Sound stops working..

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 05:11 AM

My onboard Realtek AC'97 sound has always worked as it should, but recently it has started to randomly 'disable'.. as in when I go to Sound and Audio devices, it says there's no audio device. I restart the computer and it works fine for a while until it happens again. When its 'disabled', it is still visible in the device manager and everything. Tonight I tried installing a Soundblaster 16 card from another computer of mine, and it installed and worked, but the same thing happens with it, too. Must be pci bus related?

dai · 11-09-2006, 11:56 AM

did you disable the onboard when you installed the card

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 04:34 PM

Yes, I've had the onboard both enabled and disabled with the Soundblaster installed.. Whatever is happening affects both the onboard and Soundblaster.

dai · 11-09-2006, 05:16 PM

in the device manager click on view at the top and show hidden devices
see if there is any yellow alongside of anything

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 05:21 PM

Nope, everything is installed.. no yellow. The sound devices are still in the list and are working properly according to the device manager.

dai · 11-09-2006, 05:25 PM

is the onboard listed if so disable it

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 05:29 PM

No, it's disabled in the bios.

dai · 11-09-2006, 05:37 PM

try it in another slot

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 05:40 PM

Well I've tried the only 2 open slots I have.. The thing is, the problem happens to both the onboard sound and my soundblaster, so I don't think it would be a problem with the pci slot, you know?

dai · 11-09-2006, 06:02 PM

post your system specs including the power supply details off the label on the side

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 06:21 PM

AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-7VT600 1394
Giga-Byte Technology VT8377 Apollo KT400/A/600 CPU to PCI Bridge
512MB DDR-SDRAM
RADEON 9000 128mb AGP
Maxtor 6B300R0 (279GB)
CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1633S (CD 48X Rd, 48X Wr) (DVD 6X Rd, 6X Wr)
CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON LTR-52327S (CD 52X Rd, 52X Wr)
Hard Disk (C:) : 279GB (234GB, 84% Free Space) (NTFS)
Creative Audigy Audio Processor (WDM)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Professional 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
Adapter : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI TX NIC (3C905B-TX)

PSU:
LC-A350ATX
Voltage 115/230v Current 8A/4A Frequency 60/50Hz
+3.3 +5 +12 -12 -5 +5SB BLK GRN GRY
24A 35A 12A 0.8A 0.5A 2.0A cOM P-ON PG

(Right now I have an Audigy card installed instead of the Soundblaster 16 I had mentioned.. same problem with it though.)

dai · 11-09-2006, 06:28 PM

have you or can you borrow a psu with 16+ amps on the 12v line to swap in

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 06:31 PM

The only other power supplies I have are also 12A on the 12v line.

dai · 11-09-2006, 06:36 PM

see if one of your friends have one lying around that they have upgraded there has been a lot of upgrading in the last couple of years,with the massive jumps in power requirements

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 06:40 PM

You think that may be the problem, even though since I built this computer years ago the sound had worked fine until recently?

dai · 11-09-2006, 06:43 PM

yes well the supply is getting a bit long in the tooth and they deteriorate over time
but don't know that's why i said to borrow one and not buy one

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 06:48 PM

Yea gotcha.. I'll be building a new system at the end of the month anyway, so I may decide to also purchase a cheap (but not too cheap) power supply for this computer to see if it's the cause. If not then I'll probably get an inexpensive replacement motherboard, just something decent enough for a second computer.

Thanks for the help

dai · 11-09-2006, 06:51 PM

you can probably pick up a later model second hand computer for less than the m/b and psu would cost

Jbglide · 11-09-2006, 07:00 PM

Yea I'll see what I can find.

Jbglide · 11-10-2006, 03:42 AM

** Come to find out, the problem was that something stops the Windows Audio service.. I just set it to auto restart the service whenever it's stopped. Seems so obvious now -.-

11-09-2006, 05:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Sound stops working.. My onboard Realtek AC'97 sound has always worked as it should, but recently it has started to randomly 'disable'.. as in when I go to Sound and Audio devices, it says there's no audio device. I restart the computer and it works fine for a while until it happens again. When its 'disabled', it is still visible in the device manager and everything. Tonight I tried installing a Soundblaster 16 card from another computer of mine, and it installed and worked, but the same thing happens with it, too. Must be pci bus related?

11-09-2006, 11:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	did you disable the onboard when you installed the card __________________

11-09-2006, 05:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	in the device manager click on view at the top and show hidden devices see if there is any yellow alongside of anything __________________

11-09-2006, 05:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	is the onboard listed if so disable it __________________

11-09-2006, 05:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	try it in another slot __________________

11-09-2006, 04:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Yes, I've had the onboard both enabled and disabled with the Soundblaster installed.. Whatever is happening affects both the onboard and Soundblaster.

11-09-2006, 05:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Nope, everything is installed.. no yellow. The sound devices are still in the list and are working properly according to the device manager.

11-09-2006, 05:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	No, it's disabled in the bios.

11-09-2006, 05:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Well I've tried the only 2 open slots I have.. The thing is, the problem happens to both the onboard sound and my soundblaster, so I don't think it would be a problem with the pci slot, you know?

11-09-2006, 06:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	post your system specs including the power supply details off the label on the side __________________

11-09-2006, 06:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+ Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-7VT600 1394 Giga-Byte Technology VT8377 Apollo KT400/A/600 CPU to PCI Bridge 512MB DDR-SDRAM RADEON 9000 128mb AGP Maxtor 6B300R0 (279GB) CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1633S (CD 48X Rd, 48X Wr) (DVD 6X Rd, 6X Wr) CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON LTR-52327S (CD 52X Rd, 52X Wr) Hard Disk (C:) : 279GB (234GB, 84% Free Space) (NTFS) Creative Audigy Audio Processor (WDM) Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Professional 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2) Adapter : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI TX NIC (3C905B-TX) PSU: LC-A350ATX Voltage 115/230v Current 8A/4A Frequency 60/50Hz +3.3 +5 +12 -12 -5 +5SB BLK GRN GRY 24A 35A 12A 0.8A 0.5A 2.0A cOM P-ON PG (Right now I have an Audigy card installed instead of the Soundblaster 16 I had mentioned.. same problem with it though.) Last edited by Jbglide; 11-09-2006 at 06:22 PM.

11-09-2006, 06:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	have you or can you borrow a psu with 16+ amps on the 12v line to swap in __________________

11-09-2006, 06:31 PM	#13 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	The only other power supplies I have are also 12A on the 12v line.

11-09-2006, 06:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	see if one of your friends have one lying around that they have upgraded there has been a lot of upgrading in the last couple of years,with the massive jumps in power requirements __________________

11-09-2006, 06:40 PM	#15 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	You think that may be the problem, even though since I built this computer years ago the sound had worked fine until recently?

11-09-2006, 06:43 PM	#16 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	yes well the supply is getting a bit long in the tooth and they deteriorate over time but don't know that's why i said to borrow one and not buy one __________________

11-09-2006, 06:48 PM	#17 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Yea gotcha.. I'll be building a new system at the end of the month anyway, so I may decide to also purchase a cheap (but not too cheap) power supply for this computer to see if it's the cause. If not then I'll probably get an inexpensive replacement motherboard, just something decent enough for a second computer. Thanks for the help

11-09-2006, 06:51 PM	#18 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,588 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	you can probably pick up a later model second hand computer for less than the m/b and psu would cost __________________

11-09-2006, 07:00 PM	#19 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Yea I'll see what I can find.

11-10-2006, 03:42 AM	#20 (permalink)
Jbglide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11 OS: XP	** Come to find out, the problem was that something stops the Windows Audio service.. I just set it to auto restart the service whenever it's stopped. Seems so obvious now -.-