Sound driver Disappeared, download from Dell gives me an error message!

Hi Y'all,
Thank you for taking my request!

My sound "all of a sudden" disappeared. I checked for my sound driver and discovered it was completely gone!

I went to Dell and attempted to download the correct driver for my computer, Windows XP on a Dell Latitude D820.
Here is the crash message while attempting to install the sound driver, (R171789.exe):

"Crash Reporter:
The application had a problem and crashed.
Unfortunately the crash reporter is unable to submit a report for this crash.
Details: The application passed an invalid argument."

I ran Everest and attached it here in case it would help you.

Hope you can give me some insights!
Sue
PS Since the attached file is a .htm, you probably won't be able to view it. How can I send the file to you?

 

Could you post some screen shots of Everest in a .jpg showing the relevant info?

 

You can follow the steps in this thread to generate an Everest report in .TXT format.

 

Ah, I didn't know you could do that... I obviously haven't explored Everest enough:-o

 

OKEE DOKEE,
Attached is the System summary in .txt.
Hope this helps!
Sue

 

can you go to your windows event log and check the application log and system log and see what errors are created when you try install the sound driver

 

First thing I'd do is to check Add/Remove Programs and see if the sound driver is listed; if so, uninstall it and reboot the PC. Then install your chipset drivers (you can download it from this link). Reboot when it's done, then reinstall your sound driver, you can download it from this link. Then, again, restart the PC. That should do it! If not, do as suggested above by Geminiione and post any errors listed from the Event Viewer that occured about the same time that the sound first disappeared....
Good luck!

:-D

 

Yes, Thank you. I installed the chipset, rebooted then attempted to install the driver. ARGGGGGH! Same error message (noted in my past email below) when the SigmaTel Audio Driver InstallShield Wizard tries to install. I am now getting a McAfee message that it blocked a Potentially Unwanted Program called "RemAdm-VNC".

I have attached the Event Viewer with the error recordings on them. I must have inadverently uninstalled the sound driver back on 6/19 or 6/20 when I was trying to get rid of some malware that I had. I don't understand why I keep getting the crash report message while trying to install.

I should also mention although it could be a separate issue that upon rebooting, I get the "Found New Hardware" (PCI Device) message. I do what it tells me to do when the Hardware Install wizard pops up but it can not finish the process because it says, "Hardware not found"....

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Would a system restore get my driver back?

Sue

 

ok lets look at this step at a time. first make your antivirus is up to date. then once it is uninstall the sound driver using add/remove programs if it is there. then reboot the system. once it comes back let the found new hardware run and see if it installs. if not, then disable your antivirus, and run the install program for your sound card again. if it installs reboot the system and let us know. if not then post your system log and application log with your post and tell us what time you tried all this.

we can try system restore as a last resort.

 

I updated my antivirus, then uninstalled the sound driver from the Add/Remove programs. Rebooted and let the "found new hardware" wizard run and the sound driver did not install. (It keeps asking for a PCI device..?) Next, I disabled my antivirus and ran the install program for the audio driver. The InstallShield Wizard for the Sigmatel Audio Driver launched and this time almost completed the install. (all files were unzipped successfully was one message) but then as it proceeded, I received a new message that says an error occurred while unzipping, one or more files could not be unzipped. Error number 40.
Attached are my event view reports.I was attemping the install between 4 and 4:30PM.

 

ok lets try this a different way. start add new hardware wizard, you can find this the control panel using classic view. when comes to picking a device choose sound devices. the next panel will ask you to pick a device, choose have disk. you will then be asked point to the drivers, navigate to directory that the drivers unzipped to. it should then find the drivers and try to install them. once again post any messages in detail that are produced.

 

I went to the Device Manager and saw the yellow exclamation point next to the PCI Device and right clicked on it. This brought up a box that had an option to "Roll Back Driver", so I clicked on it. My system restored the Audio Driver and it was the one from Microsoft not the one recommended by Dell that I had been trying to install a gazillion times. (It worked !!! I now have sound!! Yippeeeeeee!!!) The Dell Driver install kept giving me the error upon unzipping the file. (It attempted to use the Install Shield Wizard for Sigmatel Audio.) It was so frustrating!!!
For some reason, my system won't accept the Dell Driver, go figure....

I had read somewhere that the Microsoft Audio Drivers weren't that reliable but it turns out that that was the one I had in the first place! It works now. Thank you for giving me ideas on what to do. I happened to stumble upon the "Roll Back Driver" button, took a "risk" and clicked on it. Bravery wins out. (I think I was just tired of going around and around with that Add New Hardware wizard thingy)

(Even having the original disk of drivers wouldn't create an install for the audio driver I was missing. The files on the disk look complicated and I don't understand any of the names of the files on it. So I didn't know which one to pick!)

So thanks again, Geminiione, for listening and giving me some direction!!!
I appreciate all of you MAJOR GEEKS and the time you put into this website!!!!!!!!

 

glad to hear you can hear happy puting