No Flash Audio in Windows XP

[csteverun]

Please help -- I have tried every solution I could find on the Internet and nothing has worked.

I get no audio from YouTube or any Flash video, but regular audio (videos, games, anything outside the browser) works fine. The proper audio devices are selected in the Control Panel and all non-Flash audio seems to work fine.

I've tried uninstalling Flash, older versions of Flash, the newest version of Flash, uninstalling Firefox, the older versions of Firefox, the newest Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari. No Flash audio in anything.

I tried upgraded from Service Pack 2 to Service Pack 3 -- still no Flash audio. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling browser / Flash after SP3 -- still no Flash audio.

Flash audio always worked fine before, mysteriously stopped working months ago. No fixes in sight.

Please help. What could it be?

Steve

Windows XP Professional SP3
Intel 2.6GHz
2GB RAM
Sound Blaster Live

[techsheaven]

Make sure you have all your Microsoft updates, Reset Internet explorer, and associate .swf files with your flash player (Adobe?), and make sure you get the latest version.

Rather than writing a book on how to do all of this, just type back if you have any sticking points. I am guessing that this is a file association issue, so you may want to try this flash player:

http://download.cnet.com/FLV-Player/3000-13632_4-10467081.html

or go here for the latest Adobe (formerly Micromedia):

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

If you successfully complete those tasks and still have problems, you will need to look at malware.

[csteverun]

Make sure you have all your Microsoft updates, Reset Internet explorer, and associate .swf files with your flash player (Adobe?), and make sure you get the latest version.

Rather than writing a book on how to do all of this, just type back if you have any sticking points. I am guessing that this is a file association issue, so you may want to try this flash player:

http://download.cnet.com/FLV-Player/3000-13632_4-10467081.html

or go here for the latest Adobe (formerly Micromedia):

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

If you successfully complete those tasks and still have problems, you will need to look at malware.

Thank you for replying.

Windows is updated, and SWF files are associated with Flash (the audio just doesn't play). I tried resetting IE Internet settings, but it didn't help. Besides, if that was the issue wouldn't Flash audio still work in Firefox and other non-MS browsers?

Flash files play fine in VLC player if I download them, so FLV Player won't really help. The issue is no audio *in any browser*.

Of course I have downloaded the latest Flash several times. In fact, several new versions of Flash have came out since this problem began. As I wrote before, I've tried taking it off (using the Flash removal tool) and putting it back.

The computer seems to be completely clean of Malware/Spyware. I am I computer technician, so I do know how to clean up a PC. I am also a software programmer and I know how software works. If this was customer's computer I would have did a clean install a while ago. But I'd really like to solve this problem so that 1) the hundreds of others on the Internet who can't solve this will have a fix and so that 2) I don't have to reinstall a vast array of programs.

It seems obvious to me that this can't be a Flash issue if Flash is really being completely removed and reinstalled. It can't a browser issue if it affects all browsers. It can't be a sound driver issue if all other audio works fine. So it must be a problem with some part of Windows that directly deals with Flash, right?

[techsheaven]

I'm sure you know this, but here's the settings page:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html

And here are some associated registry keys:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32]
"midimapper"="midimap.dll"
"msacm.imaadpcm"="imaadp32.acm"
"msacm.msadpcm"="msadp32.acm"
"msacm.msg711"="msg711.acm"
"msacm.msgsm610"="msgsm32.acm"
"msacm.trspch"="tssoft32.acm"
"vidc.cvid"="iccvid.dll"
"VIDC.I420"="i420vfw.dll"
"vidc.iv31"="ir32_32.dll"
"vidc.iv32"="ir32_32.dll"
"vidc.iv41"="ir41_32.ax"
"VIDC.IYUV"="iyuv_32.dll"
"vidc.mrle"="msrle32.dll"
"vidc.msvc"="msvidc32.dll"
"VIDC.YVYU"="msyuv.dll"
"wavemapper"="msacm32.drv"
"msacm.msg723"="msg723.acm"
"vidc.M263"="msh263.drv"
"vidc.M261"="msh261.drv"
"msacm.msaudio1"="msaud32.acm"
"msacm.sl_anet"="sl_anet.acm"
"msacm.iac2"="C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\iac25_32.ax"
"vidc.iv50"="ir50_32.dll"
"wave"="wdmaud.drv"
"midi"="wdmaud.drv"
"mixer"="wdmaud.drv"
"VIDC.WMV3"="wmv9vcm.dll"
"VIDC.VP40"="vp4vfw.dll"
"msacm.voxacm160"="vct3216.acm"
"MSVideo"="vfwwdm32.dll"
"MSVideo8"="VfWWDM32.dll"
"wave1"="wdmaud.drv"
"midi1"="wdmaud.drv"
"mixer1"="wdmaud.drv"
"aux"="wdmaud.drv"
"vidc.VP70"="vp7vfw.dll"
"vidc.X264"="x264vfw.dll"
"VIDC.FPS1"="frapsvid.dll"
"vidc.VP60"="vp6vfw.dll"
"vidc.VP61"="vp6vfw.dll"
"vidc.VP62"="vp6vfw.dll"
"vidc.DIVX"="DivX.dll"
"VIDC.UYVY"="msyuv.dll"
"VIDC.YUY2"="msyuv.dll"
"VIDC.YVU9"="tsbyuv.dll"
"VIDC.DRAW"="DVIDEO.DLL"
"VIDC.YV12"="yv12vfw.dll"
"wave2"="wdmaud.drv"
"midi2"="wdmaud.drv"
"mixer2"="wdmaud.drv"
"aux1"="wdmaud.drv"
"wave3"="wdmaud.drv"
"midi3"="wdmaud.drv"
"mixer3"="wdmaud.drv"
"aux2"="wdmaud.drv"
"VIDC.MSUD"="msulvc05.dll"
"wave4"="wdmaud.drv"
"midi4"="wdmaud.drv"
"mixer4"="wdmaud.drv"
"aux3"="wdmaud.drv"

[techsheaven]

You may also want to show hidden devices from the view menu of the device manager. Check to conflicts in the non-PNP section ... Of course it will expand automatically if there are any.

Good Luck

[csteverun]

Thanks again for replying.

I have tried the Flash options before, but there's nothing related to output audio in there.

I have also found those registry keys on the Internet before. I added the missing entries (I didn't have some entries like aux3, wave4, ect), but to no avail.

I did show hidden devices, but I didn't see any conflicts. Although, I'm not sure there's a non-PNP section in the Device Manager -- I thought it was all mixed up in there.