Solved: PC games will not start because of sound card...

[bigdor]

Hello,

I've just purchased Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl (Steam) and have not been able to successfully play them yet.

With both games, when I try to start them up, they go to the splash screen, and then just hang. They hang until Windows Vista reads (not responding) on their respective title bars.

If I disable my sound card however, the games startup just fine. Obviously this is unacceptable. Any ideas what might fix this? I really like my sound card, so I'm really not looking to replace it, but it's an option if someone has solved this problem before by getting a new one.

Also, I've checked my IRQs and my sound card is on IRQ 17, all by itself. Video card is on IRQ 16 sharing with my SATA controller.

I do not have this problem with any other games, and I have quite a few installed on my system currently, including Half-Life 2(Steam).

BTW, I've contacted support for both games AND my sound card, and so far, no good.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Windows Vista HPE SP1
Asus Striker Extreme BIOS 1305
Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtremegamer
GeForce 8800 GTS eVGA
4GB Corsair Dominator RAM

 

[Compaq__]

Make sure you have the latest Sound Card and Video Drivers.

 

[bigdor]

I already tried that, multiple, multiple times.
I was hoping it was just that...

Thanks

 

[Compaq__]

I'm just brainstorming here...DO you have the latest Direct X installed?

Have you tried possibly moving your soundcard to another slot?

Tried shutting down all running programs that you don't need prior to starting the games...like virus protection...firewall...etc...

Could go into msconfig and uncheck anything you know you don't need and reboot.

 

[bigdor]

In response to the above items from Compaq_:

1.) Tried, failed...
2.) Tried, failed...my slots are very limited with this Mobo, with using a GeForce 8800, but I was able to try all combinations without success.
3.) Tried, failed...
4.) Tried, failed...unchecked everything except the systray and one other thing needed by WIndows without success

So far, the only success I've had in getting these games to start is by disabling the soundcard. However, even if I re-enable the soundcard after starting the games, there is still no sound.

I'm completely baffled at this point. Thanks again.

 

[like 45 ninjas.]

Try uninstalling your soundcard and then reinstalling the drivers.
To uninstall your soundcard:
1) Click the start button
2) Click run...
3) Type devmgmt.msc
4) Click OK
5) Locate your soundcard
5b) If you cannot find you soundcard go to View->Show hidden devices
6) Right click you your soundcard
7) Click uninstall
8) Restart
9) Download and reinstall drivers

 

[tom6049]

For troubleshooting purposes, have you tried using the onboard sound card?

 

[bigdor]

like 45 ninjas.-- Redownloaded, uninstalled, reinstalled....no effect.

tom6049-- This rev of the Striker Extreme doesn't have onboard sound. It came with a SupremeFX PCI Express card with an ADI chip on it. I dare not use that card again. That was one of my most horrible experiences I've ever had with a sound card. It took my a week just to get rid of the SoundMAX errors. Thanks though.

 

[bigdor]

After performing a clean boot AND shutting all Windows Services down, I found that the Multimedia Class Scheduler service, when turned off disables my sound card, allowing these games to play. Obviously this is not a fix since I still have no sound in the games, but I thought I might mention it in case someone knows of a problem with this service.

 

[gamerbyron]

I think there is a solution for you, I thinking its a vista issue, Go to contral panels, go to sound, GO to recording tab, right click on anywhere in the white background, enable show disable devices, then enable stereo mix. I think thats a problem i'm not sure, I could be wrong tho.

 

[bigdor]

I found the screen that you mean, but I don't see an "Enable stereo mix" option anywhere. That might be soundcard specific maybe?

 

[bigdor]

I uninstalled HostAL (ADI) from my PC. I'm pretty sure this was something still haunting me from installing that horrible, disgusting, vitriolic excuse for a soundcard called SupremeFX that came with my motherboard. What a flopping nightmare!!!

Anyway, here's the steps if you have this problem.

1.)Start menu
2.)Control Panel
3.)Uninstall a program
4.)Select HostAL (ADI)
5.)Click Uninstall
6.)Restart your computer.

A little explanation on why the game wouldn't start. Microsoft made the idiot decision to leave DirectSound out of DirectX 10. So now there are essentially only two ways to code a game, use OpenAL, or use DirectSound and provide an OpenAL wrapper so that your DirectSound classes are read by the machine as OpenAL. Well, if you have more than one version of OpenAL on your PC, any application that needs OpenAL to run could get confused. Therefore, if you have the same problem I had, uninstall all versions of OpenAL on your PC, and then just go to Creative's website and download and install the latest version.

Thank you to everyone who helped out with this problem. I can FINALLY play this game.

 

[like 45 ninjas.]

Congratulations on fixing your problem. Have fun with your game.