Repair / Fix XP SP2

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Guest

I have a continuing problem with getting my system to recognize the sound
card in the control panel Sounds and Audio Devices. All the selections are
grayed-out and I can't select either an on-board or separate card in the
audio tab. In both instances the computer knows they are there but something
must be corrupt somewhere. And yes I've disabled the on-board in the BIOS
when I install the card.

I think I need to either repair / fix XP or format the drive and start from
scratch. Can someone point me to a good source for helping me understand how
to repair XP or something? I've been messing around with this since 2/18/07
and I'm running thin on patience.

Thanks
 
I have a continuing problem with getting my system to recognize the sound
card in the control panel Sounds and Audio Devices. All the selections are
grayed-out and I can't select either an on-board or separate card in the
audio tab. In both instances the computer knows they are there but something
must be corrupt somewhere. And yes I've disabled the on-board in the BIOS
when I install the card.

I think I need to either repair / fix XP or format the drive and start from
scratch. Can someone point me to a good source for helping me understand how
to repair XP or something? I've been messing around with this since 2/18/07
and I'm running thin on patience.

Thanks
 
JSRDublin said:
I have a continuing problem with getting my system to recognize the sound
card in the control panel Sounds and Audio Devices. All the selections
are
grayed-out and I can't select either an on-board or separate card in the
audio tab. In both instances the computer knows they are there but
something
must be corrupt somewhere. And yes I've disabled the on-board in the BIOS
when I install the card.

I think I need to either repair / fix XP or format the drive and start
from
scratch. Can someone point me to a good source for helping me understand
how
to repair XP or something? I've been messing around with this since
2/18/07
and I'm running thin on patience.

Thanks
Click to expand...

How to partition and format a hard disk in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348/en-us

How to install or upgrade to Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316941

Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
 
JSRDublin said:
I have a continuing problem with getting my system to recognize the sound
card in the control panel Sounds and Audio Devices. All the selections are
grayed-out and I can't select either an on-board or separate card in the
audio tab. In both instances the computer knows they are there but something
must be corrupt somewhere. And yes I've disabled the on-board in the BIOS
when I install the card.

I think I need to either repair / fix XP or format the drive and start from
scratch. Can someone point me to a good source for helping me understand how
to repair XP or something? I've been messing around with this since 2/18/07
and I'm running thin on patience.

Thanks
Click to expand...


Based on your earlier messages, the solution might well be to get rid
of the SoundBlaster card and revert to the onboard SoundMax system. Do
the following: (a) Turn off the computer and remove the SoundBlaster
card. Reboot the computer. Turn off. (b) On next computer start, re-
activtate the onboard SoundMax system. If asked, re-install its drivers
that is usually found on the cdrom that is supplied with the motherboard.

Finally, if SoundMax system fails, then it is broken. Turn off in bios.
Install a better sound card, such as one Turtle Beach.
 
Yes... I have had a rather sad saga if you search my messages. Today I
removed the SoundBlaster card and all it's associated "stuff". I ran
Register Mechanic and flushed out all the residue and then enabled the
onboard chip. You are correct that I found the SoundMax drivers on my
motherboard CD. I installed all that but XP acted just like it was doing
with the SoundBlaster. That's why I assumed it pointed to XP.

The SoundMax didn't just stop working. I don't remember what the messages
were but for a while it caused program errors when it played. Then it
stopped playing. That also caused me to think XP got corrupted.

Creative did walk me through reinstalling XP multimedia although their
instructions were confusing so I may have messed that up when I did it TWICE.

Turtle Beach isn't a product I've heard of but in looking at their site they
have a USB sound card. Would that be easier or behave differently?

Thanks for your advice and help.
 
On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:51:05 -0700, JSRDublin
Yes... I have had a rather sad saga if you search my messages. Today I
removed the SoundBlaster card and all it's associated "stuff". I ran
Register Mechanic and flushed out all the residue
Click to expand...

Uh-oh... I don't trust automated registery "cleaners", as when they
screw up, they do so in ways that are really difficult to tshoot.
Turtle Beach isn't a product I've heard of but in looking at their site they
have a USB sound card. Would that be easier or behave differently?
Click to expand...

I sourced a Turtle Beach for a client once, based on the generally
good reputation they have in such forums, and it was a disaster; it
never worked right, and came with a lot of bloatware. This was a
while back, which may overlap your "Sound Blaster" era ;-)

Generally, I've had no hassles with onboard sound, at least on Intel
motherboards, such as what you may have. The only time I've wanted
"better sound" has been in the rarefied environment of hard disk
multitrack recording, where these things are needed:
- true multi-channel (i.e. not "home theater" rubbish)
- in particular, multiple separate inputs
- fast real-time response for monitoring while overdubbing
- in particular, support for CuBase's driver model for the above

No-one I know has yet bothered with the 'lots of little speakers
dotted all over the room" home theater stuff as yet :-)

Windows PnP may discover what BIOS has hidden.

The best way to ignore a device, is to disable it in Device Manager.
That releases any hardware resources the device may have used, and
prevents PnP from continually re-detecting and attempting to drive it.

Is this really such old hardware as to be using the original Sound
Blaster? If so, then I'd check motherboard caps and other old-age
hardware issues such as poor contact between cards and their slots,
gunky dust between solder pads, etc.


--------------- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Saws are too hard to use.
Be easier to use!
 
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