# SoundMAX driver installs, but no sound is heard



## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

Hi,

I am running an eMachines 730 with Windows 98SE. Everything works but sound. When I reinstall the sound driver, I ONLY hear the Win98 startup sound for a few seconds before cutting out. After this, no sound is heard until I reinstall the driver. I got the driver from multiple places - techspot, CNet, etc but none of them work. I even tried using the official driver from the eMachines recovery CD and using Device Manager to install the driver. This didn't work.

What I have tried:

Using Device Manager to install the driver
Running Setup from the CD

I am really confused because it used to run just fine under 98 & XP Home. Please do help!


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## texasbullet (Jun 11, 2014)

With which OS your computer came with?
Can you give us the serial number and/or model number of your emachine.
Maybe the soundcard does not have a driver available for Windows 98SE.


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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

The computer came with Windows XP Home Edition. The serial number is QDU1B 103 00306. The sound card DOES have a driver for 98SE. I've tried installing Windows 2000, and that works. I'd like to use 98 because it uses better compatibility than Windows 2000 for DOS games (I dislike using VMs and DosBox is not a solution).


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

> I am running an eMachines *730* with Windows 98SE
> 
> The computer came with Windows XP Home Edition
> 
> The serial number is *QDU1B 103 00306*


There is no such model number listed, and the serial number is "not found".

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Is that eMachines a desktop or a laptop/notebook?

What series letter(s) is it?

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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

> Is that eMachines a desktop or a laptop/notebook?


A desktop



> What series letter(s) is it?


No series - the recovery discs states it's a desktop PC.


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

> A desktop
> 
> No series - the recovery discs states it's a desktop PC


The eMachines desktops come in several series and model numbers.

None of them show a "730" model number.

All models have 1 or letters and 4 numbers.

The only eMachines that shows a "730" is the D and E series laptops/notebooks, and they come with Windows 7 32-bit.

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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

I've checked the eMachines website many times in the past with no reference to the 730, or any other that have no letters. While this is the wrong model number, it shows an earlier model than mine:
hXXp://www.gumtree.com/p/desktop-workstation-pcs/emachines-220-xp-with-table/1119992561

Mr Memory shows this: http://www.mrmemory.co.uk/memory-ram-upgrades/emachines/desktop-tower/other-models (the second to last one on the first page). I also emailed eMachines when the fan in it stopped working. Obviously I got that the model is no longer supported, but it's interesting to see that eMachines themselves acknowledge its existence.

Can anyone else provide some insight?


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

We had a discussion about this eMachines desktop in May 2014 when you were wanting to reinstall Windows XP Home Edition in it.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/1126534-looking-emachines-730-xp-drivers.html

We never confirmed its identity back then.

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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

My previous email to eMachine in 2013:

"On Packard Bell's website, there is a link to download drivers for old Packard Bell computers. Is there one on your website? It is an old 2001 eMachine 730 Windows XP PC." 

They did indeed reply, but I am unable to find it.


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

Packard Bell and eMachines are 2 entirely different computer manufacturers.

Packard Bell is not going to provide drivers for eMachines computers.

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By the way, Acer computers now own and provide support for eMachines computers.

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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

Open the Device Manager window.

What entries are listed in the *Sound Video And Game Controllers* heading?

Is there an *Other Devices* or *Unknown Devices* heading in the Device Manager, and is there any entries in that heading?

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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

> Packard Bell and eMachines are 2 entirely different computer manufacturers.
> 
> Packard Bell is not going to provide drivers for eMachines computers.


I know, however I was using Packard Bell as an example because they have a FTP site where you can download Packard Bell's older drivers from 2006. I actually did a quick search and stumbled upon this:

ftp://ftp.emachines.co.uk - this gave me some models, but not the one I wanted unfortunately. 



> By the way, Acer computers now own and provide support for eMachines computers.


 ...who actually bought out Gateway along with eMachines (since eMachines were low with money, and they needed, desperately, money. Gateway for whatever reason, saw this as an opportunity).



> What entries are listed in the Sound Video And Game Controllers heading?


"SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio"


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

> SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio


Double-click that entry to open its properties window, then click the "Details" tab, then click "Hardware Ids" in the list.

Advise what the exact 4-character codes are that follow *VEN_* and *DEV_* in those strings.

Note: Some Analog Devices and SoundMAX audio devices both use the same driver.

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## Crazy10 (May 12, 2012)

Apologies for the long delay - I've been switching out a hard drive in my computer (a Dell Dimension 4600) without realizing I didn't have a Molex to SATA connector, so I'm buying a 250GB IDE HDD. I'll hopefully be able to give you the info tomorrow.


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