WinXP Mixer Error

[teh_nathan]

I'm using WinXP SP2 (yes I should switch to Linux if I had another computer to transfer things over to).

Occasionally though, the volume control will give some error about the mixer not being found (the sound will still work, just no recording). Sometimes the error will fix itself, sometimes I have to reboot but this is very occasional and happens at least a few times a day.

I wish I had a screenshot of the error. The soundcard is internal to the motherboard so maybe if I got an external sound card? Who knows.

I already tried reinstalling the sound drivers - nada.

If anyone can figure this out, they get a big kiss - and my gratitude

 

[teh_nathan]

I've had the motherboard for over a year. I didn't think anything would screw up this soon.

If I have to get a seperate sound card, I will but I won't be happy about it.

Thanks.

 

[Corny]

before you get yourself a new soundcard, i'd try installing new drivers first

 

[teh_nathan]

Corny: My drivers are up-to-date, there are no new drivers.
I'm very meticulous about making sure all my drivers are up-to-date.

T-Rexx:I'll try it (issue #2 is that my Find isn't working so I have to use an external program, no problem, it's just a temporary fix) and I'll let you know -- I guess I'll wait a day or so after the fix and if there are no problems in that timeframe, there aren't going to be any at all.

 

[teh_nathan]

T-Rexx: Did everything you suggested but Plug&Play Device Emulator isn't one of the choices I was given.

 

[teh_nathan]

Erggh. I really don't want to reformat. Will a repair install help?

 

[teh_nathan]

OK here's what I did:
* repair install with SP2 CD - made the problem worse and pc froze after I tried to select anything from the Start menu
* repair install with SP2 CD (with slipstreamed updates to August) - no diff.

Blew away the Program Files and Windows folders and installed.
Looks fine so far, at least I don't lose any files.

Thanks guys *big kiss that I promised*

 

[teh_nathan]

Erggh I hate being called Nate, but that's ok, you didn't know.

I try to avoid reinstalling if I can help it but I'm generally okay with it as long as I don't have to back anything up or reformat.

 

[teh_nathan]

Well, I do back things up when I need to, but I meant things like music and incomplete BitTorrent downloads that I didn't feel like backing up.

Actually, I just backed up the music, I had it stored all over the place on CDs. Goodbye 40CDs, hello 8 DVDs.

 

[teh_nathan]

Arggh, again with the fscking error after I reinstalled the OS days ago.

I give up. I'm getting an sound card.

 

[teh_nathan]

Plug&Play Device Emulator isn't in the list of system devices and never has been.
Plug&Play Software Device Enumerator was.
Same as always. :\

 

[teh_nathan]

Alright, here are the steps that I followed:

I followed the above directions for Plug&Play Software Device Enumerator (seemed pretty close to me) but got some extra Microsoft devices (that shouldn't be there), see screenshot:

<<Image Removed>>

Also ran Everest and it thought I had an AC'97 sound card (which I don't).

Uninstalled anything relating to sound, rebooted, let Windows auto-detect.
Nothing

Performed a repair-install, re-upgraded DirectX (maybe that was it?), let Windows auto-detect..rebooted..nothing.

So now I'm at a loss. Could be anything; could be bad motherboard (after a year? I really don't think so), anything at all.

I'm screwed, I think. I don't even know if getting a sound card would help.

 

[Corny]

what about all those entries with the yellow exclamation mark? from where do those come? i don't have had those on my machines, yet (even without the yellow thing). that sign usually indicates that there are some driver problems.

 

[teh_nathan]

Actually no, WGA is not an issue, I have some sneaky pieces of software that will completely deactivate the DLL. I tinker with WGA all the time.

The only way I can solve this is get another hard drive (a bigger one) to be the primary (C) and eventually just move things over from D to C. I plan to do this today. It's a shame that a repair reinstall didn't fix it; I was hoping it would.

 

[teh_nathan]

No, not at all. Others I know have bypassed WGA with absolutely no issues.

I wonder if it's possible that this is precisely where the problem lies.

 

[teh_nathan]

"I don't understand this, nathan. How will moving data from one drive to
another solve the configuration problems?"

It won't. It will give me more space to work with. I've needed to replace my secondary drive since it failed (one month past warranty expiration, so I chucked it in the bin), so this is as good a reason as any to get a larger drive and install XP on that.

 

[teh_nathan]

I think I have the solution (I hope).

Even reformatting didn't solve the issue..the sound still crapped out (but a reboot fixed it).

I found older drivers for SoundMAX (5.0 as opposed to 5.01.something) and my sound has been stable for a day so far. So I think the drivers were to blame (though they didn't crap out until recently and I've always used the same drivers)

 

[teh_nathan]

I shouldn't have spoken too soon.

 

[teh_nathan]

Oh and trying to restart the Windows audio service when the sound goes down:
"Not enough storage is available to process this command"

A reboot fixes that, but there should be some fix somewhere.

 

[Xavier_Holland]

I used to have this problem all the time with a RealTek audio port. So I switched to a C-Media driver for my onboard sound. I never had a problem since then. I think it's certain offbrand bundled software that makes the conflicting device have problems.

If it's a code 10 or 12, uninstall the soundcard and reinstall using windows found new device hardware wizard and let it grab the driver from Microsuck. If it grabs a C-Media or SBAudio drive for it, there shouldn't be any problem.

It's a SoundMax onboard?