Sound Troubles

[Temiree]

Hey guys. New here.

I recently had some computer troubles about three weeks or a month ago. When I started the computer up one day I had found that the computer suddenly had a 16-color display and 640 x 480 resolution. (I think that was the resolution) And I could not turn it back. Also, the mouse only worked in safe mode.

Long story short, we managed to fix the mouse and display problem. My uncle fixed the mouse so I don't know how he did that, but I fixed the display problem by redownloading a driver for my video card. Then I just put back my old settings.

After getting everything back in running order, I decided to play a game that I hadn't played since the computer went psycho. I loaded it up and found that the sound didn't work, which was odd because the sound works in Windows Media Player (the .wav sound files in the sound folder of the game) and there was sound outside the game. I tried another game that was a bit older and the sound worked perfectly, but oddly not in the newer game.

NOTE: The "newer" game was made in 2003, the older one around 1999.

I tried re-installing the game, but that didn't work. No sound still. I tried contacting technical support, but I still haven't got a message back from them.

My system specs are:

Computer: Compaq Presario 5100CA
Runs on: Windows Me
Bought: Around 1999 or 2000
Upgrades since then: 128MB Radeon 9200SE video card and 256MB of RAM
Sound card: SoundMAX Digital Audio (came with computer)
Computer troubles started: Around the second week of January.

I hope that's enough information. In the game I am trying to make the sound to work, I really need to sound in order to play it. It makes it tougher without it.

I personally suspect that I am missing a driver for the sound card much like how I solved the display problems by downloading a new driver for the video card.

By the way, this all happened overnight on that day back in January. :rolleyes:

Any help I will really apprechiate. Thanks! ;)

EDIT: Oh ya, the sound in the game worked before the computer troubles.

[Laser]

Which game is it? Does it not have a 'setup' for audio, video and controllers?

[Catweazle]

Here are all the device drivers for your Presario. Download them and install them. there are most likely some updated drivers there compared to the ones you have installed. Do not worry about the onboard graphics driver of course.

Then uninstall and reinstall the games you are having problems with. First ensure that you have the latest version of DirectX installed, and do NOT allow any game installation to install a different version of DirectX.

[Temiree]

My game is Nascar Racing 2003 Season, Laser. I need to sound so I can hear the tone of the engine as I go around the track. Without sound, I might over-rev the engine etc. Yes, it does have audio, graphic and controller options.

Catweazle:

Here are all the device drivers for your Presario.

Do you mean on this site? Or did you forget to provide a link to them? I'll go search for them anyway. I went to driverguide.com and I found two drivers, but they were for Windows 95 and 98, but not ME.

[Catweazle]

whoops!!!

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?dlc=en&tool=softwareCategory&lc=en&product=92994&cc=us&os=209

Those are the Windows Me drivers :D

Always go the the manufacturer website. Driverguide is for losers, in my opinion, and should only ever be used as a last resort for old stuff which no longer has official drivers available for download.

In this case, Hewlett Packard has provided the drivers for Compaq PCs since the two companies merged a while back.

[Temiree]

Thanks a bunch. Downloading now. ;)

I'll tell you how it goes.

[Temiree]

I downloaded and installed both drivers, but no I have no sound what so ever. I also get an error after a restart saying:

"Error: Error loading streamci" or something like that. I tried listening to music, but the computer won't recognize them.

I have a new icon though at the bottom near the clock that is a blue square with a white arror pointing to the right.

It has options like volume and SoundMAX control panel, but I can't access them. I can't access the SoundMAX control panel because an error comes up saying:

"An error occured while Windows was working with the Control Panel file C:\PROGRAM FILES\ANALOG DEVICES\SOUNDMAX\SMAX3CP.CPL."

And when I click on volume, nothing even happens.

Any idea how I can fix this?

The things that work that are in the list when I right click the icon are:

DLS Loader
Windows Media Player
Multimedia
About SoundMAX
SoundMAX FAQ's
Exit

[Catweazle]

Do you have the original 'Restore' disks for your PC? Do you have a CD or DVD burner installed?

In your situation I'd seriously consider backing up your data files to CD, external drive, or a networked PC, then using the Restore (Recovery?) CD to restore your system to its original state . Load your softaware back on and copy your data files back, and you'll have removed the problem. You can use those downloaded drivers to update the ones originally used.

Your problem could have any of a large number of causes, and it first occurred too long ago for you to remember just what happened on your system prior to it arising. You could spend an inteminable amount of time tracking it down and correcting it. At present, it sounds like you're piling system corruption on top of system corruption.

Sometimes it's simply better to wipe it and start over!