Originally Posted by SuperFLYGuyO

Here's the situation: I have no sound. About 5 hours ago I tried to play some music and when I didn't hear it, I clicked on the volume controls and got the following error:

Code:

There are no active mixer devices available.  To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware.

This program will now close.

Since then I've spent hours looking at forum discussions seeing many people with the same issue, only they seem to resolve it. One particular thread was very extensive and people were getting results, so I followed this one [link] http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1066427444. The one that made the most sense was this one:

It's been a year minus a week since I posted my two bits.

Let me just repeat to everyone that is is not a method to install the sound card drivers and you should not try to update ANY drivers with this proceedure. This is simply to install the Plug and Play Software Enumerator if it is missing (again, no updating). Once that is done then installing the Sound card and getting it to work should be automatic, if the PnPSoftEnum was your problem.

I'm also unsure about that other solution in this thread page where you get the swenum.inf and .sys file from a win98 machine for use in winXP?! I've always assumed this is the WinXP discussion form so I was talking to a WinXP audience. If that method does work then it may only be because of windows file protection. Meanwhile, with XP SP2, I don't think it's possible to uninstall the PnP Software Enumerator anymore (not manually anyways), blah.

I'll just direct you to this website which has a set of simple steps along with some pictures...
http://www.tymes.net/swenum/fix-swenum0.htm
No more notepad in these directions.



I tried that about six times, only to come up short six times. I can't be sure that there was no PNP software before I did this, since I tried before looking. My device manager now shows 6 PnP software enumerators. I tried other stuff on the site involving the swenson .sys and .inf files or whatever, but have also came up dry. I've done so much stuff I can't even remember.

Someone please help me.

Here are my commputer specs:

Windows: Windows XP5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180
Memory (RAM): 1015 MB
CPU Info: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
CPU Speed: 2998.2 MHz
Sound card: Not detected
Display Adapters: Intel(R) 82915G Express Chipset Family | NetMeeting driver | RDPDD Chained DD
Screen Resolution: 1152 X 864 - 32 bit
Network: Network Present
Network Adapters: Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection - Packet Scheduler Miniport
CD / DVD Drives: D: LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-832S | E: HL-DT-STCD-ROM GCR-8483B
:
COM Ports: COM3 | COM1
LPT Ports: LPT1
Mouse: 5 Button Wheel Mouse Present
Hard Disks: C: 149.0GB
Hard Disks - Free: C: 60.9GB
USB Controllers: 5 host controllers.
Firewire (1394): 1 host controllers.
PCMCIA (Laptops): Not Installed
Manufacturer: Intel Corp.
Product Make:
:
AC Power Status: OnLine
BIOS Info: AT/AT COMPATIBLE | 07/22/04 | GATEWA - 20040722
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time
Battery: No Battery
Motherboard: Intel Corporation D915GAG
Modem: SoftV92 Data Fax Modem with SmartCP
LGE CDMA USB Modem




So yeah, I've gotten nowhere, basically. Except that now the little volume controls icon next to the clock is gone. So yeah, please help!

(Sorry if I wasn't detailed enough or there is another similar topic, I searched and didn't find one.)

Thanks for your time.

Originally Posted by SuperFLYGuyO

UPDATE: I think it's gotten a lot worse. I can't play video now. I updated some Intel drivers for the motherboard. After I did the driver update and nothing happend, I downloaded some BIOS update for the motherboard and began to install it. After I clicked finished it was supposed to reboot. I was waiting for like 10 minutes for it to reboot while it was seemingly loggin off. I just manually turned off the system and started it up again. After I did that, boot time was much, much longer than usual and when I finally did get to a Windows screen, I got an error about not being able to find some file. I clicked okay and was trying to get back online to tell you guys, but for some reason I can't click on my taskbar. I couldn't summon CNTR + ALT + DEL or anything else, although I could click icons and such. So I again manually shut down and did the whole thing about 3 times. I'm now on a different PC.

Please, help!

That's my problem. I've struggled with it since last night. Help!

What sound card do u have?
1st, make sure your speaker cord didnt come loose in the back.
2nd, go into the control panel to Sounds and Audio devices, and under the Sounds Tab, put a check in the "place volume icon in the taskbar".
Did u ckeck in the Device manager to see if you have a yellow "!" infront of your "sound, video and game controller", if so, then expand it, go to your sound card in the list, and double click and choose update driver.
If that does not work, pull the card (assuming you dont have onboard sound), restart the computer, then turn it off, insert card, and reinstall it when windows detects new hardware.
Sound cards die all the time, may just be your prob.

I don't have a sound card. I have onboard sound.
The speaker cord is fine.
It says that no audio device is detected.
I did check the the Device Manager, but there was no !.

Thanks, though.

i personally, would go in and make sure the sound is enabled in the Bio's, but i dont know how puter savy you are. Sound cards arent too expensive.
Did you try a "system restore" from a point before the problem?

I really don't think it's that simple.

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1066427444

^ Check that for people with the same problem, it's crazy. But now the problem has expanded from an audio problem, as my whole PC is slow and crash prone. As for the system restore, I don't recall creating a restore point ever, and if I did, it was a long time ago and I don't know if I'd lose some of my current settings. I can't really navigate anymore, the taskbar has become an image really, useless.

you never did mention if the plug and play enumerator was listed in your system devices in device manager?
by the way, as long as system restore is turned on (which it appears you dont know), restore points are automatically created, and you could possibly be able to restore to the day before the problem.
do u do the usual maintainence like, defrag, temp folder cleaning and that sort of stuff? Sounds like the system is completely bogging down.
I once worked with a guy who complained of a slow computer, he never heard of defragging, hadnt defragged in the 5 years he owned the puter, that darn defrag took 2 days.
My son brought his computer home from college complaining how much of a dog it was (that we bought him a cheap rig). The meathead never updated his virus proggie once in 4 years of college, didnt delete a single email nor defrag or clean any cookies or temp folders. I cleaned over 6800 virus's and spyware off that computer and cookies to websites that even make me (a factory worker) blush.

I can't be sure that it was initially, but now it is because of 6 failed attempts to re-install, so it's there 6 times.

Yeah, System Restore is turned on.

And man, I clean my computer on the 1st and 15th man, clear old files and stuff. It's very tidy, everything organized. I run security tools every day and I don't use IE. It's always been very effecient up until now.

As far as defragmenting, I did it a few months ago.

I clear my cookies and stuff and everything, and I'm almost 100% sure this isn't trojan/worm/virus related. I think it all started with a Microsoft Update.

ok man,, good luck!

How would I go about restoring to say, three days ago?

path to system restore: start/programs/accessories/system tools/system restore
Just open it, it will bring u to a calender, all saved restore points will be in "bold" numbers on the calender u are looking at. If it doesnt help, you can always go back and reverse it.
I do "alot' of sytem restoring, due to my addiction to constantly tweak my system. This may be especially helpful if the culprit is the last windows update like u suspect. Anytime u do a windows update, a new restore point is created.