Lost audio -- need help, please

I don't know whether I'm in the right forum here, but I'm sure people can direct me to the correct one if I've posted this in the wrong spot.

The problem is my audio, which I had earlier this morning but don't have now. I did use Revo Uninstaller (set to "moderate") to remove a Java program, and I'm wondering whether I might have removed files I shouldn't have. Uggh.

Can someone help me figure out how to correct this? Many thanks in advance.

Hope

 

Could you supply some more info on your system? What OS - XP, Win 7, 8? Laptop?

In the mean time, if Windows 7, go to the Device Manager. You can get there by clicking the Start button, select Control Panel, select System, and then in the left pane double click on Device Manager.

Look down the list and find Sound, Video and Game Controllers. Click the > next to it to expand it.

Locate your Audio driver and right click to get properties.

What do you see there?

 

Thanks for the reply, Cipher. Sorry for leaving out that information. It's Windows XP Service Pack 3. It's a desktop.

I did follow your instructions, more or less, to get to the XP Device Manager. What it shows under "Sound, video and game controllers" is "Legacy Audio Drivers." When I right click on that it says (top line) Update driver, (middle line) scan for hardware changes and (third line) Properties. I didn't go further than that.

Thanks again.

 

Oops, sorry. I did click Properties, and it said this device is working properly. And it asked me if I wanted to Troubleshoot. At that point I got cold feet (as if I hadn't had them from the get-go).

What is a "legacy" audio device, anyway? Is that what I should have?

Thanks again for your guidance.

 

Legacy refers to an older driver used as default for older hardware.

I would suggest that you visit http://majorgeeks.com/SlimDrivers_d6737.html

There is a tutorial there and a download link for SlimDrivers. I would make sure that I have the latest audio driver, reboot and see what the audio is doing then...

 

OK, thanks. I will get to that a bit later this afternoon and I'll report back.

 

Well, I just got back home and I downloaded SlimDrivers and ran the scan. Under Audio drivers it said I should update with SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio.

So I went ahead with the download and installation of some program whose name I can't remember. I did get a warning notice from Windows to the effect that this program had not passed a Windows security check, but I figured they say that all the time, so I continued with the installation -- and Bingo! ended up with BSOD.

Does that mean that the program really was a risk??

Anyway, I realize now I should have written down the specifics on the BSOD, but I didn't. Sorry.

I was kind of flying blind throughout because I couldn't hear the narration on the video tutorial, but I have a feeling I was proceeding the way I was supposed to.

Cipher, do you have any insight into what happened and why? Thanks again.

Hope.

 

The BSOD, is it gone? You're posting from the machine in question?
You can go into the device manager and rollback the driver.

I don't know the make/model of your machine, but some manufacturers have a scan on their website to find the proper drivers.

You've checked the speaker connections? Volume controls?

 

Cipher: Yes, the BSOD is gone. It said something about appearing in order to prevent damage to the machine. It said that if I hadn't seen such a screen before (and it's been months), to just turn the machine off and then on again.

So yes, I'm working from the same machine. It's a Dell Dimension 8110.

Re going in to the device manager and "rolling back" the driver, I'm afraid my computer savvy is so rudimentary that I don't know what you mean by rolling it back.

Now, here's one thing I did find: In the Control Panel there's one section called "Sounds and Audio Devices." If I open that up, at the top of the very first panel (for Volume), it says, "No Audio Device." Could this be related to the problem?

Re the speaker connections and volume controls: I'm afraid I don't know where those are. But I am 98 percent certain that this happened because I checked too many boxes with Revo Uninstaller.

So do you think Dell has something on its web site that I can use?

Thanks again.

HOpe

Ahhh, PS: What do you think was the reason for the BSOD? Do you think the download from SlimDrivers really was a risk??

 

HopeAbandoned...is that a B (as in boy) 110 instead of an 8110. Here is a thread that was resolved for what it's worth:

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f10/solved-dell-dimension-8110-xp-restoration-461022.html

 

Hi, can you give the service tag number from the sticker on the PC? It should be about 6 digits. The reason I ask is that I don't see an 8110 on Dell's site and although I see a few references to it on google, I'm wondering if it really is a B110.

I hope cipher will lead on this as I am not very good with drivers but I just want to make sure we are dealing with the correct model number.

As far as slimdrivers, I have never had a problem with their suggestions. They want you to upgrade to the paid version but, other than only being able to download one driver at a time with the free version, the software is fine. Dell's from that time period usually do use SoundMax. Maybe the blue screen was a fluke?

 

Another little discovery: My husband is away, but I opened up "Sounds and Audio Devices" on his computer, which is the same make and model as mine, and where my computer says I have no audio device, his specifies: SoundMAX Digital Audio.

So the only difference between what I probably had and what I was downloading through SlimDrivers was that the latter was called "Integrated" Digital Audio. I don't know why it should have been so incompatible.

Hope

 

Interestingly, If it is a B110, I noticed that the recommended driver is from 2005 while at one time they had a driver from 2007. So they may have discovered that there were problems with the latest driver and reverted back to recommending the 2005 version. It is soundmax by the way.

 

AtlBo: Thanks for the suggestion. I guess you're right: It must be a B (as in boy) 110.

And it looks like the "resolution" they came to on that other thread was to:

Download and install the audio driver from here

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...emID=DIM_CEL_1100&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

I guess maybe I might try that. Cipher, you think?

 

This is the driver for the B110: http://www.dell.com/support/drivers...0?driverId=MV02H&osCode=WW1&fileId=2731091828

I don't see any harm in trying to install it but you can wait for cipher to answer.

 

Sach, thanks for your help. The service tag number is 379HP91. There's also an express service code, 6969552661. And yes, I did see references to an "8110" on Google but there's a Wikipedia entry for Dell Dimension that gives all the model numbers, and "110" shows up only in the B series. So I guess it is B (as in boy) 110.

I really wish I had copied down more of what the blue screen said. I was just too anxious to get away from it, I'm afraid.

Hope

 

I put in your service tag and there was no audio driver listed??? I'd go to the one I linked to or get it from the all models and B110 page. I had a couple of Dell's similar specs and the soundmax driver always got audio working. The newest driver isn't really important for onboard audio. I'd give it a quick try and see what happens. (I'm still unsure how a Java removal would effect audio but ruling out a driver couldn't hurt.)

 

Sach, I would imagine that the audio device I should be using is the one I mentioned above as finding in my husband's machine, which is exactly the same as mine; namely, SoundMAX Digital Audio. I'm definitely going to try the link you provided, which sounds like a very good bet. I think I'll wait a bit, though, until Cipher comes back in and looks over this exchange. Thanks again.

Hope

 

HopeAbandoned:
Sach's advice about the soundmax driver is good, IMO, try it. Trying drivers can easily be undone.

Another fix may be the Microsoft Fixit, see number 2 at:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/...tab3&v2h=win7tab1&v3h=winvistatab1&v4h=winxpt

Short of this fixing it, system restore may be the fastest, best way to make this machine right again. Do you have a restore point before your adventure with Revo that you can restore to? If so. at this point that is what I would do.

 

Hi my friend , you have to check this

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c01427349

all programmes like SlimDrivers isn't good , the manufacturer driver is the right way , go to

Start - Run mmc devmgmt.msc - ok

is there any ? in there ? :wave

 

Thank you all. Cipher, I have to be out this morning and afternoon but I will try Sach's fix when I can.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, take a look at this latest wrinkle and please tell me whether I should change plans: Just on a whim I went into Device Manager again this morning and under "Sound, video and game controllers" I found SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio. It was not listed under "Legacy Audio Drivers" but on its own line.

The fact that it says "Integrated" makes me think that this is the program I downloaded yesterday that I thought was aborted when I got the BSOD. Should I go ahead to try to update it, or should I avoid it like the plague? The available choices when I right-click are (top lines) Update driver, Disable, or Uninstall, (middle line) Scan for hardware changes, (bottom line) Properties.

I know this is a piece of cake for all of you, but for me it's like walking on thin ice. I am so thankful for your help.

Hope

 

Leave the driver as is for now. After trying sach's suggestion, read plodr's last two posts, see if you can dig up a CD for this computer...

 

You can download this

http://www.majorgeeks.com/CPU-Z_d425.html

to navigate to mainboard tab informing us about the model :wave

 

TA DAAAA!

Sach's suggestion did it! So easy! From tiptoeing on thin ice to striding on terra firma just with a couple of mouse clicks. Wonderful! Thank you all again!

I'm tempted, of course, to ask all kinds of questions, but I'm really just satisfied that this is working again. If anyone feels like answering the questions below, I'd appreciate it, but after this little miracle I won't press it. Anyway:

1. That SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio that's in my Device Manager now, the one I downloaded at the outset: Is this what's doing the work now? And if it isn't, should I get rid of that program?

2. What is the relationship between the sound, video and game controllers in the Device Manager and the audio programs in the Sounds and Audio Devices section of the Control Panel?

Meantime, I'll have to start reading up on things like device drivers. I'll manage it becase you've all lifted such a load from my shoulders.

Hope

 

Careful HA...wise man say: distance from mountain top to valley one step...

/\.

:-D

 

Thanks, plodr. I will try that.

Don't I know it, AtlBo. I take your point.

Hope

 

Uh-oh. I didn't realize how true this wise man's words would be. I've lost the audio again. Just noticed it a minute ago. The Sounds and Audio Devices section of the Control Panel shows the SoundMAX Digital Audio, and the Sound, video and audio controllers in the Device Manager looks the same as before. So I don't know what's going on.

But I can't deal with it right now, so I'll just bid everyone good night.

Hope

 

I know someone suggested this priorly...

Could rolling back the driver be the answer? Sorry if it's been tried...

 

Thanks for that reminder, AtlBo. I found a pretty good guide to rolling back the driver and followed its instructions, but when I get to the end of the rainbow it says, "No driver files have been backed up for this device."

Now, since this device is called SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio, I believe it's the one I downloaded at the outset of this thread. So maybe it's no wonder it hasn't been backed up; it's new.

My original device -- the one that's listed in my husband's computer and that now shows up in the Sounds and Audio Devices section of my Control Panel since I restored it yesterday -- is just plain SoundMAX Digital Audio.

Now, back at the Device Manager, I looked under Legacy Audio Drivers, which Cipher and I discussed at the beginning of this thread. Under Properties, it doesn't have any provision for rolling it back. It says it's working properly. Under Details, it says ROOT\MEDIA\MS_MMDRV.

Interestingly, when I right click on Legacy Audio Drivers, on the top line it says "Update Driver" and it takes me to a Windows "wizard" that will look through my computer and through the hardware installation CD and the Windows Update Web site. I didn't pursue this to the end.

My husband says Dell never issued a backup CD when it sold these computers. I believe a friend of his gave us an XP backup CD that may have the hardware installation files on it, but I'll have to search through Husband's
files (he's in the hospital) to find that.

Several people have suggested going back to the original installation CD, so if I can find that CD and if it has audio files on it, maybe that would work.

Thanks again to all. What a business!

Hope

 

HopeAbandoned:

I used the service tag you provided, but as previously mentioned (plodr?), there is no sound driver listed. Here are a couple of links. The first one is all the drivers:

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/ServiceTag/379HP91

This second one is for a Dell support program that Dell claims is used to make patches. Could this possibly be how Dell fixed this problem? It is the Dell "System Utilities" "Dell-Utility" in the drivers list:

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers...0?driverId=JN51D&osCode=WW1&fileId=2731093572

Do you have a way of accessing your other PC, the one with the Digital Audio driver? If you can, you can open Device Manager, select the "SoundMAX Digital Audio" driver in the "Sound, video, and game controller" expansion tab. Double left click on it and retrieve the version of the software from the driver tab.

I am assuming these are identical PCs, but without a version number for a Google search, it's difficult to narrow the results enough. I was using this, and it was the best I could do...

"Dell Dimension 8110 driver SoundMAX Digital Audio -integrated"

Without the -integrated, only reference to the newer driver appeared in searches. With it, references to PCs like yours for sale showed up and the Dell service link.

Don't know why Dell just packed up their bags on the audio for your PC. Just hope you can get it ironed out. By the way, the first driver in Dell's list for your PC is support if you don't have the Dell support Application already. You have a legitimate concern over this, even if it is out of warranty...

 

Thanks, AtlBo. I'll be out most the of the afternoon but I'll explore these possibilties when I get back. Actually, the first thing I want to do is see if I can find that XP backup CD in my husband's files. I'll report back later. Thanks again.

Hope

 

Just a thought: Is your date and time correct on this computer?

 

Hi again. Sorry for the long break. There were some really pressing off-line issues that took up a great deal of time.

I said before I left here that I wanted to find whatever backup discs my husband had in his files. Well, I think I found what he has, but I don't think it will do any good.

First up is a disc with the Dell logo, a reinstallation disc for Windows XP SP2 (I have SP3). This must be the disc my husband got from a friend. Unfortunately, it says, "This CD is not for reinstallation of programs or drivers." So that's that.

Then there's a Windows XP copy of SP3, which won't help. Then there's a CD marked "Dell Laptop Drivers." That won't help either.

So the "reinstallation" idea is not an option, I'm afraid.

Yes, Cipher, date and time are correct.

I guess what I'll have to do now is go back and refresh my memory of the various suggestions on this thread and try each one. I'm sure I'll return with more questions. My thanks, again, to everyone who has helped.

Hope

 

HA...not so fast. You can still run an XP repair from that disk . A repair leaves your programs and files in place and does a work over on Windows. The only thing lost are updates, but those are easily enough restored.

Only thing is the disk has to be the same version of XP you are running. For example, if you are running XP Pro, the disk must be XP Pro and not Home.

Don't know if it will work, but an XP repair might do the job for you. True it will not repair your drivers, though.

Anyway, one question I have. Are the models of the two PCs the same (the affected PC and the one with the plain old SoundMAX Digital Audio driver)? If so, you could get the version of that driver and post it.

Now that I think about it, I don't think a Windows repair will resolve your problem. Even if you reformat and reinstall Windows (would lose your programs and files that aren't backed up), you would still have to find the right driver for the audio for the audio to work (assuming the driver is the problem). Seems likely the driver could be the problem.

The repair option would cost you only updates, so maybe it's worth a try if all else fails and you can't find this driver.

 

My apologies again for these interruptions. I have a sick cat and a husband in the hospital (or maybe I should reverse that order of precedence?:-D) and they both take a lot of time.

(Incidentally, my husband is an electronics-style techie but I guess that doesn't come close to being computer savvy. I had him look in on this thread from his laptop in the hospital because I thought he could help, given the fact that his home desktop and mine are identical, with the same audio setup and drivers, etc., but he told me he really couldn't understand that much of the conversation. That's helpful in an odd way, because it means I'm not such a dimbulb after all.)

Anyway, to pick up the thread again...

Thanks, plodr. I would rather keep plugging away at some internal fix before I try an external sound card. And yes, I get no sound with a headset.

Here's something I found that might help: A page dedicated to SoundMax drivers and downloads for them:
http://www.driverupdate.net/articles/soundmax-drivers

Unfortunately, the point of this "Driver Update" service is to get you to pay about $30.00 for a bunch of drivers. It asks you to scan your system for the drivers you need, and then it offers to reinstall them all automatically.

When I scanned my system, it found 15 drivers that supposedly needed updating, like an Intel network connection, an Intel PCI Bridge, etc., etc. most of which I don't even understand what they are. Anyway, one of those was SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio (whereas I and my husband both have just plain SoundMax Digital Audio).

So I could go ahead and "register" and just push a button and have all these updated automatically. But I'm not sure I need all that other stuff.

But they also offer a guide to updating individual drivers "manually," which would let me take care of the Digital Audio driver (or the Integrated Digital Audio driver alone), presumably for free.

http://www.driverupdate.net/articles/soundmax-drivers-manual

What scares me is that they say you have to be really careful in doing this because you could really wreck things. I'm sure that's to reinforce the incentive to pay money for the automatic service, but I am a little concerned that I could damage the system.

For instance, one of the things this "manual" update asks you to do is uninstall what I have in the Device Driver already, and I'm not sure whether that's a good move.

I wonder if (supposing there's still anyone there who hasn't run out of patience with me) someone could look through that site and its instructions, and give me some idea of whether it's worth while trying.

Thank you all again for your forebearance.

Hope

 

If you the PCs are identical, you know for certain the driver on your husband's machine is the same one you need. If you could get the version number, that might help with a Google search for it. On your husband's identical PC, Open Control Panel->Sound, video and game controllers->right click the SoundMax Digital Audio->select Properties->Drivers (tab). The version number of the driver should be there.

Then just Google SoundMax Digital Audio {version number here}

Maybe narrowing the search on Google will help...

 

OK, AtlBo.I'm here at his machine and I've found the driver version. It's SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio (funny, the Integrated does show up here) version 5.12.1.7000. I've found a web site that specifies that version:
http://www.drivermax.com/driver/update/MEDIA/Analog-Devices,-Inc./SoundMAX-Integrated-Digital-Audio

So I guess I just click the name of the driver and let's see what happens, right? (Well, I mean I would sign off his machine and go to mine and do the rest.)

Thanks again.

 

Well, here I am at my own machine. I've clicked on that web site I mentioned above. But it doesn't take me to that specific driver version. It asks me to "download Driver Max and update your drivers." Then it sends me to cnet.com to download this Driver Max program.

OK, I've downloaded Driver Max. The agreement fine print says that in return for my hooking up with Driver Max, copies of all my drivers will be uploaded to the Driver Max web site.

Is this something I should do? I'm going to hold off on further action right now. Maybe I can get a reading from people here who know whether this is a common thing to do.

Thanks again.

Hope

 

Hope abandoned...

Sorry, I meant on the machine that the sound is working on...can you log on that machine and get the driver version from the good driver?

Maybe I misunderstood. I thought on the machine with the working audio, the driver in "Sound, video and game controllers" says it's SoundMax Digital Audio...the driver you used to have. Is all this correct?

If so, you could follow the instructions I posted before on how to find the version number. It should be different than the one on the machine with the broken audio...

 

AtlBo, thanks for sticking with this. The machine that the sound is working on is my husband's machine. That's the one I logged in to before and came up with the driver version as follows: SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio version 5.12.1.7000.

I just checked on my own machine here, the one without the sound, and the driver and version are the same: SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio version 5.12.1.7000.

I may have brought about this confusion because all along I thought the driver, or device, or whatever, was just plain SoundMax Digital Audio. It wasn't until I looked into the Device Driver specifics on husband's machine that I saw that his driver is indeed SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio.

Now, you say that the versions should be different. But if they're identical machines, I don't know why they should be different. Am I not understanding something?

Thank you.
Hope

 

Just to make sure...this started around the time you updated the driver? Is that correct...see next...

OK...

1. so in the Device Manager of your husband's PC (the main part of Device Manager) there in the "Sound, video and gaming controllers", it says it's the "SoundMax Digital Audio" driver, then when you right click the driver->Properties->Driver (tab) it's called SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio version 5.12.1.7000 (just like on your machine with broken audio). Am I on the right track so far? :confused

2. The "SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio" shows up in both places ("Sound, video and game controllers" AND...right click the driver in Device Manager->Properties->Driver (tab)) of the PC with the broken audio (yours ) Is this also correct?

If these are both correct, I can't think of a single thing to do but call the manufacturer (Dell?). It would be ghastly to try to explain it to them, but you deserve free assistance from them on this.

I guess the best way to think of it is that you're trying to figure out how to roll back to a driver that seems to exist only on your husband's machine (LOL).

Honestly, I think they botched both the driver on your husband's PC with sound (botched the name of the driver in the Driver tab) and on your PC without audio (the entire driver was apparently botched)...

Google just does not turn up a driver by the name "SoundMax Digital Audio" tag. This search:

Download SoundMax Digital Audio 5.12.1.7000 -Integrated

would have found it. There are some questions mentioning it on various boards...you may do well to try that search and see if you can find a link to the older driver in one of those threads. Don't forget to include the "-Integrated" part. That eliminates the one you already have...

Hope I have it right. If not perhaps one of the others will step in...:-o

 

This may have been mentioned but, have you went to Windows Update and let it scan on Custom ?? If not, your driver maybe there.

 

Oh, dear. This has indeed become very complicated.

No, at the outset I was not trying to update a driver. I didn't even know what a driver was at the beginning of this problem. I lost the audio after I used Revo Uninstaller to try to get rid of some Java, and I concluded (perhaps wrongly) that I had asked Revo to clear out too much, and that it had eliminated some audio files. Here's my first query:

At least one person questioned my conclusion, saying s/he doubted that files concerned with Java would impinge on audio files. So maybe it was something else that cause the audio loss. But it had nothing to do with trying to update a driver.

Yes, I did make one attempt at something, which I guess amounted to updating, but something went wrong and I ended up with a BSOD. Then on a second try I was successful but lost the audio again soon after that. (I think you'll remember that because you were the person who mentioned what a wise man said about the mountain and the valley.)

Now I'll go to your numbered points but first I'll try to clear up something about the terms "SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio" and just plain "SoundMax Digital Audio."

The first one, the "integrated" one, is the term used in the various tabs of the Device Driver in both my machine and my husband's machine. In both of them, the progression goes Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers > SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio > Driver > SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio version 5.12.1.7000.

The second one, the "SoundMAX Digital Audio," is the term used in the Control Panel category "Sounds & Audio Devices." The Control Panel icon for this is a round gray speaker. Every tab in this category (Volume, Sounds, Audio, Voice, Hardware) specifies simply SoundMAX Digital Audio. It is the same on both my machine and my husband's.

I think I created some misunderstanding at the outset because I assumed that SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio was some sort of interloper that I had downloaded by mistake early on in this adventure. But that was before I saw that the Device Driver on my husband's machine also had the SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio.

I kept asking here in this thread what the difference was between the "integrated" digital audio in the System > Device Driver category and the just plain digital audio in the Sounds & Audio Devices category, but no one picked up on that.

To make things more complicated, when I first went into the Sounds & Audio Devices category, it said "No audio device." I had to go to my husband's machine to find out that it should say "SoundMAX Digital Audio."

As I look at this reply, I can see it's terribly convoluted, and I haven't even gotten yet to your numbered questions. I'm going to give it a rest at this point and take it up again tomorrow.

Thanks again.
Hope

 

HopeAbandoned...I think you cleared it up for me. Summing it all up that way helped, thanks. No need to go over the numbered points. I got lost thinking you had upgraded the driver and that the new one didn't work.

So now this really is a strange situation. You have the correct driver...you have reinstalled it. You got sound back for a short time and then it left again.

OK, I had a problem with a similar one of these uninstallers. I reinstalled Flash and Shockwave and I recovered a number of actibve X components. You may try Downloading the latest Flash and Shockwave and see if that helps. I was having trouble with video, but idk, maybe Flash could be corrupted and messing with things in a strange way.

One question...do you recall what the Java you removed was? Maybe you could reinstall it and see if that restores your sound. Maybe your sound was somehow dependent on that program or update of Java or whatever...

The cleaners can cause these kinds of problems. The logic used for the cleaning process with them doesn't take into account system dependencies...how one bit of programming depends on another...

 

Thank you, both AtlBo and plodr. AtlBo, you summed up the situation precisely:

I'll be occupied off-line for the next several hours but when I get back I have a few questions I'd like to pose. Thanks again for your continued interest.

Hope