Audio drivers for Intel Sigmatel onboard audio

[Guest]

I have a new Gateway with Sigmatel audio on an Intel board. I installed
Vista and lost the sound, even though Vista claims there is a driver
installed for the Sigmatel audio chip. I then installed the latest Intel
driver on it's site and supposedly the sound was installed, but it is not
what I call sound, just some low groans and beats. It isn't even good enough
to be called distorted. Has anyone had luck getting sound from the Sigmatel
chip and if so, how? I'm discgusted that even INtel can't provide adequate
sound drivers for Vista even after it's introduction. The computer is
worthless without sound, at least to me. Or maybe MS should take the wrap
for programing a sound system that no one can provide sound drivers for!
There is also lots of trouble with SoundBlaster cards and audio and no
drivers for all their cards.

 

[JoRene]

I'm replying to my own message as I found a way to get the drivers
installed. Don't know if this is necessary, but first uninstall Sigmtel
drivers currently on computer. Then I reinstalled WinXP drivers using
compatibility mode for WinXPsp2. Sound was awful, but at least the sound
device was listed. With the Vista drivers it said no sound device was
present. Then, without uninstalling anything (as windows vista drivers seem
to leave out something) I installed the vista drivers through device manager
by browsing for the folder where the inf file was located (WDM folder under
the expanded Vista driver folder.) Once that was done and I'd rebooted, I
had pretty good sound and everything seems to be working. Mike isn't too
clear all the time, but at least it's giving me passable sound (as I use it
a lot for internet phoning to my grandkids overseas.) Hopefully this will
help some others out there having problems. This might not have happened
with a clean install, but I was trying to see what an upgrade install would
be like. (Still using RC2). When I get my upgrade disk, I'll know what to
do for the best install.

 

[Guest]

I too am getting no sound, however my computer lists it as "working properly."

I also have a Sigmatel device on an Intel board...*sigh* vista is starting
to cause me much disdain! I want to try your method, but I'm not as computer
literate as yourself. Can you help me out?

 

[MICHAEL]

The only way I have ever gotten sound to work
with the Sigmatel sound card, was to us the XP
drivers. It has been this way since Beta2. Doesn't
matter that Windows installs something that says
"Sigmatel" or Windows Update says there is an update
for "Sigmatel"- they never work.

Use the drivers/setup from XP. You can go to
Gateway's site and download the installation for
your computer.


-Michael

 

[Guest]

First go to the Intel web site and download the latest sigmatel Vista
drivers. There is one that is quite recent. I looked under motherboards and
found one that matched mine as closely as possible as far as chip set, etc.
The driver that comes up will work with many motherboards, so it isn't that
MB specific. Also download (if you don't have them already), the latest
WinXP driver/program for your sigmatel chip. In Vista, uninstall any
sigmatel drivers you already have (under Add/Remove programs.) Next go to
the folder where the WinXP driver (upzipped) is located and right click on
the setup file and choose compatability mode/ WinXP. Install those drivers
and reboot. You should have some kind of wierd sound that is barely
recognizable, and you should have no flag under the sigmatel sound codec in
device manager, as well as your sound icon should show an installed sound
device. Now unzip the Vista driver you downloaded. Go to device manager and
select the sigmatel codec. Select upgrade driver and then say you will
browse for the folder. Browse to wherever you downloaded the Vista driver
and go to the WDM subfolder. Choose this and let the program install the new
driver. When you reboot you should have decent sound, music, etc., and when
you select properties on the sound icon, it should show the sound device,
with the speakers and mike working. Good luck! Hopefully Intel will
eventually have a Vista driver that will install the sound device as well as
the driver and you won't have to go through these hoops to get it installed.

 

[Guest]

I tried that and the resulting sound was not even recognizable...just beats
and groans. I only got good sound when I installed the Vista update, via the
procedure described above. I'm still using the RC2 version of Vista,
however. Maybe the final version installs something better...or works better
with the XP drivers.