Ottawa Fiero Club Forum

Is there anybody on here really good with computers and even better at teaching. I have a few problems going on and I'm not sure whats going on, looking for help, need someone to walk me through a few thinks.

Also would like to ask some advise on a few other issues when they have time.

P.S. I know a few things so your not really having to start from scratch, Thanks!

Can you be just a little more "vague" about it ;)
Sorry, this is my fovorite saying when giving support ot one of our technicians :-[

Please be a little more specific as to what kind of computer you are talking about. PC or Mac, what O/S, describe the problems you are having, are there error codes. Is it a problem with the computer itself, one of your peripheral or an application?

I have no sound besides when playing something on IMESH, no little tone when I log on, or no tone when I play video from peoples treads on here or anywhere else?

GSXRBOBBY,

Sound problems is often caused by a bad device driver or device conflicts.

1 - Ok this first step is quite basic but I have to include it, right click the volume control in the taskbar, select Open Volume Control.... this will open up the master volume window (looks just like a audio mixer). Make sure ALL volume bars are at their maximum and the the MUTE buttons DON`T have a check mark. If this doesn't work, go to the next step.

2 - Go in device manager and make sure that YOUR sound card is configured properly (Make sure there is no yellow exclamation mark preceding your sound card name. If there is an exclamation mark, go in the properties and select to view the resources, this is where you will see the offending device. Make sure to change the conflicting devices resources to different parameters). If this doesn't work, go to the next step.

3 - If there are no devices conflict, identify your audio card make and model and go download the latest drivers from the manufacturer`s web site... install the new driver and monitor the installation to write down any error messages that occur during the installation.

Sounds and audio devises under the control panel are on low and i can not click on it to change it, there is no speaker type icon in the bottom right corner if thats what you were talking about?

Yes that is exactly what I meant in the first step. Now from what you describe (grayed out and can't move it up), your audio driver is not working.

From what you are describing, you are using windows XP.

Was Step 2 of my previous message verified ? ? ? ? ? ?
There IS NO yellow exclamation mark !!!!!
(That is accessible from the control pannel, System Properties, Hardware tab, click on Device manager button and check the "Sound, video and game controllers" section)
You need to do this BEFORE doing anything else. If that step was OK, here are a few things you can look at:

1 - From the "sound and audio device property" window, in the Volume tab, in the Device volume section, click on "Place volume icon in the taskbar", you will now have a "speaker" icon in your taskbar tray (lower right section of your screen).

2 - In the same window, Just above the "device volume section" there is an icon of a speaker and text on it's right, that text is the type of audio card that you have installed in your PC (ex. VIA Audio,Sound blaster....).
****   are you SURE this is the the type of audio card installed in your PC     ****
****************    P.S. Did I mention MAKE SURE....      *******************
Again in the same window, click on the "Audio" tab. In the "Sound playback" section, the "Default device" scrool menu, ensure that your sound card is selected (same sound card device name as above).


Let me know how you are making out, if this doesn't workout, you will have to remove the driver and force a re-installation. I can walk you through this if you are not comfortable doing it on your own.

System Properties, do you mean sound, speech, and audio tab?

click the "Start" button (lower left of your screen), select "settings", then select "control panel", then double click the "system" icon, then select the "hardware" tab, click on the "device manager" button (in the device manager section of that window). This will bring you to the device manager screen (window). Inside that window, your sound card should appear in the "sound, video and game controller" section.

This is under the older XP right, I have the newer one, should I switch to the old way or set up?

There is no new or old XP, what you are probably refering to is "Clasic Start menu" and "clasic view" configuration which I was describing. Since you are obviously not using that "view", here is how to get to the device manager listing:

Click the "Start" button (lower left of your screen), then select "control panel" (make sure that you are in clasic view, if not , toggle the clasic view from the control panel pane in the top left of this window), then double click the "system" icon, then select the "hardware" tab, click on the "device manager" button (in the device manager section of that window). This will bring you to the device manager screen (window). Inside that window, your sound card should appear in the "sound, video and game controller" section. 
 
 If you are having trouble with the above procedure, do this instead:
From your dektop, right-click the "My computer" icon, then select "Properties" - this will open up the "system properties" window, then select the "hardware" tab, click on the "device manager" button (in the device manager section of that window). This will bring you to the device manager screen (window). Inside that window, your sound card should appear in the "sound, video and game controller" section.
 

I got there:
Under Sound, video, and game controllers it lists
1. Audio codecs
2. Legacy Audio drivers
3. Legacy video capure devices
4. Media control devices
5. Standard game port
6. Unimodem half-duplex audio devices
7. Via AC'97 audio controller (WDM)
8. video codecs

Any ideas, should I get rid of some of these?

Do not delete anything yet.

OK - item 7 (Via AC'97 audio controller (WDM)) is your sound card.

Since you did not mention anything, I take it that there is no yellow
icon with an exclamation mark to the left of the this item (or any
other items anywhere in device manager list).

I suspect that what you have in this system is an on-board audio card.
Go to the website of your MAINBOARD manufacturer (ex. Asus...) and
download the latest driver(s) for the Via AC97 audio controller.
Decompress the file if required.

Go in the add/remove program and check if there is an entry for your audio driver.
If there is one, remove it.
Next go back to device manager and delete (remove) the "Via AC'97 audio controller (WDM)"
and reboot your system.


When your PC reboots, it will find the "new hardware". Install the new driver.

Time is limited tonight I will try this tomorrow or this wekend, and again thanks alot I really mean that!!!!!!

no yellow icon was next to it, not really sure of the mainboard maker, I just had the computer built and asked them to make it fast. Is there a way I can look it up?

All mainboards are "stamped" with the manufacturer and model munber.

Open up your case and look for (usually large white lettering) "silk screen" type marking.

The other solution is to ask whoever custom built the system for you :)

You can also look at the CDs that where shipped with your system, with motherboards that are built with the VIA chipset (which is what you have) there is often a CD containning what is called "4-in-1 drivers". This is the complete "drivers" set for yoour motherboard, including sound card drivers.

Just a thought, did the sound ever work properly on this system? Whoever built this system must offer warranty...

I will get intouch with her and will let you know what happens from there.

Your confused, now I tried to play IMESH tonight and it has no sound?
I am about to just delete all the sound BS and start over, any ideas?

P.S. I ran AVG 6.0, Ad-ware 6.0 and configed all the files with nothing od found!!!????

Make shure that you are using the latest version of IMESH (ver 4.5) and Sound card drivers.

Start by removing IMESH, if there is a driver (/CODEC) incompatibility between IMESH and your sound card, your sound card should start working. If not, Remove all Drivers for your sound card, restart your PC and re-install your sound card's latest drivers. MAKE SHURE it works properly BEFORE you install IMESH. Once working, re-install IMESH and check that everything works.

If it stops working once you have installed IMES, you know there is an incompatibility problem.

One way to fix it, remove IMESH and your sound card drivers once more. You then go down to your local computer store and purchasse a Creative lab sound blaster live 5.1 OEM for about $40. You disable the "Via AC'97 audio controller" in the BIOS and install the Sound Blaster card inside your PC, once your PC is started it will automatically detect the new hardware and ask for the drivers, point it to it's appropriate drivers. Make shure that it works properly, then install IMESH.

I removed IMESH and still no sound.
I don't have any cash right now to spend, I just switched jobs. SO I am going to try to find something else out, but thanks!

I think I may just remove all these and down load a new Windows sound program like X9 or something like that.
1. Audio codecs
2. Legacy Audio drivers
3. Legacy video capure devices
4. Media control devices
5. Standard game port
6. Unimodem half-duplex audio devices
7. Via AC'97 audio controller (WDM)
8. video codecs

Only a few of them would uninstall, the rest would only let me search for updates so I did. I went to my shared music under documents and tried to play a song after restarting the PC and when I clicked on the song a little screen popped up and said:

Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be functioning properly.

It had a more info button and this is what it said:

0xC00D11BA: Cannot play the file
Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device, such as a sound card or sound controller. You may encounter this error message for one of the following reasons:

Your sound device is in use by another program. Quit other programs that may be using your sound device, and then try to play the file again.
Your sound device is not functioning properly. To troubleshoot the problem, see the Sound Troubleshooter in Windows Help or refer to your sound device's documentation.
You do not have a sound device installed on your computer. Install a sound device, and then try to play the file again.
Error ID = 0xC00D11BA, Condition ID = 0x00000000

Do NOT remove ALL those, the ONLY one you are concerned about is item 7, this is the ONE you need to remove.

Once you restart your PC, it will detect new hardware, that is when you get to install your new driver. Make sure that sound works at this point.

One thing I did not metion before. Once your sound is working, do your windows updates. With Internet explorer, go to http://www.windowsupdate.com and follow the prompts, if you have never done any updates, I hope you are on a high speed connection, otherwise you are in for treat ;)

I have DSL and I have been getting the updates.
I did what you said and it still No sound, I did the trouble shoot last night and nothing, I tried to look up the volume again and try to adjust it and it still says no audio devise. I guess my only fix is to buy a new sound card?

I still have not got the sound working so I went and bought a New SOund card, Sound Blaster and still no sound?

Its all better, I deleted everything that had to do with sound and redown loaded the Sound Cards program and then went under control panel and under the voice and music tabs I selected the new sound program, you would think it would automaticaly select that one but it didn't. Anyway I have sound now!

Good...

Just back from a lenghty holiday. I thought your issue was resolved back in July  :-[

It should have automatically selected the proper sound driver unless the "onboard" sound card was NOT disabled in the BIOS. The onboard sound card has to be disabled to avoid present / future conflicts.

Anyway, glad to see that you got it working