Low Volume AC97 even when on MAX

[Nick]

All of a sudden under XP Pro SP2 the volume of all sources
are very low, even when I set all sliders to max - master
volume, wave, etc...

Any suggestions? I already tried everything, from checking
drivers, to reinstalling Realtek AC97, nothing solves the
problem....

 

[Guest]

Go to your sound properties and turn the "hardware acceleration" slider down
to minimum. This makes the Windows/DirectX system do everything in software
and treats the sound card as just a loudspeaker. Which may work, even if it's
possibly a bit slower than ideal. You will lose 3D sound effects - basic
stereo only.

Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Voice Tab > Advanced >
Performance Tab.
Under that [voice tab > Advanced] you may want to alter the settings to
different speaker setups and performance levels.

Theres a couple of ideas there, otherwise I'm all out. Maybe one of the
other experts here can help you. :~)