BleepingComputer.com: No Audio device

After trying to add a Dell Laptop to my Dell Inspiron PC (home group?) I've had trouble. I have lost most all of my sound. System sounds are not there but if I get an e-mail with a .wmv video I am able to hear that sound. After trying to remove the networking feature I noticed that I can't click on any desktop icon when I first boot up. I have subsequently found out that if I kill a svchost process ( it almost always has the most memory usage of all the startup processes) I then can click on any icon and use my PC but with no sound. I did find out that the svchost process I have to kill belongs to network services. Any ideas?

You've already checked Device Manager...to ensure that the audio drivers are installed?

If so, then you've already uninstalled them, then rebooted and installed them again?

Louis

okroz, on Mar 2 2010, 01:38 PM, said:

This will not cause your sound to disappear something else happened.

The drivers have been uninstalled and reinstalled no change

Then your audio device is dead.

I do have sound when I recieve an email with a video attached. (.wmv) I also hear a few brief sounds while on line as if someone just logged in and is an instant message "buddy" but no one appears on my buddy list. Otherwise there is no sound

In that case...you need to check your volume control settings and ensure that nothing is muted that should not be.

Such controls vary from system to system, depending on what software has been installed for audio purposes, along with the audio drivers.

Louis

That was the first thing I checked. It tells me "No Audio Device"

You cannot get sound on a system...when there is "no audio device" reflected by the system.

It's just not possible...unless you only have the internal speaker working (the one that beeps for BIOS errors) and you have no sound at all coming from the audio connections of the system.

In that case...I suspect your onboard audio is dying/dead.

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Louis

This post has been edited by hamluis: 11 March 2010 - 10:09 AM

Sorry my friend but it says "no audio device" but I do get sounds when someone sends me an email with a .mvw type video. And occasionally,out of no where, sounds will come out ...a gong sound,smooch sound and a bagpipe sound. Only for a second or two and with no obvious indication on my screen.

I added a sound card.....no change

I've seen issues with the new cards conflicting with sound card drivers. The problem might be that your system doesn't recognize your soundcard as a soundcard anymore, resulting in the "Unknown Device (with exclamation point)"

Here's what I've done in the past to fix this issue.

If you have service pack 1 or 2, try this patch:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888111
You have to request the hotfix download i believe, and they email it to you if I recall.

If you have service pack 3 then you need to trick your OS into thinking it has service pack 2 first. Here's how:

Start menu > Run > regedit (opens the registry editor) and navigate to :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
On the right side panel, doubleclick CSDVersion
Change the data value from 300 to 200.
Close the registry editor, and reboot.

Run the patch mentioned above. Windows should be able to recognize your soundcard now and you can install the drivers if needed. Next, you need to set the service pack key back to service pack 3, so go back into the regedit, and set that same key back to 300 and reboot again. If all goes well, you'll be enjoying some sound.

I tried this and no change. By the way it doesn't tell me "unknown device" It says "no audio device" and since trying this procedure I now have absolutely no sound. I had to do a sytem restore to put everything back.

so it says no audio device in your sound settings, and the drivers all show up properly in device manager?

When you tried the new soundcard did you disable the onboard sound in the bios 1st? If not, try that, as it sound like your onboard audio may be toast. I don't understand though why it would be making any sound at all if it says theres no audio device to push that sound to.