Take The Soundcard Challenge, And Feel Good About It!

I purchased a new computer last month with a Realtek AC97 sound card built on the motherboard. My sound worked fine until yesterday. The sound worked fine in the morning, i left my computer for a few hours, and when i came back the sound didn't work. I have tried several things to try and fix this problem. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers. I have downloaded the latest drivers from realtek.com.tw. I have checked my bios to make sure the sound card is enabled. Device Manager says that the drivers are working properly and there are no conflicts. I have checked my speakers, they work fine. I have checked the volume controls, they are not muted. Music will look like its playing in Winamp and Windows Media Player, i get no errors, but I hear nothing.

I've read other posts where people are having the same or similaire problem. The only solutions suggested seem to be "get a new soundcard." Thats all well and good, hell, i even have a spare one, but it kinda seems like giving up doesn't it? I want to know what happened. Did a fuse blow on the motherboard somewhere. Is there a virus out there that could do this? Did aliens land and zap my computer with their ray guns?

Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Guys and Gals

Andrew
darkbluehorizon.com


My system specs are as follows:

Processor
Model : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+
Speed : 1.81GHz
Model Number : 3000 (estimated)
Performance Rating : PR2714 (estimated)
Cores per Processor : 1 Unit(s)
Threads per Core : 1 Unit(s)
Internal Data Cache : 64kB Synchronous, Write-Back, 2-way set, 64 byte line size
L2 On-board Cache : 512kB ECC Synchronous, Write-Back, 16-way set, 64 byte line size

Mainboard
Bus(es) : X-Bus PCI PCIe USB FireWire/1394 i2c/SMBus
MP Support : 1 Processor(s)
MP APIC : No
System BIOS : Phoenix Technologies, LTD ASUS A8NE-FM ACPI BIOS Revision 1004 03/10/2005
System : System manufacturer System name
Mainboard : ASUSTek Computer INC. A8NE-FM
Total Memory : 512MB DDR-SDRAM

Chipset 1
Model : Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Athlon 64 / Opteron HyperTransport Technology Configuration
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 1005MHz (2010MHz data rate)
Total Memory : 512MB DDR-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 201MHz (402MHz data rate)

Video System
Desktop Monitors/Panels : 2
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Adapter : RADEON 7000 SERIES
Adapter : SAPPHIRE RADEON X300SE 128MB
Adapter : SAPPHIRE RADEON X300SE 128MB - Secondary
Imaging Device : hp scanjet 4600 series
Imaging Device : Logitech QuickCam Express

Physical Storage Devices
Removable Drive : Floppy disk drive
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600JD-00HBC0 (149GB)
Hard Disk : WDC WD400JB-00ETA0 (37GB)
CD-ROM/DVD : HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4082B (CD 32X Rd, 24X Wr) (DVD 4X Rd, 3X Wr)

Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Hard Disk (C : 128GB (103GB, 80% Free Space) (NTFS)
A8ne-fm (D : 124MB (CDFS)
Hard Disk (E : 37GB (2.2GB, 6% Free Space) (NTFS)
New volume (F : 21GB (21GB, 100% Free Space) (NTFS)

Peripherals
Serial/Parallel Port(s) : 1 COM / 1 LPT
USB Controller/Hub : CMD USB0673 PCI to USB Open Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB 2.0 Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Printing Support
USB Controller/Hub : USB Composite Device
FireWire/1394 Controller/Hub : VIA OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
Keyboard : Logitech HID-Compliant Keyboard
Mouse : HID-compliant Wheel Mouse
Mouse : HID-compliant mouse
Human Interface : HID-compliant consumer control device
Human Interface : HID-compliant device
Human Interface : USB Optical WheelMouse
Human Interface : USB Human Interface Device
Human Interface : Internet Keys USB

MultiMedia Device(s)
Device : Realtek AC'97 Audio

Printers and Faxes
Model : Microsoft Office Document Image Writer
Model : Lexmark Z25-Z35

Power Management
AC Line Status : On-Line

Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional (Win32 x86) 5.00.2195 (Service Pack 4)

 

Mobo sound cards have a tendency to just die, as do mobo video cards. It's possible that you might try reinstalling your drivers, but I wouldn't count on it working. I've been working with on-board sound off my motherboard for a while, and except for the hamster sound every now and again, which seems to symbolize an imminent processor failure, it's worked fine.

 

Have you confirmed that the sound card isn't conflicting with any other device?

 

Triaxx2: I have reinstalled the drivers and software, and as expected, no change.

Yargwel: Device Manager does not show any conflicts. I don't know of any other way to check.

It seems like the card is configured, and works fine, but the sound isn't makeing it to the headphone jack.

 

Try changing jacks that the speakers, or headphones are plugged into. Sometimes it's as simple as that. You didn't move the computer lately, and have to unplug the speakers, did you?

 

I had this exact problem with a A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard. My cousin had the great idea of plugging in some headphones in the microphone jack on my case. To my surprise it worked instantly, pointing to a faulty speaker jack on my motherboard. I purchased a sound card and it resolved the issue.

 

Well, its been four days now and Realtek techsupport has been totaly useless. And I don't want to send my motherboard off china some where to get fixed. Looks like I'll be caving and installing a new sound card.
Thanks guys and gals for your input.

Andrew
darkbluehorizon.com

 

I know this doesn't sound like a driver issue, but a while back there was an update on windows update for my sound card drivers (onboard realtek AC97))...It was the wrong one...i had to roll back to the old ones...it still comes up on update site ( ive hidden it now). prob not realavent to your problem, more like a rant.

 

Hunt down the program called ALSRACK. Install it, and open it, and turn the MIDI all the way down. I just remembered having this same problem. I don't know why it works, but it does.