# No Sound device/mixer recognized on formatted laptop.



## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

I'm using an Acer Aspire 5100 with Windows XP installed. Due to malware or some other problem, and because I was due, I formatted my hard drive and installed XP. This is the first time I've done so with this laptop. I downloaded and installed drivers that appeared to be missing - my display drivers for my monitor, and for the wireless card.

Problem: I can hear no sound. The only sound that has played is a PC Beep. Windows does not recognize my sound card; the drivers are not installed properly. It seems that I cannot install them.

The PDF containing the list of drivers is here: http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/forms/acerdrivers.cfm ; scroll down to Aspire 5100.

My sound is not working. Volume Control tells me there is no mixer, and everything dealing with my sound settings is faded out (there are no devices to select), and no options.

Here's my device mananger: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/-FLCL-/DeviceManager-1.jpg

I have only updated drivers for the BroadCom Adapter and my Monitor/Display.

The driver I should have installed for sound, according to the PDF, is the Realtek Audio Driver v5.10.0.5257. I downloaded this, but cannot install it. Under my device manager, I have 'Audio Codecs' and 'Legacy Audio Drivers', but those don't seem to work. I cannot uninstall them, and windows will not let me override the drivers with my own.

Thanks in advance.


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## spdabbs (Feb 23, 2007)

Try downloading the driver direct from the Realtek site. If the audio device isn't listed in Device Manager as either "Unknown Devices" or "Other Devices", check it's enabled in your system BIOS.


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## Deathhawk (Apr 12, 2007)

Hi,

Go to this link and download the chipset + vga driver ati in the 1st driver tab under windows xp.

Then on the next driver tab...download the realtek high definition driver

http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/notebook/as_5100.html

When you install the chipset driver...you must reboot your pc before you install the audio driver

Edit....i would download and save these drivers in case of future problems


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

Deathhawk-
I'm getting an error on that page. 
MS Windows XP
ERROR: NO CONNECTION TO THE SERVER.

ERROR: NO CONNECTION TO THE SERVER.

Hopefully my solution will come quickly. Thanks.

edit: nevermind, working through a proxy. Downloading drivers, will report back soon.


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

I've tampered with stuff a little. I've tried installing different versions of the Realtek HD Audio stuff, but to no avail. 

I downloaded the ATI Drivers and ran the setup - it installed a few things.

I downloaded the Audio drivers, and installed them. I believe I uninstalled them after they didn't work, and tried again. I'm not completely sure what I have done.

In the Device Manager, under Sound, video and game controllers, I have:
-Audio Codecs
-Legacy Audio Drivers
-Legacy Video Capture Devices
-Media Control Devices
-(!)Microsoft Kernel Acoustic Echo Canceller *
-(!)Microsoft Kernel Audio Splitter *
-Realtek High Definition Audio (seems to be working)
-Video Codecs

* for the starred items - there seems to be a problem. Windows tells me that these cannot run because there are duplicates in the system. I believe that if these two are installed properly, I will have sound. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling my audio drivers. Did not help. 

On the drivers page I was linked to, can anyone tell me what drivers might help me? I really don't know what each individual one does. I'll try more stuff tomorrow, I'm getting very frustrated at this.


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## Deathhawk (Apr 12, 2007)

When you said the website failed to connect..did you try the updated link i posted above...not the one before i edited my post?

That is the acer site and you will get the EXACT drivers you require-there should not be any error on that page unless the site went down. That link will take you directly to your laptops drivers downloads page..try it again..and follow my previous instructions

Did you reinstall the chipset driver? If you did, you MUST make sure you reboot before you install the audio driver...it sort of enables all the driver configuration to work smoothly

Have you gone into control panel>>add hardware to see if it throws up any missing drivers?


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

Like I said, I was able to go on the site through a proxy.

Yes, I did what you said (for the drivers). It's still telling me exactly what I wrote.

New Hardware Wizard finds no new hardware, but still tells me one of the Microsoft Audio items isn't working properly.


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## Deathhawk (Apr 12, 2007)

Hmmm,

I connect to that site straight away..i cant think of why you are being refused entry!! Have you checked your firewalls?

In my experience, once you do the chipset install etc, it normally corects a sound problem...even more so as you have just formatted

Im wondering whether you had a corrupt xp install this time round..or it may be a hardware issue....have you done a windows update?...it may find something missing..


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

This appears to be the problem. I'm not concerned about why the site was giving me an error; it's not now.

Once again, I uninstalled everything I've been working with, installed the chipset drivers, restarted, and installed the audio drivers. Nothing new.

Also, about half of the time, Sounds and Audio Devices won't open from the Control Panel. My Realtek HD Audio Manager also shows no mixer and stuff. It seems that the devices already installed on my computer when I formatted do not work, and are not allowing my new ones to take over. If I can uninstall/remove the original ones, maybe I can solve this problem. Right now, I have no options to do so.

edit - I also installed the Modem on High Definition Audio Bus, since it seems related.


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

Anyone?


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## Deathhawk (Apr 12, 2007)

The reason i said about trying that particular site is that it is always best to get your driver downloads from the original vendors and only then from a third party..

I found this on another forum:

Quote:

one strange thing I found is that, I saw many washed out entries under "Sounds, Video And Game controllers" like 

"Microsoft Kernel Audio Splitter", 
"Microsoft Kernel DLS Synthesizer", 
"Microsoft Kernel DRM Audio Descrambler", 
"Microsoft Kernel Acoustic Echo Canceller", 
"Microsoft Kernel GS Wavelength Synthesizer".

All had the washed out icon, I un-installed them, then I shut down my computer later. Upon next boot, there was NO audio in my system, the new hardware icon appeared, all those devices were installed, and then I got back the audio.


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

Tried this multiple times. As one of the pictures show, they cannot run 'because there is a duplicate in the system'.


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## flcl573 (May 19, 2007)

Solved.

Reformatted, and installed drivers in this order:

Chipset/VGA Driver
All of the Acer Management Components
Cardreaders, Wireless Card
Everything else not related to sound

At this point, I attempted to install the HDAUDIO Modem device, but it wouldn't let me, so I installed the Realtek HD Audio Driver. Upon restart, it asked me to install the modem, and I did. I have sound now.


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## supra (May 19, 2007)

Hey good job man!!! I can tell you that you're not as excited as me!!! I just had a stupid sound problem yesterday after I reinstalled windows xp and I didn't hear sound at all. All I had to do was update!! Hahaha!!


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## Deathhawk (Apr 12, 2007)

Well done...i bet you are one happy guy...try the easy fixes first...they may just work!!


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