Vista: "No Audio Device Installed"

[amstuart]

Hi:

Helping my Mom troubleshoot her DELL Dimension E520 running Vista Home 32 bit. No audio out of her speakers. I swapped a set of working speakers from my Gateway system and I can hear feedback just as I insert the jack into the green speaker connection. The speaker with the red "X" in the system tray states Volume:0, High Definition Audio Device. Right-click on icon, Open Volume Mixer, and "No Audio Device Installed" appears. Device Manager is clean. I uninstalled the Sigma Tel Audio driver and reinstalled; I disabled and enabled; I went to the DELL Website for my Model and Serial number and made sure all software was as installed at factory; I uninstalled SP2 and reinstalled it; I uninstalled all audio drivers, rebooted and let Windows install the audio driver. The speaker with the red "X" persists as does the "No Audio Device Installed" warning.

I reinstalled the Sigmatel drivers, dated 2/28/2007, version 6.10.5405.0. Although still no sound, I now have a Sigma Tel Audio Control Panel in the system tray, confirming that the audio jack works as soon as the audio jack is placed in the female connector.

For $30.00 I ordered the
Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card. The device installed but still no sound. Went to RadioShack for headphones: no sound through these, either.



I installed Piriform Speccy and included the results. This Forum and a GOOGLE search of this issue returns hundreds and hundreds of suggestions to try. I am out of ideas, so I want your advice: should I install a new motherboard; should I reinstall VISTA; should my mother purchase a new computer (she can't live without the audio)? Does this issue point more towards software or hardware, and does the fact that the PCI Sound Blaster Card not working assist in deciding which component(s) is/are at fault?

Thank you.

Adam

Motherboard
Manufacturer Dell Inc.
Model 0WG864
Chipset Vendor Intel
Chipset Model P965/G965
Chipset Revision C2
Southbridge Vendor Intel
Southbridge Model 82801HH (ICH8DH)
Southbridge Revision B0
BIOS
Brand Dell Inc.
Version 2.4.0
Date 05/24/2007

Operating System
MS Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit SP2
Installation Date: 13 April 2007, 09:43
Serial Number: 3YMR2-XXXXXXXXXXXX Graphics
Monitor
Name Generic Non-PnP Monitor on Intel G965 Express Chipset Family
Current Resolution 1152x864 pixels
Work Resolution 1152x834 pixels
State enabled, primary
Monitor Width 1152
Monitor Height 864
Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Frequency 60 Hz
Device \\.\DISPLAY1\Monitor0
Intel(R) G965 Express Chipset Family
Memory 384 MB
Memory type 2
Driver version 7.14.10.1147
Intel(R) G965 Express Chipset Family
Memory type 2
Driver version 7.14.10.1147
LogMeIn Mirror Driver
Memory type 2
Driver version 2.50.596

Audio


Sound Card
SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
Playback Devices
Headphones (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Digital Output Device (SPDIF Out) (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Speakers (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC) (default)
Recording Devices
Rear Mic (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC) (default)
Front Mic (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Front Mic (Monitor) (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Line In (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Sound Card
High Definition Audio Device
Playback Devices
Digital Output Device (SPDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
Speakers (High Definition Audio Device) (default)

SUMMARY

Operating System
MS Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit SP2
CPU
Intel Pentium D 820
SmithField 90nm Technology
RAM
1.5GB DDR2
Motherboard
Dell Inc. 0WG864 (Microprocessor)
Graphics
Generic Non-PnP Monitor @ 1152x864
Intel(R) G965 Express Chipset Family
Intel(R) G965 Express Chipset Family
LogMeIn Mirror Driver
Hard Drives
156GB Seagate ST3160812AS (SATA) 36 °C
Optical Drives
TSSTcorp CDRWDVD TS-H493A
Audio
High Definition Audio Device

Dell Inc. Dell DM061
System Service Tag: 8RZ1TC1

[Hoov]

Go into the device manager and go to view and select show hidden devices, and see if any problem hardware shows up.

Also does this computer have sound on the motherboard? If so you may need to go into the BIOS and turn it off before the addon card will work.

Also right click on the audio device in the device manager and select properties. See if there are any problems listed in the Device Status area.

[amstuart]

Hi Hoov:

Nothing hidden in Device Manager; no exclamation (conflict) points, either; sound <is> integrated on the MOB and before installing the Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card I did turn off the sound via BIOS control. I notice Realtek Audio is integrated on the new MOB, so maybe if there really is a Sigmatel/VISTA issue I might bypass the conflict (which I have a gut feeling happened after SP2 installation). My Mom did not have a System Restore available (!!!) so could not go back. A number of threads discuss this issue after VISTA automatic install of a patch or SP2. No problems in Device Manager with audio devices.

Do you have a safe download Site for the Driver files and User Manual for the EpoX EP-9HDAI Pro 939 MOB? When I GOOGLE drivers for BIOS (VISTA) and RealTek Audio, I get Shareware ****, advertisements to complete surverys before having access to the download, and so forth.

Do you think installing a new MOB with integrated Realtek Audio is worth a shot?

Thanks.

Adam

[Hoov]

You should be able to get them here.  If they are not available on the site, then e-mail them and ask them. Looks like your particular motherboard is about 4 years old, but they should still have the drivers somewhere.

After disabling the sound card in BIOS, is it disabled in the device manager? If not I would do that.

Also go into the control panel, the the sound control panel and check the properties of the speakers and make sure they are configured correctly.

[amstuart]

After building the system and installing the hardware, I am going to use REVO Uninstaller to get rid of all remnants of Sigmatel, and I will make sure Device Manager is clean. After installing the Realtek drivers, I will make sure Control Panel and the Sound Mixer only reflect Realtek on the system.

This is next week's project. Will follow-up.

Thank you, as usual, Hoov.

Adam

[Hoov]

You are welcome!

[amstuart]

You should be able to get them here.  If they are not available on the site, then e-mail them and ask them. Looks like your particular motherboard is about 4 years old, but they should still have the drivers somewhere.

Hoov:

The MOB is discontinued and <is> 4 years old. I read on the spec sheet that the supported OS's are:
OS Supported:
Windows 2K/XP(32/64bit)/Server2003(32/64bit)

If VISTA is not mentioned (for obvious reasons, VISTA is not 4 year's old), does that mean VISTA will not run on this system?

Adam

[Hoov]

Nope, it only means that they never tried. I would contact them and ask.

[amstuart]

Hoov:

Epox has been unresponsvrive to emails for 48 hours. I registered on their Website but only silence. Since the MOB is discontinued (9HDAI PRO 939), do I need any drivers other than BIOS and audio (since Realtek is integrated)? I found a 2007 BIOS driver for this board, but am not sure what other driver(s) I might need.

Thanks.

Adam

[Hoov]

Any of the chipset drivers you will need. The BIOS, unless its an update to what you have, don't worry about it.

[amstuart]

The stat sheet for this exact board I found here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813123015

Can you confirm that the chipsets I need are for Audio and "North Bridge" and "South Bridge".
I am not sure what "North Bridge VIA K8T800 Pro", under FSB Chipsets ,refers to.

Thanks.

Adam

[amstuart]

I was thrown by "VIA"-- thought the word was being used as "by way of".

Found the drivers for: VIA K8T800 Pro, VIA VT8237R, Realtek ALC655, and
LAN Chipset Realtek 8100C.

Adam

[Hoov]

 

[amstuart]

Well, you know what they say about the best made plans: DELL seems to have a proprieatry design of its case and there is no way any MOB with a configuartion different than that of a DELL MOB can fit into the case (At least for the Dimensiion E520). So, if HOOV or anyone else is up to troubleshooting the lack of audio, I am willing to try anything to save my Mom from having to purchase a new system. The Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme is installed; I confirmed that integrated audio is OFF in BIOS; there are no remanants of Siigmatel Audio drivers or software on the system; I went to the Creative Labs Website and made sure the drivers for Vista-32bit were installed for the Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme. Device Manager is clean; I wanted to see if I needed to force an additional hardware installation by foing into Add New Hardware, but for Sound, Video and Game Controllers, Creative Technology Ltd. as a listed Manufacturer only lists Unsupported Game Port for Creative
under Model: there is no PCI Soundblaster card listed. I did not install this as I read too many threads which state that the game controller is not supported in VISTA unless it is via USB, not via PCI. Lastly, I now have a hiss coming from both speakers, which gets louder as the volume control is increased.  If I right-click on the speaker icon in the system tray, Windows Sounds do not work either when I select Test. I selected Default for the Creative Audio Control Panel, and I went into Services in Control Panel and made sure Windows Audio and all Audio for Creative is Started. To play safe, I restarted all audio services, rebooted, and just have the hiss from the speakers. Anything else to try??

Adam

[Hoov]

Are there any other expansion card slots with something in them? Sometimes swapping them around will make it work. What Dell computer do you have that you are trying to stick this into?