I am using a Dell Latitude D610 notebook with Windows XP SP2. I performed some driver updates together with a bios update last week. After that the audio playback was distorted, skipping and cracking. I rolled back the driver and now have no audio at all.
In a nutshell, these are the problems that I have identified:
1. No audio from any audio player, only computer beeps on dialog boxes
2. No Audio Mixer is available, no volume control, etc
3. When I open "Sounds and Audio Devices" (from control panel) all items are inactive in the Volume tab, Voice tab and the Audio tab. The selection options are defaulted "No Playback Device", "No Recording Device" and "No Midi Playback Devices"
4. When I open the SigmaTel C-Major Audio properties from the device manager and go to the properties tab, if I open the properties for the Audio Devices, Midi Devices and Instruments or SigmaTel C-Major Audio, then it gives the status:
Driver is enabled but has not been started
5. After launching the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and going to the Sound tab and pressing the Test DirectSound button, the error message:
DirectSound test results: Failure at step 3 (DirectSoundCreate): HRESULT = 0x88780078 (No driver)" was displayed.
6. On the Music tab of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, when testing using port "Microsoft Synthesizer", the following message was displayed:
Music Port activation failed because there was no sound driver found. Check whether your sound card is installed and working properly
and in the notes box:
DirectMusic test results: Failure at step 6 (Activating the IDirectMusicPort): HRESULT = 0x88780078 (No driver)
7. However, when I perform the DirectX test on the Music Tab with the port "SigmaTel C-Major Audio" then I have music playing and the message:
DirectMusic test results: All tests were successful.
Implying hardware is fine.
8. I went to a colleague with the same notebook and exactly the same original setup as mine. His audio is still working so I compared the Sound devices in the device manager using the option Show Hidden Devices and he had 3 extra sound devices that do not appear in my list. These are:
Microsoft Kernel System Audio Device
Microsoft Kernal Wave Audio Mixer
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Apart from that, all his other audio devices (including the SigmaTel) are the same as mine.
9. I tried a test on my machine with some interesting results. I uninstalled the SigmaTel C-Major Audio driver in the device manager. Then I used the option "Scan for hardware changes" and after a few automatic refreshes, 10 additional microsoft devices appeared in the Sound device list, including:
Microsoft Kernal Audio Splitter
Microsoft Kernal System Audio Device
amongst others, but "Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver" was not on the list (as it was on my colleagues computer). The devices only appeared for a few seconds in the device manager, because the list constantly refreshed, and on each refresh the microsoft devices were disappearing until there were no more microsoft devices left, leaving the original devices including the newly found sigmatel device.
Note that whilst all the microsoft devices were displayed - all of them seemed to have an active status (no yellow question or exclamation marks)
10. I performed the test above once more. This time whilst all the microsoft devices were displayed, I quickly opened the properties windows for all of them, and checked the status's - all were enabled and working fine. This was until they disappeared from the device manager list. For each microsoft device that disappeared from the list, the properties now showed:
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)
To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer."
11. When perfroming the DirectX sound and music tests, the Microsoft audio devices suddenly appear on the device manager list, but this too is short lived.
This is the current status of the PC:
1. All devices in my device manager have the status "Device working properly" (including the "Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator) - there are no exclamation or question marks.
2. The SigmaTel C-Major Audio properties suggests it is working properly with the enabled status.
3. There is no hardware issue due to the DirectX test, Dell Diagnostics test and all the beeping.
4. I have performed all activities as an administrator.
I have searched through many forums Dell and others and have performed the following without any success:
1. Rolled back the drivers
2. Used an earlier system restore point (previous to the updates or the problem)
3. Re-installed the Dell Notebook System Software drivers, then the chipset driver, then the audio driver in that order
4. Ensured the "Microsoft Audio" is automatic and started in the services - and even stopped and started it.
5. Uninstalled the sigmatel driver and any other audio devices possible and restarted the computer (tried this many times with many variations). I also uninstalled the hidden devices which appear in the device manager list for a few seconds.
6. Run sndvol32.exe and get the error message:
There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware
I have done exactly this, and no new devices are found, and when I try to look for this device manually, then there is no option to select Microsoft Kernal Wave Audio Mixer. I also do not think that the sndvol32.exe is corrupt.
7. Performed the diagnostics test and sound works.
8. The Bios setting for the onboard sound is not editable.
9. Reinstalling the OS is not an option right now.
Does anyone know what to do, I am sure there is a simple solution, like a button that says "Audio On"?
Thanks to all who have had the time to read and possibly respond to this
Zak
In a nutshell, these are the problems that I have identified:
1. No audio from any audio player, only computer beeps on dialog boxes
2. No Audio Mixer is available, no volume control, etc
3. When I open "Sounds and Audio Devices" (from control panel) all items are inactive in the Volume tab, Voice tab and the Audio tab. The selection options are defaulted "No Playback Device", "No Recording Device" and "No Midi Playback Devices"
4. When I open the SigmaTel C-Major Audio properties from the device manager and go to the properties tab, if I open the properties for the Audio Devices, Midi Devices and Instruments or SigmaTel C-Major Audio, then it gives the status:
Driver is enabled but has not been started
5. After launching the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and going to the Sound tab and pressing the Test DirectSound button, the error message:
DirectSound test results: Failure at step 3 (DirectSoundCreate): HRESULT = 0x88780078 (No driver)" was displayed.
6. On the Music tab of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, when testing using port "Microsoft Synthesizer", the following message was displayed:
Music Port activation failed because there was no sound driver found. Check whether your sound card is installed and working properly
and in the notes box:
DirectMusic test results: Failure at step 6 (Activating the IDirectMusicPort): HRESULT = 0x88780078 (No driver)
7. However, when I perform the DirectX test on the Music Tab with the port "SigmaTel C-Major Audio" then I have music playing and the message:
DirectMusic test results: All tests were successful.
Implying hardware is fine.
8. I went to a colleague with the same notebook and exactly the same original setup as mine. His audio is still working so I compared the Sound devices in the device manager using the option Show Hidden Devices and he had 3 extra sound devices that do not appear in my list. These are:
Microsoft Kernel System Audio Device
Microsoft Kernal Wave Audio Mixer
Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver
Apart from that, all his other audio devices (including the SigmaTel) are the same as mine.
9. I tried a test on my machine with some interesting results. I uninstalled the SigmaTel C-Major Audio driver in the device manager. Then I used the option "Scan for hardware changes" and after a few automatic refreshes, 10 additional microsoft devices appeared in the Sound device list, including:
Microsoft Kernal Audio Splitter
Microsoft Kernal System Audio Device
amongst others, but "Microsoft WINMM WDM Audio Compatibility Driver" was not on the list (as it was on my colleagues computer). The devices only appeared for a few seconds in the device manager, because the list constantly refreshed, and on each refresh the microsoft devices were disappearing until there were no more microsoft devices left, leaving the original devices including the newly found sigmatel device.
Note that whilst all the microsoft devices were displayed - all of them seemed to have an active status (no yellow question or exclamation marks)
10. I performed the test above once more. This time whilst all the microsoft devices were displayed, I quickly opened the properties windows for all of them, and checked the status's - all were enabled and working fine. This was until they disappeared from the device manager list. For each microsoft device that disappeared from the list, the properties now showed:
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)
To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer."
11. When perfroming the DirectX sound and music tests, the Microsoft audio devices suddenly appear on the device manager list, but this too is short lived.
This is the current status of the PC:
1. All devices in my device manager have the status "Device working properly" (including the "Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator) - there are no exclamation or question marks.
2. The SigmaTel C-Major Audio properties suggests it is working properly with the enabled status.
3. There is no hardware issue due to the DirectX test, Dell Diagnostics test and all the beeping.
4. I have performed all activities as an administrator.
I have searched through many forums Dell and others and have performed the following without any success:
1. Rolled back the drivers
2. Used an earlier system restore point (previous to the updates or the problem)
3. Re-installed the Dell Notebook System Software drivers, then the chipset driver, then the audio driver in that order
4. Ensured the "Microsoft Audio" is automatic and started in the services - and even stopped and started it.
5. Uninstalled the sigmatel driver and any other audio devices possible and restarted the computer (tried this many times with many variations). I also uninstalled the hidden devices which appear in the device manager list for a few seconds.
6. Run sndvol32.exe and get the error message:
There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware
I have done exactly this, and no new devices are found, and when I try to look for this device manually, then there is no option to select Microsoft Kernal Wave Audio Mixer. I also do not think that the sndvol32.exe is corrupt.
7. Performed the diagnostics test and sound works.
8. The Bios setting for the onboard sound is not editable.
9. Reinstalling the OS is not an option right now.
Does anyone know what to do, I am sure there is a simple solution, like a button that says "Audio On"?
Thanks to all who have had the time to read and possibly respond to this
Zak
