Formatted and have questions

I just formatted for the first time so I'm kind of new to this and I have several questions:

1. My sound does not work anymore, do I need some sort of software? If so is there any freeware available for this?

2. I have an nVIDIA GeForceFX 5200- 128 MB video card. Do I need to intall any software to go along with it? If so, again, is there any freeware available?

3. I'm havig internet troubles, I'm connected directly into a high speed modem with an ethernet cable. I could not connect like this, so I stole this little thing from my sister which is a USB wireless device, I installed some software and am now connected wireless to a connection called "default". This doesn't sound safe and I want to give my sister her stuff back before she returns, so how can I get my internet working like it was before the format? (connected directly to the modem)

-Thanks

 

It sounds like you do not have drivers for the video card, the sound card or the network card. This is common when you wipe a machine. You can go to the computer manufacturer site and download the proper drivers for your machine and install them. You could also go to the sites of the component manufacturers and get the drivers there. It would be a good practice to save the drivers for future use.

 

For the network card, I am connected to a router and the router is connected to the modem. So do I need a driver for the router or the modem? Or both?

-Thanks

 

Only for the network card.

 

Alright I googled my specific video card model and dowloaded a driver for it. I have noticed a big difference in the visual performance so I'm assuming it works. Now I don't know what sound card or what network card I have so I don't know what driver to download for those. How can I see what sound card and network card I have?

Thanks

 

Any help here please? I need to know what drivers to install for sound and network

 

are they on board devices? or are they seperate cards?

if they are cards take em out and see if they have the model number on them or google some of the numbers on the chips as this will usually point you in the right direction.

be sure you know what you are doing or seek advice before removing the cards or you could fry them by just touching them.

 

What kind of a machine is it? Homebuilt?

 

No it was a not customized HP computer but at one point my motherboard broke and I had that replaced. I googled my motherboard and found drivers for it including one for sound and network. I installed the network and voila! I can now connect to the internet like I did before. I installed the sound driver- but still no sound. When I go to volume control I get the following message: "There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware. This program will now close."

 

are you sure you installed the correct driver?

for XP go to control panel and open "System" under performace and maint. then click the hardware Tab then Device Manager and see if you can find your sound card or if it is still an unknown device.

 

Nope, theres no sound card in my device manager. The driver I installed was a sound driver straight off my motherboard's page.

 

are there any unknown devices in device manager?

 

Not exactly sure what you mean, but there is a "Other Devices" with a "?" next to it. When I lcik the + next to it I get 2 items under it.

- Multimedia Audio Controller
- Video Controller (VGA Compatible)

Both items also have a ? next to them.

 

yeah sorry thats it, under this heading is devices with no drivers installed for it/them

- Multimedia Audio Controller

this is your sound card by the looks you installed the wrong driver, try finding the correct driver or you could try the windows update site by going to the devices properties(double click the device) and click "Reinstall Driver" and allow it to contact the update site.


- Video Controller (VGA Compatible)

not sure what this is but i would try the windows update to try find a driver as above.

 

Ok this is what I think the problem is: Since I downloaded a sound driver for my motherboard and it doesn't work, I'm assuming I have a sound card that is not associated with my motherboard.

Is there any way I can find out what sound card I have without opening up my computer?

Thanks for the help

 

did you try what i sugested below to find a driver? if so and it didnt find anything then as far as i am aware the only other way is you will have to open the PC

 

look on the back of your computer to check if your sound card is "onbaord" or not, if its in one of the exspansion slots then it is not.