Sound Devices Have Disappeared

fireberd · 04 Mar 2014

Resetting the BIOS, assuming that the BIOS is not corrupt and working OK would enable the sound chip. It may be a hassle, but check to see if the CMOS (BIOS) backup battery is accessible. If it is, do the CMOS reset by removing the battery for at least 10 minutes (Intel says 15 minutes). This will force a complete BIOS reset. I've seen cases of the software reset with the F keys not fully reset a BIOS.

I don't remember if this is an Intel or AMD chipset motherboard. If its an Intel, download and reinstall the motherboard chipset drivers (or get them from Intel). If the chipset drivers were corrupted, it can cause devices to not be recognized and your problem, if its not a BIOS problem.

boweasel · 08 Mar 2014

Here's an update on this fubar...
Yesterday I downloaded a tool called DriverEasy - you've seen these - they scan your system for outdated or missing drivers and usually (for a fee) let you download what's missing. DriverEasy has a free full feature version that lets you do all that - it's just slow as molasses. The very first driver it wanted me to update was something called AMD Audio Bus Device. It took over an hour to download, nearly a half hour to install,but when it was finished I had sound and no red X next to the speaker icon. However I noticed that itunes seemed sluggish to open - it took about a minute just to display my mp3 files. Once I started playing anything it was fine - no hesitation and good quality audio. Other non-itunes mp3s want to open with Window Media Player and that was also sluggish, taking nearly a minute to start playing. After a while I started getting service errors with WMP and no response from the itunes mp3s, so I shut the system down.
Rebooting got me right back to where I'd been - the red X next to the system tray speaker and no audio output device is installed when I hover the mouse over it. I reran DriverEasy and reinstalled the audio bus device. Nothing. I then installed an AMD HD audio driver from DriverEasy. Got a BSOD. Rebooted. Another BSOD. Rebooted to Last Good Configuration. Got the desktop and the red X next to the speaker.
Then I ran Setup on a driver I'd previously downloaded - AMD_VGADriver_Win7_32_64_VER13_25. Another BSOD. I didn't write down the details and I don't know how to find the log. I rebooted again to Last Good Config, and lo and behold I hear the Windows jingle. And no red X next to the speaker, but the sound access was again sluggish, although I got no service errors and, once itunes finally displayed, I had no problem playing anything.
I manually set a Restore Point and rebooted. I knew there would be a problem when I got a screen indicating that the system was waiting to play the logoff tune. It finally shut down without hearing the tune. Rebooting got me back to no audio device and the red X.
I do not get it - when I have sound, initiating a shutdown (apparently) removes the sound device. Reloading the driver named above gives me a BSOD (and this time I wrote it down - ATIHDW73.sys). Then tapping F8 on boot and using the last configuration that worked gives me my sound. Until I shutdown. When the cycle repeats.

Slartybart · 08 Mar 2014

Continue to follow firebird's lead, this is if you're stuck or out of other options.

The x on the AMD HDMI "device" in Sound / Playback tab just means that there's no HDMI cable blugged in. The X on the systray is the issue, or part of the issue.

I've seen ATI sound conflicts on some machines. Try uninstalling AMD HD in device manager, remove software if prompted. You might have to disable the device if it keeps getting installed.

Bill
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boweasel · 08 Mar 2014

Once again I'm adrift without a paddle... fireberd I have no manual and don't want to rip the entire laptop apart looking for the CMOS battery. Google has not helped.

Slartybart, I used device manager and removed the AMD High Definition Audio device. A reboot replaced it with an ATI High Definition Audio device. And I still have no sound. Hope you got the Speccy report.

Slartybart · 08 Mar 2014

Yes, thank you for Speccy.

fireberd indirectly suggested making Speakers or Headphones the default Playback device. Have you tried that?
Digital (S/PDIF) set as default playback device will not get you speaker sound, that is only for the S/PDIF port to some external digital device.

The screen shot in post 14 is what you reported seeing in post# 1 - correct?
Seems as though the driver rolled back (AMD to ATI)
Uninstall the ATI HD Audio device, remove software if option is present
Disable it if necessary to stop automatic device installation.

Is this an M-16 machine? (list of GW m series: Gateway Support - M Series
I'm basing that question on firebird and your conversation about Gateway pages.

I'll get around to reading the Speccy... I promise.

Bill
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derekimo · 09 Mar 2014

This is from post #5 Bill,

Gateway Support - Downloads & Support Documents - Notebook / M Series / M-16

boweasel · 09 Mar 2014

Slartybart said:

fireberd indirectly suggested making Speakers or Headphones the default Playback device. Have you tried that?
Digital (S/PDIF) set as default playback device will not get you speaker sound, that is only for the S/PDIF port to some external digital device.

I don't know of any way to make either of them the default playback device other than by selecting the device and then clicking the Set Default button off the Playback Device screen. You probably can't tell from the screen images, but when a particular device says 'Not Plugged In', the Set Default button is grayed out.

Slartybart said:

The screen shot in post 14 is what you reported seeing in post# 1 - correct?

Yes, and it's essentially the same as the image that I posted in the BSOD subforum. ?The only difference is that the ATI High Definition Audio Device is now disabled, as per your request.

Slartybart said:

Seems as though the driver rolled back (AMD to ATI)
Uninstall the ATI HD Audio device, remove software if option is present
Disable it if necessary to stop automatic device installation.

Is this an M-16 machine? (list of GW m series: Gateway Support - M Series
I'm basing that question on firebird and your conversation about Gateway pages.

I can uninstall the ATI device although I don't know what you mean by 'remove software if option is present'. Where would I look to do that? And how do I disable it after it's uninstalled?

And yes, it's an M-1629, manufactured by Gateway

boweasel · 09 Mar 2014

Slartybart said:

Seems as though the driver rolled back (AMD to ATI)
Uninstall the ATI HD Audio device, remove software if option is present

Uninstalled the ATI HD Audio device and rebooted. Got this.

Slartybart · 09 Mar 2014

I don't know of any way to make either of them the default playback device other than by selecting the device and then clicking the Set Default button off the Playback Device screen. You probably can't tell from the screen images, but when a particular device says 'Not Plugged In', the Set Default button is grayed out.

Ok, now the question is why are there no speakers, most laptops have built in speakers.

Yes, and it's essentially the same as the image that I posted in the BSOD subforum. ?The only difference is that the ATI High Definition Audio Device is now disabled, as per your request.

Thanks, just wanted to be sure where we were and where we are. It's a good sign that the

is showing on the device (the warning was absent at one point even though the device driver was uninstalled).

I can uninstall the ATI device although I don't know what you mean by 'remove software if option is present'. Where would I look to do that? And how do I disable it after it's uninstalled?

And yes, it's an M-1629, manufactured by Gateway

Some devices have a checkbox or it prompts you to remove the software (driver?) when you uninstall a device. You don't have to look elsewhere and it appears that the HD Audio Device is down to the base MS driver. This is where I wanted to get - a base level.

I'll look at the 1629 information, there are some M series with Intel boards and some with Gateway boards.

Launch Services and export the list to a Text (Tab Delimitated) (*.txt) file and attach that output to a new post. I want to check the current status of the audio services.

Slartybart · 09 Mar 2014

M-1629 reference page: Gateway Support - 1015602R*Gateway M-1629 Notebook

SigmaTel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SigmaTel sold its PC audio business in mid-2006 to Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT)

On February 4, 2008, Freescale Semiconductor announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SigmaTel

This will make finding a Win7 compatible driver a bit more difficult, not impossible though.

This is why you got the no IDT device found I suppose. I don't know why your machine shows AMD/ATI, that's something to look at though. I'm equally suspicious of the other HD device, but need to look at the more information (Gateway and other things that you already posted).

A quick test would be to disable the Digital Audio (S/PDIF) device and see how the machine behaves. After a bit more reading, I might suggest uninstalling that device, but wait until I read more.

Could you attach the Windows Update (WU) log to a post? I'm wondering if WU 'helped' you with driver updates.
C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log

Thanks, you're doing great with all of the requests for information and other trouble shooting suggestions.

Bill
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