WoW won't launch, sndvol32.exe failed to initialize

New to posting in help forums - I'm at my wits end after following every lead I could turn up to fix this problem.

Noticed first when trying to play WoW - symptom: pressing 'Play' from the launcher fails to start the game - no error message. Running WoW.exe directly from its folder turns up the message 'Application failed to initialize properly' (0xc0000005). Then I discovered the same error code when I try to change sound volume from the task bar volume control. Speakers work, just get the Sndvol32.exe 0xc0000005 error when I try to change volume. WMP controls volume just fine.

Running Windows XP with latest updates, all drivers updated, no errors in device manager. Ran Dxdiag with no errors. Reinstalled sndvol32.exe from windows installation disc, reverted to previous restore point prior to loading WoW . . . nothing I've tried has worked.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Did you try the wow repair tool? It may be that a file got corrupted while updating. Use any mods that need updating? Use a new mod that you never used before?

Just some easy suggestions to try if you didn't. WoW repair tool, if you have never used it, should be somewhere in your WoW directory i believe.

 

Thanks Blatherbeard - yes, tried that twice without success.

 

It sure sounds like a WoW problem to me. Ive had many a launch problem over the years as well with WoW and have been lucky enough to have them just go away.

I did have to reinstall the whole game a few times when i moved from Xp to Vista though.

I know it really blows to do, but have you tried uninstalling all of WoW and reinstalling it?

(if you have WotLK, all you need is that disk as they dont tell you it has all 3 clients on it)

To me it almost sounds as if a WoW update corrupted WoW and the sound driver. If total reinstall, and reinstalling the file itself doesn't work then it will take someone better than me with more ideas.