No Sound Card? Help please..

Bought a cheap PC off ebay - had problems with it - it's been back and forth to the provider 3 times. I'm sure it's the same unit now as the one I got at the start and that had a sound card that worked. I've just set this up again from scratch (installed Windows XP - nothing present on HD etc) and it has no sound, save for the system "bleeps". I checked the device manager and it shows audio codecs etc that appear to be "working". But there's a multimedia audio controller that has the yellow ? next to it (along with 2 video controllers and an ethernet controller with the yellow ?).

AND Under Control Panel > Sounds it shows "no audio device".

If there's no audio device, I need to ask the provider why. I really don't want to send it back again though so I need to be sure if there is or there isn't a device and then decide if I want to just sort it out myself...

I've run the Belarc Advisor and get a lot of info about the PC..I can post some if needed...

Any help?

 

Greetings, glofut, and welcome to MajorGeeks.

Looks like a case of missing drivers - if you zip the Belarc report and attach it to your next post we may be able to point you to the proper downloads. We're specifically looking for make and model numbers for audio, video, ethernet and chipset.

A quick visual inspection should let you know if there are PCI cards installed (many discrete audio and networking cards are PCI), whether you have a discrete video card or onboard graphics, etc.

 

Cheers - zipped report is attached (let me know if this isn't viewable).

Thanks (and ps I know there are tons of updates needed - in the process of doing this).

 

Usually, the best way to get drivers for a Dell computer is to go to the Dell Support site and enter the Service Tag Number. I went there and entered the Service Tag Number as stated by the Belarc Advisor report and got this message:

"We were unable to determine the product model for the Service Tag or Express Service Code you have entered. Please verify your entry or choose a product category below." :confused

Is there a Service Tag listed on a sticker on the computer that's different than the one Belarc Advisor reports? It's possible that the computer you got from ebay is a refurbished one with a different mother board/system board than was originally in the computer.

I've got a Dell Precision M70 mobile workstation (AKA Latitude D810) that I had to replace the system board on because all of the USB ports on the original were malfunctioning. Of course, the replacement system board had a different Service Tag and when I entered it at the Dell Support site, I couldn't find anything on that new Service Tag. Because of that, I had to find a Dell BIOS Reset .ISO (which is only for Dell mobile computers — I, at present, don't know if there's one for Dell desktops) burn it to CD, run it and change the Service Tag of the replacement board to make sure all of the drivers and utilities would work on my computer. Also, Dells are persnickety when it comes to the order in which drivers are installed. If they aren't installed in a certain order, the devices/your computer may not work properly.

 

Thanks very much.

The details on the sticker on the case are the same as the service tag on the report : 9V4FL1J

The PC is refurbished, yes..

Thanks for the tip re: Dell site...I'm just downloading the hardware diagnostic tool...at some point, I'll try to get all of the drivers downloaded in the correct order.

 

I tried to use the Dell diagnostic tools but it won't run. I tried to have the site detect my Service Tag but it couldn't.

So I can't work out what to download (even Windows Updates won't update automatically) and I'm completely stuck.

Will I have to try to change the service tag details? Or is there another way to fix this sound issue (and probably other issues I haven't discovered yet)?

 

Isn't the service tag on the BIOS as well?

 

Just tried to obtain BIOS info using command but that won't work either.

Have had to take off explorer 8, put 6 back on and trying to get all windows updates...can't get auto updates to work...

"My Dell" diagnostic tool wouldn't work so I've removed that too (was causing PC to shut down).

Had a look at a BIOS re-writing tool at this place...

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/th...Lock-Changing-Service-Asset-Tag-Software-Here

...but not sure what I'm doing with that so will leave it for now until I do (if ever).

Just putting service pack 3 back on after removing to get rid of explorer8...(it wouldn't work).

This is a bit of a nightmare trying to set this PC up to function properly...any clues anybody? :cry

 

PS I have sent two responses to two people on this thread that haven't made it past the moderator ... a bit frustrating as there was quite a bit of info.updates re: where I was up to...although in summary, no sound still, PC wont run any updating, Dell tools wont work on PC, (now have explorer 6), tried to read BIOS with a tool but that wouldnt work...nothing works!

Stuck.

 

I found the download page for Optiplex GX280 drivers. But, the thing is, there's 85 files available there! Most of them wouldn't be for your particular computer.

As puppywunder58 asked, yes the Service Tag comes up in the BIOS Setup screen. Restart the computer. During the POST screen that comes up ( Dell logo, bar that moves across screen ) press F2 as soon as it comes up on the right top of the screen to enter BIOS Setup. The alpha-numeric information in the top of the right panel is your service tag. But Belarc Advisor reads this information automatically — that's why I asked if there was a sticker ( on the back or side of the computer ) with a different Service Tag number on it. Also, when you enter the service Tag at the Dell site, ALL letters entered must be capitals — NO LOWER CASE LETTERS.

As far as Windows updates — invariably the first update that's downloaded and installed is a permanent copy of the Package Installer (KB898461) which is needed for the ensuing updates to install properly. I've attached it in .ZIP form to this thread in post #4. Download the file and install it after you've installed your drivers.

 

As I stated in a previous post, Dells are persnickety about the order in which drivers are installed. This page lists the correct driver installation order.

 

I found a couple of other issues in the Belarc report. You're running SP 2 which needs to be updated to SP 3. SP 2 is no longer supported and there are no updates for it. You're running AVG which needs to be disabled for the Windows updates to install.

I've got to break for lunch so I'll be back later.

 

Cheers ... thanks ... just installing SP3 so haven't had chance to try the F2 BIOS step yet.

Interesting to see AVG causes a problem...I'll remove it and go from there.

Thanks for the device order page...

 

Sorry and thanks for the tip. Its a terrible habit I've developed due to a near as damn it impossible to use Samsung S2 keyboard for texting.

Will now break that habit

Re: BIOS and F2 - have done this and the service tag reads exactly as the report states and as the label on the casing states. I definitely used CAPS for inputting these to dell.

Apart from all the SP3 (done) and update work I have done and need to do am I correct to think that - if all of that fails to obtain the drivers and updates (I note the post below that has all Dell drivers and thanks) - I am going to have to use the BIOS tag service code tool that I mentioned earlier and rewrite it?

(And thanks for all the tips and advice and moderating. I'm genuinely grateful here)

 

Warranted there are 85 files, but there is only 1 file under "Audio".

Have you tried that driver?


http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/Product/optiplex-gx280

 

I thought the issue might be with order of installing as mentioned earlier, but I'm just installing a couple of other updates and then I'll try it.

 

You have a "numbers matching" system. There's nothing to re-write. What I don't understand is why your Service Tag doesn't register at either the US OR EURO/UK support sites. :confused

One caveat about Belarc Advisor and another popular program used here — Speccy — they both publish your Product Keys in their reports. You should delete those Product Keys/Serial Numbers before posting to prevent an unscrupulous person from using them.

 

Still install the drivers in the order specified by Dell. You want ALL of the devices to work properly.

Also, you're running Rev. A03 of the BIOS. Run the BIOS flash to bring it up to Rev. A08.

 

This is exactly the software I used to reset the Service Tag on my Dell Precision M70. But you don't need to use it because your current Service Tag is the correct one.

 

GOOD NEWS!

I tried to download the audio driver from Dell - it wouldn't download. I tried Seatools for Windows and that wouldn't work with the PC.

Then yesterday, when shutting down, I noticed it wanted to download 156 updates! I've no idea why they suddenly were "beckoned" but once they were downloaded, Seatools worked, Fixit from Windows worked and things became a bit clearer.

Then I used a different link for the audio file: http://drivers.softpedia.com/progDownload/Dell-Optiplex-GX280-Audio-Driver-Download-40763.html

...and it worked!

Now I just need to figure out how I got the PC to do all of the updates when before it wouldn't.

THANKS everyone.

 

Good job, glofut. Glad you're getting things sorted and thanks for the feedback.