# Sound Card Suddenly Stopped Working in XP



## ScottyM77

Hi,
My sound card was working 2 days ago - i haven't installed any service packs or software in that time - it appears to have stopped working for no reason. The volume is not muted or low. there are no device conflicts, xp reports that it is working properly - i've uninstalled the card and reinstalled it and all its drivers without any joy.

Any ideas on what the problem may me - the sound card is an on board realtek AC97 via on a MSI board.

Thanks


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## nagu

*prob...*

prob could be due to some loose connection to ur spkr. try with a headphone and see whether its working or not.
nagu


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## ScottyM77

already tried headphones and hooking it up to a tv as well


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## Smeghead

Try uninstalling your soundcard drivers and reinstalling them.


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## nagu

r the winamp or some thing atleast playing(i mean without sound)


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## ScottyM77

i can play the files in windows media player/real player etc but no sound - no errors or anything.

i've already reinstalled the drivers without any joy as mentioned in the original post


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## Smeghead

Try this.

Uninstall your soundcard drivers.
Shut your machine down and remove your soundcard.
Restart your machine without the soundcard.
Shutdown and reinstall your soundcard in a different slot.

Let me know how you get on.

Smeg


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## jjong

*also no sounds whatsoever*



Smeghead said:


> Try this.
> 
> Uninstall your soundcard drivers.
> Shut your machine down and remove your soundcard.
> Restart your machine without the soundcard.
> Shutdown and reinstall your soundcard in a different slot.
> 
> Let me know how you get on.
> 
> Smeg


Smeghead, I have this ongoing problem sim. to the one you are helping on. Do you think you could help? I tried what you suggested above too, but no resolution. My original problem below:

No Sounds After Getting Desktop OEM “Help”!

Hello, hoping someone could help me on this major sound ssue.

Running Windows XP on an old Compaq Presario 5000a. Using Soundblaster Audigy MP3+ for about a year and recently updated drivers. Sound was working before I called Compaq/HP on a memory issue. They had me run Spybot, Adaware, disk cleanup, and defrag. After working with them I’ve found there are no system sounds at all. No sounds from cds or dvds, although I get video. I have a cd drive (TDK Velocd) and dvd drive (Dynex) that don’t automatically recognize formats anymore. Connections were not changed from before their assistance. Their conclusion after I called back and told them of my new experience: Use Quick Restore cds, (which I am cautious of doing if there are other solutions that I might not have tried yet. Perhaps something with the BIOS settings). Not sure if I might need some Windows XP driver in addition to the updated Soundblaster ones I've installed.

What I did so far:
Checked all volume levels
Checked all connections
Checked for system sounds
Checked correct device selected for audio playback (Audigy)
Checked devices and Sound, Video and Game Controllers in Device Manager (states all is running well)
Uninstalled and restarted reinstalled all drivers
Unplugged interior/ exterior connections with soundcard and cd and dvd drives, reconnected, started up again.
System Restore to point before getting Compaq “help”


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## Diby Din

*No sound at all!!*

Hi!

M new here n am having the same problem with my work PC.

I was listening 2 my music over the earfones when it suddenly went silent.
I re-installed my sound card but stil no solution, the music in media player and winamp seems to be playing but ther's just no sound at all.

All the volumes are maximum.
Please help!!!!!!!
:smile:


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## ambervesel

*Temporary Fix*

Hi

I actually experienced the same problem. A simple, but temporary solution (work until you restart then you have to do it all over again) is as follows.

Go to Audio devices, 
Click on Hard Drives
Click on your audio driver properties
Click uninstall
Go to Add Hardware
It will find the driver itself and you will be able to listen to music again.

Unfortunately, this is a temporary fix.


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## OmegaSage

I have the same exact problem and everything. I thought maybe my speakers were busted, so I didn't bother checking it out at first. I'm unable to hear sounds from any of the sources I've tried or anything. Not MP3s, or anyhtign on the web. Or at elast so I thought. It blew my mind when I stumbled on a site, and the midi file started playing over my speakers. I started checking everything then. No soudns whatsoever is playing except the one form that one website. None of the trouble-shooting stuff has helped at all. My computer is a HP with the default sounds system or whatever. Here's the one, and only, sound that actualy plays on my computer.

http://www.snopes.com/love/love.asp?music=on


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## accendo

*Sound Stop Working*



OmegaSage said:


> I have the same exact problem and everything. I thought maybe my speakers were busted, so I didn't bother checking it out at first. I'm unable to hear sounds from any of the sources I've tried or anything. Not MP3s, or anyhtign on the web. Or at elast so I thought. It blew my mind when I stumbled on a site, and the midi file started playing over my speakers. I started checking everything then. No soudns whatsoever is playing except the one form that one website. None of the trouble-shooting stuff has helped at all. My computer is a HP with the default sounds system or whatever. Here's the one, and only, sound that actualy plays on my computer.
> 
> http://www.snopes.com/love/love.asp?music=on


This is exactly what happened to me this week. and yes, when I went to that website, the sound started working again. What the heck is going on?


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## ssearcherr

*#uck Realtek!*

I'm starting to hate this sound card. :upset:
The 5.1 speakears configuration never worked. Nor the four speakers. And now this idiot problem. Pity it's onboard. Otherwise I would replace it.

Is there anybody reading that knows a good sound card for laptops (PCMCIA, Firewire, USB or some other type)?

Else, someone found an old version of the AC'97 driver to download (I don't - and I lost my old one) and installed an old instead of the new version 3.87 (launched this month) ? - my machine can't be rebooted now for proofing that.

Thanks!


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## Denver Dave

Same thing happened to me today. XP Compaq sound working fine, now new installations - just stopped. Neither headset nor speakers now work with different jacks. 

Just curious, in Sounds and Audio Devices Properties 0 Hardware - why is TSST corp CD/DVDW TS-H652L listed ? Is this an audio device?

I think I'm using the Realtek High Definition Audio

Set a restore point. I've rebooted several times. I guess I'm ready to uninstall the Realtek Driver - not sure what else to do. 

Suggestions?


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## shemerly

good evening sir.
i've asus motherboard type p4s800-mx with sound card builtin,i set up a new windows xp sp2 copy and the card was working.
directx was able to detect the driver.but when tried to configure it with its gonfiguration files i recieved a message " driver is not read" i opened directx again but it couldn't detect it.

what should i do??????


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## shemerly

please it is urgent to answer me quick


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## Denver Dave

I'm not sure that it was necessary, but I put in a new sound card and works fine now.

Dave


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## MidniteCarnival

Just want to bump this because I've got nearly the same problem and Realtek onboard and Compaq seem to be a common problem on this site.

What I've done:

Removed drivers and did hardware check for soundcard and let WinXP search updates for new ones.

Went to Realtek's site and downloaded updated drivers package and installed.

Changed orignally unsigned Realtek drivers to signed Realtek drivers.

Went to each driver and made sure all were turned on. 

Made sure all computer sound is using Realtek, even wave synth.

Tried setting speaker type to headphone and to monitor speakers (which I have)

Set sound from analogue only to digital and or analogue.

Someone diddling around my pc in the middle of the night got the sound card to work. Heard WinXP do de do do do starting and shutting down themes and heard a female with an asian accent speaking on my computer while I was in another room. For some reason she didn't leave the sound fixed after fixing it.

Can't remove sound card and reinstall because it's soddered to the motherboard.

Sound card uses both Legacy and Realtek drivers - not sure if this is normal?

The start up Realtek executable is not only in the Realtek folder in Programs but also in my Windows folder for some reason. Disabled one of the startups.

Not sure if video might be interfering but I have unecessary Nvidia and Intel video drivers that won't uninstall from add remove programs.

Had virus 'Toto' located in hidden hp\bin folder on C drive. As I understand, if Toto album is played on PC, it is meant to turn off sound but niether my partner or I are Toto fans. Toto has also been cleansed from system (I think).

Lite on Cd writer is a bit hokey a lot of times when it comes to reading discs and I have to keep reinserting them to get auto start to see them.

In device manager Lite on Cd Writer is linked to sound, game drivers somehow - maybe the ribbon connecting sound card to the drive?

On board 56k modem stopped working a couple years back. Fixed issue by using an open port to install a new one. Maybe sound card died with it? ....but heard sound the other night from the other room.

Anywho....hope this helps with the Realtek issues everyone has been having.


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## MidniteCarnival

Have also toggled onboard sound on and off from CMOS.


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## MidniteCarnival

Ok, chic's voice on PC in middle of night is avast! telling me that her scan is complete (thought avast! was a dude).

Somehow avast! is running some sort of sound file that is the only type of sound file that my computer will currently play.


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## Denver Dave

I ended up buying a new sound card, although I doubt that was really required.


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## MidniteCarnival

I got another sound card and still having the same issue. =L


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## TurtleBox

Hey if you guys have a video card. you guys might want to check what your audio device is defualted too. I just got a new graphics card, and it was fine, but i guess after a reboot of the computer. windows automatically set my video card on default, silencing all sounds.

Diagnose and repair sound playback problems automatically

that helped me from the officail microsoft site. hope it works.


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