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Hopefully I get all the terminology correct :wacko:

I use windows and XP, everything is up to date (virus protection, windows updates etc)

I have scanned for viruses, cleaned my temp files etc etc etc

My on board sound card stopped working soon after a Windows update (not the first time! grr) but this time it wouldn't allow me to roll it back to a working driver. I followed a few instructions online about deleting the C-Media and cmuda strings from the registry, unistalling the driver etc etc , did all that and it still wouldn't work. (I'm familiar with the registry)

I decided to disable it and purchased a plug in sound card. Just something inexpensive as I only use it to listen to music really. The crappy sound card (so I was told my 20 year old son) is a Retail Plus+ 4 channel audio 3D soundcard. I followed the directions, put it into my computer, plugged my audio jack into the corresponding coloured spot, installed the software. And alas, still no sound. I can see the program, it installed the C-Media mixer etc, but when I look at Hardware>Device Manager>Sound video game controllers, it shows my card CMI8738/C3DX PCI Audio Device with no exclamations or red x beside it..but again, no sound. Right clioking properties shows it working correctly. I've uninstalled, regeditted, and redid the entire process again, still no sound. The only other thing it has in the device manager with an error in that category is Microsoft Kernel Acousti Echo canceller saying it can't load the device because there is already a duplicate device running (altho It's only in the list once)

I don't care which sound card I get working, but I need my music :(

Can anyone save my soul here?? Thank you :)

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Hopefully I get all the terminology correct :wacko:

I use windows and XP, everything is up to date (virus protection, windows updates etc)

I have scanned for viruses, cleaned my temp files etc etc etc

My on board sound card stopped working soon after a Windows update (not the first time! grr) but this time it wouldn't allow me to roll it back to a working driver. I followed a few instructions online about deleting the C-Media and cmuda strings from the registry, unistalling the driver etc etc , did all that and it still wouldn't work. (I'm familiar with the registry)

I decided to disable it and purchased a plug in sound card. Just something inexpensive as I only use it to listen to music really. The crappy sound card (so I was told my 20 year old son) is a Retail Plus+ 4 channel audio 3D soundcard. I followed the directions, put it into my computer, plugged my audio jack into the corresponding coloured spot, installed the software. And alas, still no sound. I can see the program, it installed the C-Media mixer etc, but when I look at Hardware>Device Manager>Sound video game controllers, it shows my card CMI8738/C3DX PCI Audio Device with no exclamations or red x beside it..but again, no sound. Right clioking properties shows it working correctly. I've uninstalled, regeditted, and redid the entire process again, still no sound. The only other thing it has in the device manager with an error in that category is Microsoft Kernel Acousti Echo canceller saying it can't load the device because there is already a duplicate device running (altho It's only in the list once)

I don't care which sound card I get working, but I need my music :(

Can anyone save my soul here?? Thank you :)

This may be a long shot, but have you tried testing your PC speakers in another device? If not, and you still cannot hear sound, I suggest checking the various connections involved with it.

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My speakers work, had my hubby test them (he's an electronics technician) -- still won't find either my on board or plug in sound card. I'm at a loss.

Properties on My computer> hardware>device manager still shows error with Microsoft Kernal Acoustic Echo Canceller

but doesn't show any other errors...

All my cords are plugged into the proper spots, I've updated the drivers from the manufacturers website for my sound card and I've done all windows updates...

any other ideas?

Thanks

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If you have two cards installed, you may have to tell the computer which sound card to usefor audio output.

with just the original audio, have you just tried to reinstall the drivers that would be listed on the computer manufacture website?

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Hi Shane,

Before I purchased a new soundcard, yes I reinstalled the driver from the website. So this is now what I have done to get back to my original spot

uninstalled the onboard sound card software

uninstalled and removed the new plug in sound card

uninstalled all the software for both

cleaned registry of C-Media and cmuda strings etc (both sound cards happened to be C-media)

ran all cleaning programs I have to remove temp files etc

manually removed the yellow files in Program Files for both C-Media nd PCI (new soundcard software)

rebooted

THis is the error I got in the beginning and am now getting again:

error loading cmicnfg.cpl

The specified module could not be found

When I go to the Control panel>Sounds and audio devices, it says there is no sound device. THis is where my problem originated. My orginal onboard soundcard is C-Media AC97 -- the new one I purchased is Retail Plus 4 channel - upon installing the new one the software showed it also being a C-Media device.

I now have nothing new installed and am back at square 1

Any help you can offer would be much appreciated, I really don't want to have to take it in for repair if I can help it :) Thank you so much

Velda

Edited by velda
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Generally most sound cards want to use the same resources (IRQ requests to interrupt the processor and talk to it, Memory addresses, IO addresses where the CPU sends them instructions or requests). So generally speaking you can only easily have one sound card installed. So if you are going with the PCI sound card you need to boot to bios and disable the onboard sound card (generally shows as AC97 sound). Consult your motherboard manual for specific instructions (a few have a jumper you must move to disable the onboard sound).

Some of the most common things to cause a sound card to stop working are an incorrect driver (using windows update to get drivers from microsoft for example. Microsoft has a long history of mis identifying installed hardware and forcing incompatible drivers to install ) Or getting drivers from the card maker (IE Cmedia ) when your onboard card contains modified firmware (a blessing) to identify it as part of an OEM system (such as Dell). In this case you must install the drivers from the computer builder (dell) although often after you install their drivers you can install updated drivers from the chipset maker unless it attempts to replace the specific dlls that the blessing affects.

What to do?

First is download the appropriate driver so it is ready to use.

Next thing is go to control panel => hardware =>device manager => view => show hidden devices.

Locate each device with a red X , yellow ? or yellow ! and select it and choose remove / uninstall as appropriate.

When done restart computer and let the device be detected and let windows search for best driver. If not found point it to the location of the driver you downloaded. Or hit cancel when it detects the device and asks to search for driver. When you get to windows run the driver install package.

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Hi Pete, long time no talk to :) Guess my computer has been great till now :)

So I'm still a little stuck. I'd like to definately use my on board if I can. The problem happened exactly as you said, when I did a windows update. Usually I can just revert back but this time it wouldn't let me.

So if my sound AC97 is the one I want to use, where do I get the driver? I had been downloading the one from CMedia, but it didn't work.

So my computer says Axess SPM Micro.... so from what I understand it's Realtek. I've downloaded the drivers etc and I'm off to try...man this is so frustrating!

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Here's a thread with some info on SPM Micro. Appears they used Biostar mobos on some models, so you may want to see if your board has a model # on it as well as the manufacturer. That will enable you to get latest on-board drivers, although you should be able to install a sound card without any problems. Are you sure your card is good? (grasping at straws)

SPM micro

Edited by sethook
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the on board one worked until it stopped working after an update, whether it's still good, I have no idea, how would I check that?

The other I tried putting in, I purchased brand new at Staples.

I'm not sure where on the motherboard I should be looking, but I do see a chip that has the little blue sound(something) crab thing on it...that's really technical huh? lol...looks like it has ALC665 and then under that 42318T1 4100

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Oh my! Those MS updates have been screwing up a lot of sound cards lately. The Brit broke his and spent forever finding a fix, still hasn't...

The only fix he knows of is "driver agent", but it's a pay for subscription...

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First off go to control panel => add/remove programs and see if there are any entries from either sound card with a uninstaller.

Uninstall the software

Then go to control panel => hardware => device manager=> Sound, video and game controllers

Locate any sound cards there and uninstall / remove

Shut down computer. Leave just one sound card connected.

Boot up and let windows detect it and search for best driver.

Would have been easier if at the first sign of trouble you had just gone to device manager and rolled back the driver.

Good article

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/arti.../pcmusician.htm

Driver agent and Driver genius are paid programs which should be able to clean up invalid drivers and find the right ones.

Here are some allegedly free applications which may work

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloa...pdates_58475_p/

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Secu...r-Cleaner.shtml

(free trial)

http://www.drivermagician.com/UninstallDriver.htm

http://www.drivermagician.com/download.htm

(looks like you have to pay to get it to uninstall drivers)

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Hi Pete,

This is just so frustrating. I *did* try to roll back the driver as soon as it happened, and it said it couldn't find it, it was very strange, I've never had this problem before, that's why I'm so frustrated....I'll follow your step by step and I'll be back. Thank you

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Add and remove programs: uninstalled the new pci card I installed

Device manager: (this is what was listed)

Audio codecs

Legacy audio drivers

legacy video capture devices

Media control devices

MIcrosoft kernel acoustic echo canceller

video codecs

The only thing that had ! was the microsoft kernel so I uninstalled that. The others only gave me option to remove, but indicated they are needed for the system, are there any others I should be removing?

I took out the plug and play card I installed, plugged my sound plug back into my onboard sound card spot

rebooted

Now it's not searching for anything and it's still showing no sound device in Control Pannel > Sounds and Audio Devices.

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Add and remove programs : uninstalled the PCI card I bought and installed

Device manager: (this is what was listed)

Audio codecs

Legacy audio drivers

legacy video capture devices

media control devices

microsft kernel acoustic echo canceller

video codecs

there was only one issue, the kernel acoustic had ! -- I uninstalled that. The others didn't have an uninstall option, only the remove option but indicated it would affect the system and I wasn't sure where to remove any of those

I took out my card

rebooted

It's not searching for anything now, but also indicates no audio device in control panel > Sounds and audio devices

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Yep, the microsft kernel acoustic echo canceller is not standard; so unless you have one attached uninstalling it was the right thing to do.

But you should have an AC97 entry if you have onboard sound.

If the new card has been removed; you should try reinstalling the drivers and software for your onboard sound.

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Thanks Pete,

Do I leave these other things on my computer, or do I remove them:

Audio codecs

Legacy audio drivers

legacy video capture devices

media control devices

video codecs

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