Volume control has vanished

My volume control has disappeared again.

I can usually find it, but not this time.

I lost IE and installed it again yesterday.
I have sound but no volume control.

In control panel when I click on sounds, and try to click to add volume control icon in my task bar, I get the following error:


"Windows cannot display the volume control on the taskbar because the Volume Control program has not been installed. To install it, use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel"

I have Windows XP Home.

My pc is Dell and did not come with a Windows XP CD.

I have lost the vol. control many times before but could always find it.

Can anyone help me please?

Thanks.

 

Check the system32 folder (default location for WinXP is C:\Windows\System32\...) and look for sndvol32.exe It should be 135k in size. If it's not there, I can probably zip it and attach here for you. If it's there, then something else is going on that maybe reloading your sound driver will fix.

 

I did not find *sndvol32.exe*.

Little things just seem to keep disappearing from my pc.

Anyway, yes please zip and attach it here and if you don't mind
please tell me step by step how to unzip and install because I'm
not a geek

Thank you so much for your help.

 

Attached is the file sndvol32.exe in a zipped folder. Download the attachment to your desktop or another place where you can easily find it. When the download finishes (should take no more than 5 or 10 seconds MAXIMUM) double click on the folder called volume to extract it using the WinXP built-in file unzipper. If you're using a 3rd party program like WinZip or WinRar, that will work fine. Open the now unzipped 'volume' folder and minimize it. Browse to the system32 folder. Restore the 'volume' folder, right click on the sndvol32.exe file and select 'copy'. Now mouse over to the the system32 folder, right click on it and select 'paste'. That's it. Close all your open windows and go to sound settings in the control panel to add the volume control...
Good luck, I hope it works!

BTW- reinstalling your sound driver at some point might be a good idea too....

 

I am really dense. Can you please explain further what your directions (printed in red) mean exactly?

Thanks

 

Sad to say I must have a different "Dell" pc because I followed your directions and there's no such feature in the menu. Not by default anyway.

I've also taken your advice to read the guides. Nothing there either.

I'm a little computer savvy and know how to look for things, so now I don't know what to do.

Thanks anyway.

 

Have you tried dlb's suggestion with the .zip file he supplied? It's in post #5.

 

This worked like a breeze. Thank you sooo much!! :wave

 

HI EVERYONE...
PLEASE HELP!!! MY VOLUME CONTROL HAD VANISHED, AND WHEN I GO TO THAT FILE (SNDVOL32) AND CLICK ON IT I GET THIS MESSAGE..."THERE ARE NO ACTIVE MIXER DEVICES, GO TO CONTROL PANEL, CLICK PRINTERS AND OTHER HARDWARE, AND THEN CLICK ADD HARDWARE"
AND WHEN I GO TO CONTROL PANEL AND CLICK ON THAT IT DOES NOTHING, IT DOESNT EVEN OPEN. AND IN MY DEVICE MANAGER, THERE IS NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, JUST A WHITE BOX. AND IN THE "SOUNDS AND AUDIO DEVICE" FILE IN THE CONTROL PANEL THE TAB FOR THE VOLUME IN THAT TAB ITS ALL GREYED OUT YOU I CANT DO ANYTHING IN THERE AND ALSO IN THAT TAB IT HAS THE SPEAKER ICON AND NEXT TO IT IT SAYS "NO AUDIO DEVICE" PLEASE HELP, I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEA, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP...THANKS SO MUCH, JAMIE:cry

 

Jamie,
I'm not for sure but I think you posted your question in the reply section of a question I had posted a couple of months ago....in other words, posted in the wrong place. I don't think anyone will see it here and reply right away. Try posting your question under New Posts in the above tab.

 

HI EVERYONE...
PLEASE HELP!!! MY VOLUME CONTROL HAD VANISHED, AND WHEN I GO TO THAT FILE (SNDVOL32) AND CLICK ON IT I GET THIS MESSAGE..."THERE ARE NO ACTIVE MIXER DEVICES, GO TO CONTROL PANEL, CLICK PRINTERS AND OTHER HARDWARE, AND THEN CLICK ADD HARDWARE"
AND WHEN I GO TO CONTROL PANEL AND CLICK ON THAT IT DOES NOTHING, IT DOESNT EVEN OPEN. AND IN MY DEVICE MANAGER, THERE IS NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, JUST A WHITE BOX. AND IN THE "SOUNDS AND AUDIO DEVICE" FILE IN THE CONTROL PANEL THE TAB FOR THE VOLUME IN THAT TAB ITS ALL GREYED OUT YOU I CANT DO ANYTHING IN THERE AND ALSO IN THAT TAB IT HAS THE SPEAKER ICON AND NEXT TO IT IT SAYS "NO AUDIO DEVICE" PLEASE HELP, I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEA, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP...THANKS SO MUCH, JAMIE
Reply With Quote

 

thanks so much for letting me know this, i cant figure out how to post a new message??

 

You're welcome, and yes I find it very hard to navigate around in here to find where you need to be, but try this link and it will take you right where you need to post your thread....I think
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=22

 

:cool Your the best Thank You!