Realtek ac97 audio problem

okay so my problem is almost exactly like this one
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=159281

This basically sums up my situation. I reinstalled windows on both of my laptops, which are Gateway mx6424's http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Q106/Blade/6094nv.shtml. I've tried installing several different versions of windows to see if that would fix the problem but it does not (which I found to be odd.) I also checked my bios to see if there was anyway to control the audio that way but there is no such option on my laptops.

oh and my wife will probably kill me if I cant find a solution

 

Set a restore point, then uninstall your audio driver through Device Manager and look in Add/Remove Programs to insure it is gone. If it isn't uninstall it from there.
Then install your chipset driver:
7511587.exe - Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility, version 3.10.1011
Then try installing this driver:
D00377-002-001.exe - Audio Driver version: 6.14.10.575

 

I believe that Gateway has the wrong chipset driver there. the link that suposedly goes to my motherboard goes to an exe called 7511587.exe but the instalation instructions use 751331.exe. So I tried the first one but it says I do not have the right chipset/something for it to work. Then I tried the second one. The instructions for that one mention double checking your computers bios version.

the only information I get from my bios is version 68.04. also the 751331.exe instructions mention using a floppy drive which my laptops do not have.


I dont believe that is the correct chipset driver for my laptop. there is a 68.05 chipset driver there but that is for vista only.

I also unistalled my audio drivers and double checked in add/remove programs that it was indeed gone. I then tried installing the audio drivers that you linked me too and they failed again.

 

Hmm. I'll get back with you on the chipset. It may be that they also have the wrong audio there.
In the mean time give this a read: Missing XP Sound Read Me.txt

 

one problem with that chipset is its for an intel where I have an amd chip.

I believe what I need are the original drivers that came on this computer. Being a gateway laptop it did not come with a recovery disk, it did however come with a recovery partition where I guess your supposed to make a recovery disk. I happened to format that partition when I installed windows, but on my other laptop I still have the recovery partition. Unfortunatly I dont know how to access it as the files are not visible to me because there in a fat16, I think, file structure.

 

SOLVED!!!!!


Okay so it seems that this is not so uncommon a problem with gateway products. After much googling I stumbled upon this driver link

http://members.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=648316

and thats all it took.

hope this can help others.