Windows Media Player help needed

I recently had to use msconfig to fix an internet problem. I now have everything back to normal startup. I uninstalled sygate firewall which was blocking internet explorer and firefox from accessing the internet, but nothing was changed.

Now when I play a music file or movie, I can hear the background noises fine, like the music will be fine, but the singer sounds like they are talking in a can or real distance.

I can't seem to find out what the problem is. Anyone ever run into this?

I am using XP and running the latest media player.

 

Posted in wrong thread.

 

Does it occur with the video files you could successfully play earlier?
Or problems are related to new movies?

In the second case (it's unlikely but to make sure) you may try to download the latest K-lite mega codec pack from the http://www.free-codecs.com

 

No this is video files and music files that I was able to play sucessfully before the problem. I looked at the environments and it was selected for none and everything was at the default levels. Is there anything in media player that could do this? I also noticed that the sound is slightly garbled also. I am not sure what the problem is.

 

I didn't see anything in there. I ran all the troubleshooters but didn't fix anything. I tried to reset everything to default but that didn't do anything either.

 

Forgot to add, I did notice one wierd thing.

System sounds are fine. When windows starts up or I play sounds in the properties screen most sound fine. Non-windows sounds don't, such as the voice that avast uses that says the virus database has been updated.

That is another reason I think it is software related and not the sound card.

 

You need to have a serious talk with the control centre for your audio devices.
Many have all sort of filter settings including 'through a tin can' and 'through a wet sock'..............updates often rechoose for ya!
Also check if the download had 'upgraded' you from (say) stereo to 5.1 surround sound without beaming the extra speakers aboard.

Reposted from the 'old' thread
Studio T

 

I have tried pretty much every option in the control center. I was able to get it to bring the voices up some, but they still sound bad. If my start up sounds and windows sounds, sound fine, then it wouldn't be my sound card would it?

 

I didn't suggest it was hardware. You haven't even told us what the hardware is. I am assuming you have checked such obvious things as cable/plugged into the wrong socket (sound card not modem or onboard)/failing speakers (on another not necessarily pc system).........

I noted that you have opened the firewall floodgates (there is amixed mataphor) and that there may have been more 'automatic updates ' than you realise. In particular the effect you describe will occur if you are only feeding the outer two channels of modern multichannel (you can set this on DVD). Windows sounds are not capable of this level of sophistication so will sound normal.

Post more detail perhaps we can help more

Studio T

 

What are your sound drivers?

Drivers like RealTek have schemes you can set up. It sounds like maybe the sounds are set like studio T suggests.

 

It is a Compaq (I know) Presario with an integrated sound card. The device manager shows it to be Soundmax. I have updated the driver to the latest one (2002). If I could figure out how to take a screenshot, I would and post it so you could see.

The only thing I have done to the computer hardware wise is install a 128mb Stealth 9200SE Video card. Though everything has worked flawlessly since I installed that 8-10 months ago.

So far I have checked the cables, played with different settings, and checked the msconfig file to make sure everything was enabled after I had to do some troubleshooting.

Default sound schemes sound the worst. I think I have it set for Virtual Ear (don't know what that is) on the adult setting and so far that is the best.

I haven't been able to find any settings about surround sound or multichannel set up, except in windows audio settings, and I made sure they were set to desktop stereo speakers only.

 

Ok, I fixed it but I didn't. This is really wierd. If I go into volume controls and slide the balance to the left or the right just a bit, everything is normal. I can slide it all the way and not notice a change in the right or left speaker or in my headsets. But all voice and noises are restored.

Not sure what it is, but that is what fixed it, temporarily at least.

 

FYI: A sound card is computer hardware and with out it Media Player, additional software with sound enhancement, games would be mute - which means if you deleted Media Player you would still have sound.

Since you have run troubleshoot on your Media Player and the sound was not corrected your next guess should have been your sound card.

Click start click help and support type "sound" in the search click enter choose the Full-text Search Matches (15 results) tab click #3. List of troubleshooters click hardware choose I'm having a problem with a sound card. click next choose The sound is distorted or scratchy. click next follow thru the step by step troubleshoot guide until your sound is resolved.

 

I tried that, nothing worked. It said at the end, it was a problem windows couldn't fix.

 

If you haven't gone to IE 7 yet you could try a system restore to an earlier time and see what happens. This is a reversible process.
You could also try to rollback the audio drivers along the same lines, but this time from device manager.
We are more familiar with flaky video drivers need rolling back but you may have come across an audio variety.
The specific info you provided may yet be of use, another Geek has been having trouble with SoundMax see

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=118308


Studio T