Sound drivers for CMEDIA AC97 won't work.

I have A Biostar M7VIP Motherboard with an onboard CMEDIA AC97. I don't have the original disk anymore so I had to go searching for a set of new drivers to get it to work. I got them from here.

I recently had to reinstall Windows 2000 and forgot to back up my devices, which is why this happened. But I've never had this sort of sound trouble before.

I've installed the drivers and have gotten the computer to notice them in the control panel, but whenever I try to make it work it says the "CMEDIA AC97 Audio Device cannot start (code 10)."

Suggestions?

 

Thank you for responding.

I just did and it didn't work. In the device manager it says, "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)"

 

I just deleted it and did a clean install just to make sure it wasn't any leftover bugs, but sill nothing.

Is it possible there's something wrong with my registry?

 

Any leads?

 

Thank you for responding.

Yes, my Windows 2000 is fully updated with Service Pack 4.

The BIOS did not offer me a sound/audio option.

I checked the Services and Windows Audio Service was not in it.

The only device with the yellow marker is "C-Media AC97 Audio Device." It tells me it has the driver, but still suffers a "(code 10 This device cannot start)."


There's also a device on here called an "MPU-401 Compatible MIDI Device." I've been getting the feeling that it's conflicting with the C-Media but haven't been able to remove it. Is their credence to that belief or am I just reaching?

Something else to note is that there's this stray "CMI Audio Config" icon in my Control Settings folder that refuses to go away even after I make attempts to uninstall C-Media so I can do a clean install to make sure I didn't screw anything up. It won't even respond when I click on it.

 

Let me get this right...... You went to Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services, then scrolled down and Windows Audio wasn't there?

 

That's correct.

 

That is an odd issue.
I have a suggestion if you have your OS install CD or a recovery partition.
Download this utility http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4899.html
After installing, start it up and click the tools button (the hammer at bottom), scroll down to SFC purge, run it and then run SFC scan. This will check your files to make sure none are missing or corrupt and will replace them if they are. You may have to re-update your SP's afterwards.
See if that helps. I have another solution but it entails editing the registry. :eek

 

Alright, I have to apologize. After running the SFC purge, I found out that I have Windows Service Pack 2 and not 4. So I'm gonna grab the SP4 or, if I can, SP5 and see if that's the problem.

 

Alright, I've updated to SP4 and have run the purge and...I think it's done the scan, but the sound is still not working.

I don't mind messing with the Registry...Just make sure your instructions are kinda idiot-proof.

 

Edit: I just remembered that some anti-virus programs will interfere with driver installs. So before, trying the reg mod, download the drivers again, go off-line, shut your AV software off, and re-try the installs.

I found this reg script on the web. It is supposed to put Windows Audio service back into the services. (I haven't tried it and am not sure it works.)
Make a restore point. (editing the register is tricky)
If things go funny on you, after the reg change, restore back to the restore point you just made. Check your services after modifying to see if the Windows Audio is there and turn it on if needed. If there are other services missing or not running that the Windows Audio depends on, then this will not work.
How to modify the register:
1) Copy the text below into Notepad, being careful to select all the text.
2) Save the file using the .reg extension. (Desktop is a good place to save it to)
3) Double-click the file to import it into the registry.
4) Click "Yes" in the Registry Editor message box, and another message box tells you if you've successfully entered the information in the registry.


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv]
"DependOnService"=hex(7):50,00,6c,00,75,00,67,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,00,00,\
52,00,70,00,63,00,53,00,73,00,00,00,00,00
"Description"="Manages audio devices for Windows-based programs. If this service is stopped, audio devices and effects will not function properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start."
"DisplayName"="Windows Audio"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Group"="AudioGroup"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
6b,00,20,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,00,00
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"Start"=dword:00000002
"Type"=dword:00000020

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv\Parameters]
"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,\
00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\
61,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,6f,00,73,00,72,00,76,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,\
00
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv\Enum]
"0"="Root\\LEGACY_AUDIOSRV\\0000"
"Count"=dword:00000001
"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

 

Okay, I got the reg file setup, but I'm not sure if I made a restore point correctly for my 2000 setup. Could you give me a brief explanation of how to do so just so I can make sure?

Also, should I name the file anything in particular? "Windows Audio" perhaps?

Sorry I'm moving so slow.

 

I have never used Win2000, but here is a short description on registry back-up.

Backing up the Windows 2000 registry
The Microsoft Windows 2000 registry can be backed up easily from the backup utility by following the below steps.

1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, and click backup.
2. Within backup, click the backup tab.
3. Within the backup tab, check "System State", this will create a backup of boot files, COM+ Class Registry Database, and the system registry.

​

Restoring the Windows 2000 registry
If you have created backups using the Microsoft backup utility from the backup utility you can also restore the registry through this utility.

Windows Audio.reg should be good. That way you can find it if you lose it on your PC. (I do that often) LOL
Also, if you run into probs after adding to the registry, you can re-start your PC and hit F8 (several times as the PC begins to re-start), then click "last known good configuration"

 

Is there another way I can put it into the registry? Because it's giving me a message that "The specified file is not a registry script. You can import only registry files." I used notepad and I made sure to copy it all in correctly. Why's it throwing a tantrum?

 

That is to say, I know how to open the regedit, but I'm just not sure I'd be putting it in the right H_KEY folder.

 

Did you save the file as a .reg file? (Windows Audio.reg for example ) When you have the fix above in notepad, you can set the extension before saving it. (see thumbnail)
Once it is saved, double click on it.

I have never really added things to my register through regedit, so I'm not much help there.
If double-clicking on the file you created doesn't work, there are 3 parts of that reg fix (spaces separate them)
First one goes here: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv]
Second here:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv\Parameters]
Third here:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioSrv\Enum]

 

Yep. And it still refused to import it.

Am I entering this stuff in as a DWORD, a binary, or a string?

 

Don't know for sure, Ill see if I can find someone who does know.

Sorry, I couldn't help...but this is the first time I have seen the prob you have. Good luck and let me know if that reg fix works, so I can pass it on to the next one with your prob.

 

No problem. Thank you for your input thus far.

 

Pariah, what does the icon look like on the file? It should look like building blocks instead of a NotePad icon. See the picture I've attached.

 

Don't use that reg file pariah...... i just looked back at the place I found it and it is for Win 2003 not Win2k

 

*phew* Thanks for telling me. That could have been bad.

Yes. It does look like building blocks. So I definitely labeled it correctly.

I know it's academic since it turned out to be Win03 code, but perhaps it was an alternative way of saying it was typed up wrong.

 

Lord knows I don't want to, but I'm gonna try reinstalling windows 2000 Professional. I keep thinking that maybe something just went wrong with SP4 when it upgraded SP2. I figure I might get lucky with a clean install.

Cross your fingers.

 

Good about catching my last post... I goofed there. Told you registery wasn't my thing. rolleyes

I did read somethings about SP4 and fixes for probs, but the audio fix link took me to an XP fix.
Let me know again how the install works out and we can start at the beginning.
Check for all windows updates after your done installing the SP4, maybe they have a fix update.

 

It didn't work. However, in the process of destroying my machine out of frustration, I was able to catch a glimpse of the motherboard before I crumpled it to pieces. My face was a little red when I saw that the part number read M7VIF and not M7VIP. The only thing different about those two boards happened to be the sound drivers. M7VIP uses CMI drivers whereas M7VIF uses Audio Codecs 2.2. I wished I had figured this out before I cleared the partition in an attempt to get a clean reinstall. Now my Wi-Fi. *sigh*

So...Yeah, I figured out the problem. All that stress for nothing. I'm really sorry guys. I wasted your time.

 

Glad you got things straight...... We all make silly mistakes, especially misreading small numbers and letters. *8s and B's get me confused. And it was no waste of time, it kept me from playing some silly game.