all of them were unsuccessfull. In addition to said problem, I have problem in Modem as well. Both two problem happened togeather.

[FloridaGeez]

I think that Windows Automatic Update got me. Two nights ago it downloaded a new set of Nvidia drivers and I can't get sound back since. I've tried removing the drivers, re-installing my old ones etc. but no luck. Triple6 had a suggestion back on April 4 that would put back the Plug and Play BIOS Extension etc. and I tried to follow that recipe but on step seven I don't get the screens he shows that would offer the Plug and Play stuff. Any help would be appreciated. I have an ASUS A7N8x Deluxe mobo with the built in Realtek ALC650. Actually those Nvidia drivers screwed things up even worse, but I've managed to recover to this point that I only seem to be missing the sound. (At first I used the System Restore and that temporarily got the sound back - but now I am unable to restore to any earlier date).

[mehr520]

Finally I could solved my problem: "No Audio Mixer Device". It was very easy by Re-Installing the Win XP when Windows XP was running. Just repair it then Sound come up when Windows restart after Re-Installing finished. Hope your porblem solved also by this method.

[Dark3lf]

Originally Posted by mehr520

Finally I could solved my problem: "No Audio Mixer Device". It was very easy by Re-Installing the Win XP when Windows XP was running. Just repair it then Sound come up when Windows restart after Re-Installing finished. Hope your porblem solved also by this method.

but hey I don't wanna reinstal my Win XP :s
Me too got this sound probem
Is there a solution to this ?

[mrhat]

I was reading this forum page having exactly the same problems with none of the above really helping.

Until...

http://www.pchell.com/support/no_act...vailable.shtml

should solve all your problems

[jonleviathan]

iM HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, disable it and re-install drivers than re-enable it in bios. STILL NOT WORKING I can however get it done if I put enough time and effort into it but right now thats the least of my issues, ive come to a general realization that windows xp is very unsupported nowadays, its all about Macs and Unix! annd of course whole new systems with PnP working 100%.

Thx for all the nicely organized forums, they have SO much information that im going to be hoping to learn as I GO ON with this.