Missing volume control

[Fred Hoffman]

Windows once again shows its ability to turn a simple
problem into a quagmire.
I run WinXPHome on a Dell P4. I discovered that the
volume control icon was missing from the notification area
of the taskbar. When I opened the sounds and audio
devices property in the control panel and attempted to
check the "place volume icon in the taskbar" box in the
volume tab of that window, it returned a message
saying "the program has not been installed". When I
opened the audio tab and clicked on the volume box, it
returned a message, "Windows cannot execute SndVol32.exe.
Use add/remove programs to install". I have been unable
to find a windows component that installs this program in
the Add/remove windows components of Control Panel. I did
a search and found an instance of SndVol32.exe in
C:\I386. When I double clicked it, it returned a
message,"there are no active mixer devices available. to
install mixer devices go to printers and other hardware
and click add hardware". Surely that's not right. What
do I do next?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Uninstall your current audio or sound card drivers,
then reinstall them. Check Dell's support website
to download the latest version.

Welcome to Dell Support
http://support.dell.com/home.aspx

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--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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| Windows once again shows its ability to turn a simple
| problem into a quagmire.
| I run WinXPHome on a Dell P4. I discovered that the
| volume control icon was missing from the notification area
| of the taskbar. When I opened the sounds and audio
| devices property in the control panel and attempted to
| check the "place volume icon in the taskbar" box in the
| volume tab of that window, it returned a message
| saying "the program has not been installed". When I
| opened the audio tab and clicked on the volume box, it
| returned a message, "Windows cannot execute SndVol32.exe.
| Use add/remove programs to install". I have been unable
| to find a windows component that installs this program in
| the Add/remove windows components of Control Panel. I did
| a search and found an instance of SndVol32.exe in
| C:\I386. When I double clicked it, it returned a
| message,"there are no active mixer devices available. to
| install mixer devices go to printers and other hardware
| and click add hardware". Surely that's not right. What
| do I do next?

 

[Nanaiah]

Step 1: reinstall the sound card drivers:

1) Right-click "My Computer" icon > Properties > Hardware

Device Manager.

2) Click on the + sign against Sound, video, and game
controllers.
3) Remove each one of the devices (one by one) by
highlighting each one, right-clicking and selecting
Uninstall option if it is highlighted. You will have to go
back to sound, video, and game controllers each time.
4) Once this is done, there will no longer be a sound,
video, and game controllers category. Close the System
Properties box by clicking 'Close'.
5) Restart the notebook. the drivers will be automatically
reinstalled.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestion.
In Device Manager, there are 6 items listed under "Sounds,
video and game controllers". The only one that gives an
uninstall option is SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio. I
have uninstalled it and rebooted, installed an updated
driver from Dell from Analog Devices (the source of my
original driver). The sound works, but I am still unable
to access a volume control from Control Panel, or to
restore an icon to the taskbar. Where have I missed the
boat?

 

[Guest]

I forgot to mention in the preceding response, the other
five items under "Sounds, video,..." permit me to open a
properties window which then permits me to remove the
drivers file by file in the face of a warning that my
computer may not work properly. Is this what I must do?
Fred Hoffman