Windows can't display Volume Control on Taskbar

[hippo430]

I am unable to display the Volume Control on my taskbar (Windows XP, sp 3). When I go to the control panel and Sounds and Audio Devices and mark the box to display the Volume Control the following message appears: "Windows cannot display the volume control on the taskbar because Volume Control program has not been installed. To install it, use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel." I am not sure how to do this once in the control panel as there is nothing to install. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[ender]

On the right side of the window that opens when you click on "Add/Remove Programs" is an icon labeled "Add/Remove Windows components" or something similar. Select that and make sure that Windows Sounds is installed. You'll probably need the installation CD for XP during the operation.

 

[hippo430]

Sounds and Audio Devices in Taskbar

On the right side of the window that opens when you click on "Add/Remove Programs" is an icon labeled "Add/Remove Windows components" or something similar. Select that and make sure that Windows Sounds is installed. You'll probably need the installation CD for XP during the operation.

I tried your suggestion but did not find anything referring to sounds and audio devices in the Add/Remove Windows Components area. Furthermore, I do not have the XP disk that came with the system. Is it possible to download from Microsoft just the sound and audio devices? Thanks.

 

[ender]

I don't know of any way to install Win XP components without a CD but I'm not exactly an expert in that department. Perhaps someone else can suggest a way or settle the matter by saying no.

As for the initial issue, a quick google found this:

Article ID : 319095
Last Review : January 23, 2004
Revision : 1.0
This article was previously published under Q319095
SYMPTOMS
On a Windows XP-based computer, you may experience one or both of the following behaviors: • The Volume icon is no longer displayed in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar.
• When you try to add the volume control icon to the notification area (in the Sounds and Audio Devices utility in Control Panel, click to select the Place volume icon in the taskbar check box on the Volume tab), you receive the following error message:
Windows cannot display the volume control on the taskbar because the Volume Control program has not been installed. To install it use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.
As a result, you cannot start the Volume Control program and adjust the volume and sound level settings of your computer.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if the Sndvol32.exe file is damaged or missing.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, extract a new copy of Sndvol32.exe from the Windows XP compact disc to the system_root\System32 folder on your computer's hard disk. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key as you insert the CD-ROM to prevent it from starting automatically.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
4. Type the following lines at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line, where CD-ROM drive is the drive letter of the computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that contains the Windows XP CD-ROM, and system_root is the path and folder name where the Windows system files are located (generally C:\Windows):
CD-ROM drive:
cd i386
expand sndvol32.ex_ system_root\system32\sndvol32.exe

This thread has a longer discussion of the issue but I think all of the solutions they mention rely on having access to an install disc for XP.

However, if you have access to another computer with a functional volume control and the same version of XP installed on it, you could try to copy the "sndvol32.exe" file from the other computer to your own. See the quoted part for details on the location of the file. Either that or ask a friend that has an XP install disc to loan it to you.