Not Recognizing Sound Card

[clerksmith]

I have a customer built PC.

Intel Pentium 4, 2GHz. The motherboard is Intel also.
Video Card is a NVIDIA GeForce 6300
Sound Card is a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy, model SB0090.
Operating system is Windows XP SP2.

Everything on my PC had worked absolutely fine before the HD crashed and I had to basically start my computer from scratch and reinstall XP. I know when I originally installed XP, I had problems with the sound card, but I eventually got it working.

Now the sound card is not working and I've taken all the steps to get it working again and it won't. I've been to the Creative site and downloaded the driver I need, but still nothing. In my Device Manager menu, Multimedia Audio Controller has a ! next to it and when I try to manually select the Creative driver, none of them work. The computer DOES recognize that the Multimedia Audio Controller is a Creative product though.

Any help on how to get this working would be terrific. Thanks

 

[kimsland]

The motherboard is Intel also

Is the Sound card onboard, or is it an addon card ?

If it is onboard (the most likely of the two)
Then to find the correct Sound driver, you will need to supply more information on the Motherboard (or computer ie HP; Compaq; Dell; Other?)
.

 

[clerksmith]

It's an addon. Like I said, it's a custom built PC with a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SB0090.

There is an onboard, but I've never used it because it doesn't work either. But that's not the one I want working.

Thanks

 

[Ruben]

Sounds like you are installing a wrong driver. Or the onboard sound is enabled. Or the card is broken...

 

[ravisunny2]

In my Device Manager menu, Multimedia Audio Controller has a ! next to it and when I try to manually select the Creative driver, none of them work.

Try first 'removing' the Multimedia Audio Controller, and then when XP finds a new h/w, install the correct driver.

 

[clerksmith]

ravisunny2, how do I do that?

 

[kimsland]

You may wish to Print the following steps

Go to Windows Safe Mode:

• Restart your computer
• Press the F8 key whilst the computer is loading
• Select Safe Mode (only) enter
• Logon to your Administrator account
• Select OK to continue in Safe Mode

Once in Safe Mode

• Click on Start --> Run --> and type in: compmgmt.msc /s
• Click on Device Manager on the LHS
• Select View-->Show hidden devices
• Remove any Sound devices in Device Manager
• Remove ay devices that show a yellow querrie mark
• Close Device Manager
• Click on Start --> Run --> and type in: services.msc /s
• Scroll down to Windows Audio
• Right click --> Properties, and set it to Startup=Automatic

Restart your computer, and go to System CMOS

• Press either: DEL; or F2 or whatever key your system states
• Once in CMOS confirm your onboard Sound is set to Disabled
• Save and Exit CMOS

Allow Windows to load into Normal Mode

• Cancel (if possible) any automatic device install
• Reload your Sound Drivers (ideally from your Sound driver CD)
• Restart, and allow any new device to be automatically installed

Does sound work now?

 

[clerksmith]

Followed everything to the T. Nothing.

I may try to get email support from Creative directly.

 

[kimsland]

Their forum:
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs?region=CLA&ws=http://creative.com

Wow OK, go to the source!

Please reply with their steps in fixing it, to allow me what to say in future.
I'd like to know their idea too

 

[ravisunny2]

What I meant was remove the association of the concerned device and the installed driver.

Just trying to install a new driver over it may not work (sometimes)

Keep in mind that the chipset drivers and/or patches may need to be installed first.

First uninstall the current driver, and then install the correct driver. BTW, the driver you are trying to install may be unsigned.

You can do this in multiple ways.

A) If you can see the driver in question in control panel -> Add/Remove Software, uninstall it there. Then install your correct driver.

This can be done in two ways:

1) If you have a setup/install program with the driver, just double click it.
2) If not you have to make Windows look for the driver. For this, through control panel, double click Add New Hardware

B) In the Device Manager, right click on the problem area, and through properties remove the driver. Then right click on the topmost icon (in Device Manager) to make Windows scan for new hardware. Then windows ask you for the location of the driver file.

For more information, you can see the links below.

http://www.watchingthenet.com/fixing-windows-xp-device-manager-errors.html

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310123

Good luck.

 

[smurfy2k]

follow what ravis had said