# "No audio mixer device" Realtek AC'97 help



## Tard (Apr 3, 2005)

I just reinstalled windows today (not a full format) and after I got it back up and running it ran perfectly... exept without any sound. So I popped in the CD that came with my mobo for it's onboard sound (nForce4 chipset, 8-channel sound) and installed the Realtek AC'97 software drivers that came with it and what I was using before the install, when it worked perfectly. Well it showed up in the device manager and had no device conflicts anywhere to be seen, but windows didn't seem to pick up that I had it installed and it wouldn't let me select anything for my audio device in the "sounds and audio devices" menu in the control panel, everything there is just ghosted. There's no lil speaker icon in my taskbar for volume control, and when I click on volume control in the Entertainment tab in Accessories, it says I have no "Audio mixer device" installed. Well Realtek AC'97 is my freakin audio mixer device damnit, why won't it pick that up?! I have it installed and have uninstalled and re-installed and updated several times and it still won't detect it and let me use it as my audio device or mixer device! I need help ASAP, I'm a big gamer and can't go without sound. Also, system restore won't let be go back before I reinstalled windows either to get my sound back. Can anyone help me with this?! It'd be GREATLY appreciated!!!


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Before you installed the Realtek did you install the latest NFORCE drivers?

You can get the latest drivers from here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_nf4_winxp2k_6.53


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## Tard (Apr 3, 2005)

Yeah, I've downloaded the latest drivers for everything for this friggin mobo. Not like I think it would matter anyway cuz it was runnin fine off these drivers from my CD before I reinstalled XP. I even uninstalled the old drivers 1st. I think this is some kinda huge screw up on XPs part cuz it should pick up that Realtek is installed and it's not detecting it whatsoever. I've even enabled all three catagories for Realtek in the Properties (audio device, MIDI device, and Mixer device) so it SHOULD use Realtek for all three of those functions and it's not even picking it up for me to use it as an option. I've did everything I can think of, like uninstalling Realtek and letting Windows detect my onboard audio and installing the drivers by itself. I've literally spent the last two days working on this sound. I refuse to reformat this drive to fix this small of an error. This is getting severly frustrating and I'm a pretty patient person....


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## professorxox (Nov 3, 2003)

Check in your bios to make sure that audio is enabled.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Out of curiosity, why did you reinstall? Were you having problems?


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## richman1068 (Apr 1, 2005)

If you are getting sound, it isn't a major problem. To get the speaker icon in the sysyem tray by the clock, go to Start... Control Panel... Sounds and Audio Devices... and click the box next to Place volume Icon in taskbar. Other than that, I can't help much. Try reinstalling drivers from the nVidia website like Triple6 said. Good luck!


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

It might be this as I've run across a similar problem with Windows ME and Windows XP: http://www.tymes.net/swenum/fix-swenum0.htm


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## Tard (Apr 3, 2005)

I actually disabled the sound in the bios and then re-enabled it to see if windows would pick it up as new and try to install the drivers itself, and I got it to do it itself, but not using that method. I re-installed windows cuz Norton found a bunch of files "at risk" so I told it to delete them, and when it did, I had no more control over my network settings (no internet), and could not even access the device manager anymore. Richman, I'm not geting sound at all, there's no audio device detected in the sound devices menu so everything is ghosted in there and I can't select anything on any of the tabs. I'm using the most up to date drivers as possible fro my mobo manufacturers website. I honestly think this is some kind of glitch in windows or something, cuz I have everything installed that I have to have for sound and XP just simply isn't even recognizing it. My buddy has an external hard drive I can use to back up all my files, and I think I'm gonna end up doin a full format and re-install soon, mabye tonight, if I can't fix this very soon. Thanx for the site, Triple6, I found that the plug & play device enumerator (or whatever it is) is installed in my system devices.


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## MN_N8VTech (Jun 7, 2001)

I had the same problem. Windows sounds were disabled. Start>control panel>admin tools>services>windows audio, dbl click that and make sure on the "log on" tab its enabled. Then on the general tab make sure its started. Thats how I resolved it.


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## mehr520 (Apr 16, 2005)

I faced this problem since last week. I tried so many methods to solve but all of them were unsuccessfull. In addition to said problem, I have problem in Modem as well. Both two problem happened togeather.


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## FloridaGeez (Apr 30, 2005)

I think that Windows Automatic Update got me. Two nights ago it downloaded a new set of Nvidia drivers and I can't get sound back since. I've tried removing the drivers, re-installing my old ones etc. but no luck. Triple6 had a suggestion back on April 4 that would put back the Plug and Play BIOS Extension etc. and I tried to follow that recipe but on step seven I don't get the screens he shows that would offer the Plug and Play stuff. Any help would be appreciated. I have an ASUS A7N8x Deluxe mobo with the built in Realtek ALC650. Actually those Nvidia drivers screwed things up even worse, but I've managed to recover to this point that I only seem to be missing the sound. (At first I used the System Restore and that temporarily got the sound back - but now I am unable to restore to any earlier date).


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## mehr520 (Apr 16, 2005)

Finally I could solved my problem: "No Audio Mixer Device". It was very easy by Re-Installing the Win XP when Windows XP was running. Just repair it then Sound come up when Windows restart after Re-Installing finished. Hope your porblem solved also by this method.


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## Dark3lf (Jun 21, 2006)

mehr520 said:


> Finally I could solved my problem: "No Audio Mixer Device". It was very easy by Re-Installing the Win XP when Windows XP was running. Just repair it then Sound come up when Windows restart after Re-Installing finished. Hope your porblem solved also by this method.


but hey I don't wanna reinstal my Win XP :s
Me too got this sound probem  
Is there a solution to this ?


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## mrhat (Apr 22, 2007)

I was reading this forum page having exactly the same problems with none of the above really helping.

Until...

http://www.pchell.com/support/no_active_mixer_devices_available.shtml

should solve all your problems


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## jonleviathan (Nov 27, 2003)

iM HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, disable it and re-install drivers than re-enable it in bios. STILL NOT WORKING I can however get it done if I put enough time and effort into it but right now thats the least of my issues, ive come to a general realization that windows xp is very unsupported nowadays, its all about Macs and Unix! annd of course whole new systems with PnP working 100%.

Thx for all the nicely organized forums, they have SO much information that im going to be hoping to learn as I GO ON with this.


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## mike5532g (Jun 12, 2004)

I had a similar problem in the past. You need to open the device manager > sound, video and game controllers. Double click *Vinyl AC'97 Codec Combo Driver (WDM)*..._yours may differ_ > properties tab > mixer devices > highlight *Vinyl AC'97 Codec Combo Driver (WDM)*..._ again, yours may differ_ > properties button > select *Use mixer features on this device* and ok your way out. You may need to restart. Hopefully this will at least steer you in the right direction. Good luck!


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## xquaraanx (Jul 24, 2007)

Where do u go to buy Reletc cuz mines not working it says i need the disk 1


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## xquaraanx (Jul 24, 2007)

Where do i go to buy the releteck cd?


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

It would be referring to you Motherboard CD.

But you can download and install the new Realtek driver from here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads...&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#AC

You can also run Driver Sweeper first to remove the previous version of the Realtek driver: http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?page=driversweeper


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2008)

hi,

i got exactly the same problem:

A8NE-FM Mobo with Realtek AC'97 Codec on Windows XP
The Device Manager says at all 3 services "Driver activated but not started" (translated from german)

It started after the deinstallation of a USB-Headset (never buy one if you got a soundcard).
Since then i got no more sound, not even windows start sounds.

BUT:

When I change my sound driver in TeamSpeak to DirectSound, i can choose Realtek AC'97 as in and output device (with "wave" as sound driver not). Then i can hear something in TeamSpeak, but the mic still doesn't work.

AND:

I also got openSUSE 10.3 on the same computer, and in SUSE i can hear music OR use teamspeak, but as fast as teamspeak works i cant hear no more music, and as fast as music works again (i don't know what it depends on) i dont hear nothing in TeamSpeak.
Sounds funny but thats it. I hope this can help solving the problem, because none of the earlier solutions worked for me ...

And one more thing: In services.msc, "Windows Audio" depends on "Plug & Play" and "RPC". Plug & Play should work perfectly but when i want to install my printer drivers it says "RPC service doesn't run" or something like that, even if it runs ... maybe there's a connection ...

erninio


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

I think anyway who has their own problem shoudl start their own thread from now on. It's too hard to follow who's having what issue and what they've done. Thread is closed.


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