[resolved] Sound lost (totally)

[dubhdara]

I thought I would start a new thread as I am not sure my problem is the same as the one where people have just lost sound in IE8 and Firefox. I have also lost system sounds - all sounds.

Recent changes to my computer before losing sound were:

* installed a new router (but this was a few days before the sound went down and I use my PC every day)
* Microsoft Office/Windows Update (I think there was one recently)
* Avast! updates

The sound failed a couple of days ago.

I have just updated Avast! (free) to 100805-0 from 100804-1 and rebooted - still no sound though.

I use a Logitech headset m/n A0356A

My OS is Win XP (SP 3)

Logitech requires no drivers as it uses the USB.

My "Audio Device on High Definition Audio Bus" in Device Manager displays a yellow question mark and a warning sig. Though I think it always has ever since I had the PC (5 years) iirc. Of course, it cannot find any drivers if I try to "update drivers" (isn't that always the case with everything!) and, of course, Logitech has no drivers, so I have none to offer it.

Can anyone help?

I've disable the bus, rebooted, taken my Logitech usb cable out and put it back in - all that sort of stuff. Searched the Internet for clues. The only lead I have had is that people on various forums have had problems with their sound suddenly stopping with Avast! which is what led me here.

Oh, and no error messages anywhere - everything is working fine according to diagnostics

Thanks.

[Lisandro]

Well, avast should change nothing in audio drivers and devices.
If you have a yellow question mark on that device, that means you need to install the proper drivers for it. Why are you saying "Logitech has no drivers"?

[dubhdara]

Because that it was Logitech says on their site - the headsets come with no software/drivers as it works off what already exists on a PC usb.

[dcurryallen]

There are drivers specific to the sound card in your PC (or on the motherboard for some).  If you are missing drivers, or they have become corrupted, you will have no sound.

[dubhdara]

All I've ever had to do was plug the headphones in - in fact when I took them out and tried to load a game it exited the game and gave the error message that there was no sound card installed. I plugged the headphones back in and th egame worked....

How do I found out what's inside my PC and the name of any sound card in there?

[Lisandro]

How do I found out what's inside my PC and the name of any sound card in there?

Paid: http://www.drivermagician.com/index.htm
Free: http://freemedia.realgage.com/unknown-device-identifier-v502-system-utility-freeware.html

[ardvark]

How do I found out what's inside my PC and the name of any sound card in there?

Hi....

First, we will need to know the name and model of your computer. Often times, if a system is made by a major manufacturer such as HP or Dell, they have information and drivers for each model on the company's web site.

If you go into the "Device Manager" and click on the plus symbol next to the offending item, and then right click on the entry and left click "Properties," what information or error code does it give you?

Also, there is another free program that will give system information, Everest.

Regards...

[dubhdara]

Thank you for the links.

My PC has no name on the case, but the motherboard is an Inno3D GF7600gs - no, that's the graphic card! The motherboard is an ASUS P5LD2-X/1333. Monitor's an Acer AL1714. It has speakers, which I used long ago before I got the Logitech headset - quality was awful through the monitor.

The only thing (or group) in the device manager that are yellow question marks with the warning exclamation marks are the three connected with the audio bus (Audio Device on High Defintion Audio Bus/SM Bus Controller/Unknown device) - but I am sure these have always been like that. The error message in them is the 28 one about no drivers are installed. I've run a check to find drivers and it cannot find any. Which is strange considering, having just run one of those utilities given by Tech, I find the vendor is Microsoft. Seeing as I am up to date with updates and have a MS OS (XP), then I cannot see how it cannot find a driver that it itself owns...


I am not convinced this has anything to do with the loss of sound, but it would be nice to know what's wrong with it - seeing as diagnostic tools says everything is A OK with audio and yet the DM reports this error 28...

 

[SafeSurf]

delete

[dubhdara]

I was referring to the issue I had the week before, which I resolved, regarding my router. Before that it was a problem with my HDD which, despite trying many, never work unless the jumper settings allow me to change it from 3GB/s to 1.5GB/s (which few do). My latest problem is the sound issue, which is not fixed. I have problems quite a lot  Computers hate me.

In any case, there is clearly no information here as to it being an Avast! problem so I shall move on.

[SafeSurf]

Are you making a lot of changes to you machine?

To confirm, Avast is working fine?
Are you having any Windows errors?

[Dch48]

Found a link to get the drivers for the sound card. maybe installing this driver would help.

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

[dubhdara]

Woohoo! Thanks for the link to those drivers - my monitor speakers are working and I even have a fancy GUI to make all special sound effects

Headphones still dead, but will keep working on that.

Not quite sure what happened to cause the error in the first place - and I certainly have never had these drivers in the past - but I can hear again now 

Thanks again!

[Lisandro]

Congratulations dubhdara

[SafeSurf]

dubhdara,

Glad to hear your problem is finally resolved.  Hopefully now your PC troubles are over.