No audio after safe mode.

Inquirer · 02-08-2006, 10:14 PM

I used safe mode before I restored my computer to an earlier time (XP). After that, my computer turns on with this as it screen before a strange white loading bar appears at the bottom.

More to the important part, no sound is present during computer use.

Windows Media play says the following about all audio files:

Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There might not be a sound device installed on your computer, it might be in use by another program, or it might not be functioning properly.

I know there is a sound device. It was working fine hours ago, until something happened.

Is there something in BIOS I can do? I know this must have something to do with the setup screen... I would greatlyappreaciate input that could lead to the resolution of this irritating problem. Many thanks.

**UncleMacro** · 02-09-2006, 03:32 PM

It would be helpful to see the dxdiag.txt file on your computer. It displays info about your video and audio drivers. You do that as follows:

Click Start.
Click Run.
Type in dxdiag.
Click OK.
Click Save All Information.
Save the dxdiag.txt file somewhere.
Include the dxdiag.txt as an attachment to your next post.

Inquirer · 02-09-2006, 06:38 PM

Alright thanks; it should be attatched.

I'm at a loss to explain it as the file says no sound device is detected on my machine.

Maybe it is loose inside? I doubt it... I await your take on this.

**UncleMacro** · 02-09-2006, 08:29 PM

Well, the sound card isn't in the list at all. No audio driver and no entry in the system devices. As long as everything else is working properly, I wouldn't worry about why it happened. I'd just deal with it directly. I'd find or download the sound driver for your soundcard (on onboard motherboard audio) and install it again. I can't tell from the dxdiag what kind of hardware you have. If you're not sure, you can get thorough info on your hardware from Sandra.

Inquirer · 02-09-2006, 10:56 PM

I downloaded and ran that 'Sandra' thing but I didn't seem to find the program very helpful at identifying the driver problem at all. I do hope this is as simple as finding a driver to download as I think you suggested.

Might you know of a good, reliable site where my PC can be scanned and the appropriate sound card driver ..device ....thing be installed on my PC -problem solved? *neals & prays*

Inquirer · 02-09-2006, 11:50 PM

I should just show you this too. The attachment is a screenshot of my list of stuff under Device Manager. Is there, within the red box highlighted, the sound 'card' I should be seeing or is it absent and therefore not being read all together?

**UncleMacro** · 02-10-2006, 12:23 AM

Those five entries in the device manager also show up on my machine and they all look to be generic drivers which aren't specific to a particular sound card. Your real sound hardware is missing.

One easy way to try to fix it would be to run the Add or Remove hardware wizard and have it look for new hardware. Audio hardware should be plug and play and it may be recognized automatically.

If that doesn't work then it's best to just find out exactly what kind of hardware you have and then we can find the driver. I've seen people use auto-scan gizmos before (I think I've seen people use this one) but they don't have the best reputation. It's better just to find out what kind of hardware you have and download it manually to make sure you get the right one. What kind of computer do you have (either make and model or motherboard/sound card)? If you don't know exactly, then Sandra can make a report (in a mere 60 gazillion steps) which you can post as an attachment:

Start up Sandra and click File.
Click Create a report wizard.
Click Next (right arrow) a couple of times to get to step 2.
Click Clear All (box with a red "X") to clear all Information Modules.
Put a check in the following modules: System summary; Mainboard information; PCI, AGP, cardbus information; Soundcard information.
Click Clear All for all the other modules in step 3, 4, and 5.
In step 8, select .txt and ANSI.
Uncheck the three boxes at the bottom of step 8.
Goto step 9 and click OK (the green check).

Inquirer · 02-10-2006, 06:44 PM

I used the Driver detective and got took the following screenshot (& starred the driver that might be what I'm looking for). I didn't know what to make of the 58% bad drivers statement though...

I also followed your steps with Sandra and the text file is also attatched. I should note that there was no soundcard 'box' to check just the three following:
-System Summary
-Mainboard Information
& PCI(e), AGP, CardBus Bus(es) Information.

**UncleMacro** · 02-10-2006, 11:08 PM

The "Realtek AC'97 audio" is definitely the driver you need. Unfortunately, your motherboard info in Sandra's text file doesn't give the real motherboard model number. It looks like a Foxconn OEM motherboard using the SiS 760 chipset but I can't tell which Realtek audio chip is on the motherboard. Realtek has one large driver which supports (I think) all of their AC'97 chips. I'd download this Realtek driver and install it. The one you want has this description: "Windows 98Gold/98se/Me/2000/XP/2003(32/64 bits) for Driver only. For Windows 98 SE, DirectX(R)8 is required to enable advanced features. (Excution file)".

If, for some reason, that one doesn't work, then I'd go into add or remove programs window and uninstall the Realtek AC'97 driver that you just installed. Then give the www.drivershq.com program a chance. I believe it will just download the exact same driver (or a slightly older one) but you can give it a try if all else fails.

It might be a good idea to create a system restore point before doing any of this. Generally, problems with audio drivers don't cause any serious problems (other than silence) but it's nice to have a way to undo changes if something goes wrong.

Inquirer · 02-11-2006, 03:58 AM

Under administrator (which I can only log on as under safe mode with XP Home edition) I believe I managed to install it as can be seen in this screenshot.

I suppose progress has been made in that the AC 97 is listed under device manager, yet my new problem is that it is still not functioning and "Device cannot start (code10)" is stated. I think I'm getting closer here, any hints how to correct this set back?

**UncleMacro** · 02-11-2006, 04:51 AM

I think the wrong AC'97 driver is installed but I'm not sure. It says "VIA AC'97" but I think your motherboard has a SiS chip so it should say "SiS AC'97". CPU-Z can tell you for sure which chip is on the motherboard. Run CPU-Z and then go to the Mainboard tab and look in the Chipset and Southbridge lines. I believe the Chipset should be SiS 760 and the Southbridge should be SiS 964. By the way, the Manufacturer and Model fields would also be useful to know. If the southbridge is SiS 964 then you shouldn't have a "VIA AC'97" driver installed. That would probably explain why the driver won't start. I've run Realtek's audio driver installer on a machine which didn't have a Realtek chip in it and it went ahead and installed anyway so that may be what happened to you.

I know this is getting to be a royal pain at this point. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what's going on. If Realtek's installer doesn't work then I'd go into the add/remove programs window and uninstall the realtek driver which you just installed. Then I'd give drivershq a shot to see if it does any better. Another driver scanner you could try is DriverAgent. Maybe the automatic driver scanners will be able to install the correct driver.

Inquirer · 02-11-2006, 01:39 PM

Once again the driver detective from drivershq simply said I need 'Realtek AC97 Audio' which seems to reffer to many possible drivers. DriverAgent didn't list any drivers under audio at all.

I unistalled the non-functioning Realtek AC97 Audio one and am now looking from the right one given that I have confimed the Chipset SiS 760 and the Southbridge SiS 964 with that CPU-Z program you presented. I guess all I'm after this point is the one that would correspond with the SiS 964...

PS: I really appreciate all the assistance you provided me with so far and I know that you've done you best to lend a helping hand.

**UncleMacro** · 02-12-2006, 12:30 AM

This motherboard is the closest I can find to yours. The drivers for it are here. That's the closest driver that I can find. It's a SiS760 + SiS964 with a Realtek AC'97 and Realtek drivers tend to be pretty generic so that driver should be okay.

If that driver doesn't work then I'd try the following:

Go into the BIOS to make sure the onboard audio is still enabled. Nothing you've done earlier should affect the CMOS RAM where that info is stored but you might as well check anyway to cover all the bases.
Check the Manufacturer and Model fields in CPU-Z and find the audio driver for that exact motherboard. Realtek drivers tend to be very generic so this shouldn't be necessary but it's worth doing.
Pick up the phone and find whoever built this machine or motherboard so you can dig up the exact driver which came with the machine.

If none of those work then the options going from bad to worse are:

Try to use system restore to roll back to when it used to work properly and kiss changes you've made since then goodbye.
Run SYSPREP as explained here. This basically strips the drivers from the operating system and then they have to be reinstalled the next time it boots. Normally, all the drivers will be reinstalled automatically but sometimes you have to reinstall them manually. I don't know if this will make any difference but it will give it a chance to reinstall audio drivers selected automatically by the operating system.
Reinstall Windows using a repair install as explained here. This will completely reinstall Windows but should leave your applications intact (at least, that's what people say - I haven't tried it myself). This will require installing all the drivers from scratch. I think this one requires a "real" Windows XP disk. I don't think it works with a restore CD or partition. If all you've got is a restore CD then you may be stuck doing a full restore which wipes out your entire installation.
If reinstalling Windows and installing the audio driver doesn't work then there may be a hardware problem. Swallow your pride and get a PCI audio card with a different chipset like this or this. This qualifies as giving up but it's an option which should work (unless someone has put a hex on your machine).

Graemelives · 02-23-2006, 10:07 PM

UncleMacro: thank you so much. I've spent all day trying to find a link to these drivers. I did a search on google for "sis 964 drivers won't install" and this post came up. The motherboard you linked to is the one I need. You're the MAN!

02-08-2006, 10:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
Inquirer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 7 OS: xp	No audio after safe mode. I used safe mode before I restored my computer to an earlier time (XP). After that, my computer turns on with this as it screen before a strange white loading bar appears at the bottom. More to the important part, no sound is present during computer use. Windows Media play says the following about all audio files: Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There might not be a sound device installed on your computer, it might be in use by another program, or it might not be functioning properly. I know there is a sound device. It was working fine hours ago, until something happened. Is there something in BIOS I can do? I know this must have something to do with the setup screen... I would greatlyappreaciate input that could lead to the resolution of this irritating problem. Many thanks.

02-09-2006, 03:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	It would be helpful to see the dxdiag.txt file on your computer. It displays info about your video and audio drivers. You do that as follows: Click Start. Click Run. Type in dxdiag. Click OK. Click Save All Information. Save the dxdiag.txt file somewhere. Include the dxdiag.txt as an attachment to your next post.

02-10-2006, 12:23 AM	#7 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	Those five entries in the device manager also show up on my machine and they all look to be generic drivers which aren't specific to a particular sound card. Your real sound hardware is missing. One easy way to try to fix it would be to run the Add or Remove hardware wizard and have it look for new hardware. Audio hardware should be plug and play and it may be recognized automatically. If that doesn't work then it's best to just find out exactly what kind of hardware you have and then we can find the driver. I've seen people use auto-scan gizmos before (I think I've seen people use this one) but they don't have the best reputation. It's better just to find out what kind of hardware you have and download it manually to make sure you get the right one. What kind of computer do you have (either make and model or motherboard/sound card)? If you don't know exactly, then Sandra can make a report (in a mere 60 gazillion steps) which you can post as an attachment: Start up Sandra and click File. Click Create a report wizard. Click Next (right arrow) a couple of times to get to step 2. Click Clear All (box with a red "X") to clear all Information Modules. Put a check in the following modules: System summary; Mainboard information; PCI, AGP, cardbus information; Soundcard information. Click Clear All for all the other modules in step 3, 4, and 5. In step 8, select .txt and ANSI. Uncheck the three boxes at the bottom of step 8. Goto step 9 and click OK (the green check). Last edited by UncleMacro; 02-10-2006 at 12:26 AM.

02-11-2006, 01:39 PM	#12 (permalink)
Inquirer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Once again the driver detective from drivershq simply said I need 'Realtek AC97 Audio' which seems to reffer to many possible drivers. DriverAgent didn't list any drivers under audio at all. I unistalled the non-functioning Realtek AC97 Audio one and am now looking from the right one given that I have confimed the Chipset SiS 760 and the Southbridge SiS 964 with that CPU-Z program you presented. I guess all I'm after this point is the one that would correspond with the SiS 964... PS: I really appreciate all the assistance you provided me with so far and I know that you've done you best to lend a helping hand. Last edited by Inquirer; 02-11-2006 at 01:41 PM.

02-12-2006, 12:30 AM	#13 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	This motherboard is the closest I can find to yours. The drivers for it are here. That's the closest driver that I can find. It's a SiS760 + SiS964 with a Realtek AC'97 and Realtek drivers tend to be pretty generic so that driver should be okay. If that driver doesn't work then I'd try the following: Go into the BIOS to make sure the onboard audio is still enabled. Nothing you've done earlier should affect the CMOS RAM where that info is stored but you might as well check anyway to cover all the bases. Check the Manufacturer and Model fields in CPU-Z and find the audio driver for that exact motherboard. Realtek drivers tend to be very generic so this shouldn't be necessary but it's worth doing. Pick up the phone and find whoever built this machine or motherboard so you can dig up the exact driver which came with the machine. If none of those work then the options going from bad to worse are: Try to use system restore to roll back to when it used to work properly and kiss changes you've made since then goodbye. Run SYSPREP as explained here. This basically strips the drivers from the operating system and then they have to be reinstalled the next time it boots. Normally, all the drivers will be reinstalled automatically but sometimes you have to reinstall them manually. I don't know if this will make any difference but it will give it a chance to reinstall audio drivers selected automatically by the operating system. Reinstall Windows using a repair install as explained here. This will completely reinstall Windows but should leave your applications intact (at least, that's what people say - I haven't tried it myself). This will require installing all the drivers from scratch. I think this one requires a "real" Windows XP disk. I don't think it works with a restore CD or partition. If all you've got is a restore CD then you may be stuck doing a full restore which wipes out your entire installation. If reinstalling Windows and installing the audio driver doesn't work then there may be a hardware problem. Swallow your pride and get a PCI audio card with a different chipset like this or this. This qualifies as giving up but it's an option which should work (unless someone has put a hex on your machine). Last edited by UncleMacro; 02-12-2006 at 04:53 PM. Reason: had a few more ideas

02-09-2006, 08:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	Well, the sound card isn't in the list at all. No audio driver and no entry in the system devices. As long as everything else is working properly, I wouldn't worry about why it happened. I'd just deal with it directly. I'd find or download the sound driver for your soundcard (on onboard motherboard audio) and install it again. I can't tell from the dxdiag what kind of hardware you have. If you're not sure, you can get thorough info on your hardware from Sandra.

02-09-2006, 10:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
Inquirer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 7 OS: xp	I downloaded and ran that 'Sandra' thing but I didn't seem to find the program very helpful at identifying the driver problem at all. I do hope this is as simple as finding a driver to download as I think you suggested. Might you know of a good, reliable site where my PC can be scanned and the appropriate sound card driver ..device ....thing be installed on my PC -problem solved? neals & prays

02-10-2006, 11:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	The "Realtek AC'97 audio" is definitely the driver you need. Unfortunately, your motherboard info in Sandra's text file doesn't give the real motherboard model number. It looks like a Foxconn OEM motherboard using the SiS 760 chipset but I can't tell which Realtek audio chip is on the motherboard. Realtek has one large driver which supports (I think) all of their AC'97 chips. I'd download this Realtek driver and install it. The one you want has this description: "Windows 98Gold/98se/Me/2000/XP/2003(32/64 bits) for Driver only. For Windows 98 SE, DirectX(R)8 is required to enable advanced features. (Excution file)". If, for some reason, that one doesn't work, then I'd go into add or remove programs window and uninstall the Realtek AC'97 driver that you just installed. Then give the www.drivershq.com program a chance. I believe it will just download the exact same driver (or a slightly older one) but you can give it a try if all else fails. It might be a good idea to create a system restore point before doing any of this. Generally, problems with audio drivers don't cause any serious problems (other than silence) but it's nice to have a way to undo changes if something goes wrong.

02-11-2006, 04:51 AM	#11 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	I think the wrong AC'97 driver is installed but I'm not sure. It says "VIA AC'97" but I think your motherboard has a SiS chip so it should say "SiS AC'97". CPU-Z can tell you for sure which chip is on the motherboard. Run CPU-Z and then go to the Mainboard tab and look in the Chipset and Southbridge lines. I believe the Chipset should be SiS 760 and the Southbridge should be SiS 964. By the way, the Manufacturer and Model fields would also be useful to know. If the southbridge is SiS 964 then you shouldn't have a "VIA AC'97" driver installed. That would probably explain why the driver won't start. I've run Realtek's audio driver installer on a machine which didn't have a Realtek chip in it and it went ahead and installed anyway so that may be what happened to you. I know this is getting to be a royal pain at this point. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what's going on. If Realtek's installer doesn't work then I'd go into the add/remove programs window and uninstall the realtek driver which you just installed. Then I'd give drivershq a shot to see if it does any better. Another driver scanner you could try is DriverAgent. Maybe the automatic driver scanners will be able to install the correct driver.

02-23-2006, 10:07 PM	#14 (permalink)
Graemelives Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1 OS: xp	UncleMacro: thank you so much. I've spent all day trying to find a link to these drivers. I did a search on google for "sis 964 drivers won't install" and this post came up. The motherboard you linked to is the one I need. You're the MAN!