End of my rope on fixing my sound!!

R

Rachel

My computer is a Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP

Ok, I had my computer crash, after reinstalling everything my sound is shot.
I've tried everything from trying to configure my computers sound to deleting
and reinstalling the disc that came with my computer. When I have sound, it's
all garbled and static. I think there may be too many programs but no matter
what I try to delete or keep it doesn't work, and there are no yellow ? or
red x'sw. When I go into Sound, Video and Game Controllers under Device
Manager this is what's listed:

Audio Codes
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC
SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit (disc came with computer)
Video Codes

I have tried everything and just can't get anywhere, can someone please help.

Thanks
 
P

Paul

Rachel,

Couple things you can try: First, make sure you reinstalled your service
pack from Microsoft. (SP1, SP2 and SP3) Also, go to your sound card
manufacturer and update your sound card drivers. They should also have tech
support if that does not work.

Paul
 
B

Bob

She already tried that.


Rachel,

Couple things you can try: First, make sure you reinstalled your service
pack from Microsoft. (SP1, SP2 and SP3) Also, go to your sound card
manufacturer and update your sound card drivers. They should also have tech
support if that does not work.

Paul
Click to expand...
 
D

Daave

Rachel said:
My computer is a Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP

Ok, I had my computer crash, after reinstalling everything my sound
is shot. I've tried everything from trying to configure my computers
sound to deleting and reinstalling the disc that came with my
computer. When I have sound, it's all garbled and static. I think
there may be too many programs but no matter what I try to delete or
keep it doesn't work, and there are no yellow ? or red x'sw. When I
go into Sound, Video and Game Controllers under Device Manager this
is what's listed:

Audio Codes
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC
SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit (disc came with computer)
Video Codes

I have tried everything and just can't get anywhere, can someone
please help.
Click to expand...

In the future, please don't start a new thread. I suppose if it has been
several days, I can understand doing so. But this isn't the case!

So it seems that there are no missing drivers, correct? That is, every
icon in the list above is a speaker icon?

What method did you use to reinstall your system? Was it an actual
reinstallation of Windows XP followed by the installation of *all* the
hardware drivers, including sound card, motherboard chipset, etc.? Or
was it a recovery (from either a recovery disk or recovery partition)?

Do you get the same garbled and staticky sound when you use headphones?

Do you have both onboard sound *and* a separate sound card?

What are the settings in Control Panel | Sounds and Audio Devices |
Properties | Audio | Sound Playback | Default device?
 
R

R. McCarty

Something in her list of devices looks suspicious. If there is a SigmaTel
device ( motherboard based ). I'd remove the Sound Blaster card from
the machine. XPS machines aren't very hard to open the shell and the
PCI card is usually just clamped in with Dell's lock-latch method. Looks
to me like both Motherboard and PCI audio is enabled simultaneously.
No wonder drivers don't work properly.
 
E

Elmo

Rachel said:
My computer is a Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP

Ok, I had my computer crash, after reinstalling everything my sound is shot.
I've tried everything from trying to configure my computers sound to deleting
and reinstalling the disc that came with my computer. When I have sound, it's
all garbled and static. I think there may be too many programs but no matter
what I try to delete or keep it doesn't work, and there are no yellow ? or
red x'sw. When I go into Sound, Video and Game Controllers under Device
Manager this is what's listed:

Audio Codes
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC
SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit (disc came with computer)
Video Codes

I have tried everything and just can't get anywhere, can someone please help.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Try something along this line:

- Shut down and physically remove the sound card, restart and let
everything else install.

- Shut down and insert the sound card, restart.

If that doesn't help:

- Shut down and physically remove the modem, restart and let everything
else install.

- Shut down and insert the modem, restart.

Next, try this:

Get the three drivers and updates for the card here:

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...IMENSION 400/9150&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=
 
S

Shenan Stanley

Rachel said:
My computer is a Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP

Ok, I had my computer crash, after reinstalling everything my sound
is shot. I've tried everything from trying to configure my
computers sound to deleting and reinstalling the disc that came
with my computer. When I have sound, it's all garbled and static. I
think there may be too many programs but no matter what I try to
delete or keep it doesn't work, and there are no yellow ? or red
x'sw. When I go into Sound, Video and Game Controllers under Device
Manager this is what's listed:

Audio Codes
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC
SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit (disc came with computer)
Video Codes

I have tried everything and just can't get anywhere, can someone
please help.
Click to expand...

Find the service tag/serial number on your Dell.
Put that number at the end of this line as an address in your browser:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&os=WW1&osl=en&ServiceTag=

(After the equal sign.)

When you go to that address - you should see a list of downloads for your
system... Download the latest Chipset and audio drivers for your system.

In general - your system downloads can be found at this address:
http://support.dell.com/support/dow...os=WW1&osl=en&SystemID=XPS/DIMENSION 400/9150

All the drivers were released after SP2 - so it might be you need the
latest. You either have a SIGMATEL or a Creative Labs sound device (not
both.)

The files on your driver CD are nice and all - but they are likely older
than these.
 
B

Bob

She tried that.


Shenan said:
Find the service tag/serial number on your Dell.
Put that number at the end of this line as an address in your browser:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&os=WW1&osl=en&ServiceTag=

(After the equal sign.)

When you go to that address - you should see a list of downloads for your
system... Download the latest Chipset and audio drivers for your system.

In general - your system downloads can be found at this address:
http://support.dell.com/support/dow...os=WW1&osl=en&SystemID=XPS/DIMENSION 400/9150

All the drivers were released after SP2 - so it might be you need the
latest. You either have a SIGMATEL or a Creative Labs sound device (not
both.)

The files on your driver CD are nice and all - but they are likely older
than these.
Click to expand...
 
D

dadiOH

Rachel said:
My computer is a Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP

Ok, I had my computer crash, after reinstalling everything my sound
is shot. I've tried everything from trying to configure my computers
sound to deleting and reinstalling the disc that came with my
computer. When I have sound, it's all garbled and static. I think
there may be too many programs but no matter what I try to delete or
keep it doesn't work, and there are no yellow ? or red x'sw. When I
go into Sound, Video and Game Controllers under Device Manager this
is what's listed:

Audio Codes
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC
SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit (disc came with computer)
Video Codes
Click to expand...

Try...

1. Uninstall the motherboard sound (Sigma Tel High Definition Audio) via
Device Manager

2. Reboot, enter BIOS setup

3. In BIOS, disable the onbard sound device

4. Save BIOS settings and reboot

5. Better? If not...

6. Uninstall SoundBlaster Live! via Device Manager

7. Reboot

8. Did Windows find and install your "new device" (SoundBlaster Live!)?
Sound OK? If no to either...

9. Uninstall SoundBlaster Live! via Control Panel, Add-Remove programs
(remove all listed thet are pertinent...drivers *and* software). Ditto in
Device Manager if it still shows there.

10. Shut down

11. Physically remove sound card

12. Boot

13. Shut down

14. Follow Creative's instructions for installing the sound card, drivers
from the CD and software. Much of the software offered on the CD is
optional but you *do* need the mixer.

dadiOH
 
B

Bob

She tried all that.

dadiOH said:
Try...

1. Uninstall the motherboard sound (Sigma Tel High Definition Audio) via
Device Manager

2. Reboot, enter BIOS setup

3. In BIOS, disable the onbard sound device

4. Save BIOS settings and reboot

5. Better? If not...

6. Uninstall SoundBlaster Live! via Device Manager

7. Reboot

8. Did Windows find and install your "new device" (SoundBlaster Live!)?
Sound OK? If no to either...

9. Uninstall SoundBlaster Live! via Control Panel, Add-Remove programs
(remove all listed thet are pertinent...drivers *and* software). Ditto in
Device Manager if it still shows there.

10. Shut down

11. Physically remove sound card

12. Boot

13. Shut down

14. Follow Creative's instructions for installing the sound card, drivers
from the CD and software. Much of the software offered on the CD is
optional but you *do* need the mixer.

dadiOH
Click to expand...
 
S

Shenan Stanley

<snip>
She tried all that.
Click to expand...

Bob,

We get the point. You think you are funny. That's great. Keep that
positive attitude throughout life.

This one, buddy, is a dead horse.
 
M

Mark Adams

Shenan Stanley said:
<snip>


Bob,

We get the point. You think you are funny. That's great. Keep that
positive attitude throughout life.

This one, buddy, is a dead horse.
Click to expand...

She must have tried all that and it did work. Afterall, she hasn't posted
back.
 
R

Rachel

Mark, I thank you for commenting on Bob. It was getting very tiresome but I
didn't want to get dragged into stupid back and forth game so I was trying to
keep silent.

Also, to everyone else, I would like to thank you because I may have tried
most of these things but there were some I hadn't, and some procedures that
may have not been done right (right order etc) and to those of you who
endlessly offered so many suggestions and helpful tips with a little working
of all of them I WAS able to fix it, so to you all, thank you very much!
 
M

Mark Adams

Rachel said:
Mark, I thank you for commenting on Bob. It was getting very tiresome but I
didn't want to get dragged into stupid back and forth game so I was trying to
keep silent.

Also, to everyone else, I would like to thank you because I may have tried
most of these things but there were some I hadn't, and some procedures that
may have not been done right (right order etc) and to those of you who
endlessly offered so many suggestions and helpful tips with a little working
of all of them I WAS able to fix it, so to you all, thank you very much!
Click to expand...

Well, thank you very much for posting back with your resolution. Glad you
got it fixed.

Mark.
 
D

Daave

Rachel said:
Mark, I thank you for commenting on Bob. It was getting very tiresome
but I didn't want to get dragged into stupid back and forth game so I
was trying to keep silent.

Also, to everyone else, I would like to thank you because I may have
tried most of these things but there were some I hadn't, and some
procedures that may have not been done right (right order etc) and to
those of you who endlessly offered so many suggestions and helpful
tips with a little working of all of them I WAS able to fix it, so to
you all, thank you very much!
Click to expand...

In case someone else has a similar issue and is searching the archives
for an answer, why don't you post back and tell us what you did so they
may benefit by what you discovered?
 
R

Rachel

It was a mixture of different issues. I did have Sigma Tel and Creative
SoundBlaster. Sigma Tel was a Dell download and SoundBlaster was the disc
sent with the computer. First, my microsoft SP3 was corrupted and not
completely installed. So I went back in and reinstalled/repaired it. Then in
Device Manager I uninstalled Sigma Tel and then went into BIOS where it
showed integrated being on, turned that off and perfect sound! So thanks to
the help here (and an outside friend) I was able to combine everything to fix
it. Thank you so much.
 

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