Shelf Life, from maxh1985

[maxh1985]

Hi Shelf Life,
You were helping me out a short while ago with my Malware and sound card problems. Firstly i would like to thank you for how amazingly helpful youve been. There is now literaly no more symptoms of any Malware which has made my life so much easier! I am sending you this message because for some reason it wont let me reply to you on the thread we had going. Just to recap, the last message you sent me was: hi maxh1985,

you reinstalled the software for your sound card, what about the drivers for it/ after thinking about it saying if the ports go left to right that menas its a pci card may not be true. a smaller footprint case could show this and have on board drivers. the first thing is to determine if you have a onboard built in to board chip. one way other than software is to vist the computers manuf. website and look based on your make/model. no makes or names under the device manager, right click>properties.
you might also get some info from running dxdiag

start>run>type in the window dxdiag check the tabs across the top.

shelf life

When i type in dxdiag in the run window, the sound tab sais that there is absolutely nothing on my computer in terms of sound, so thats not very helpful! I have looked into the kind of sound card and it looks asthough my sound jacks are built in to and are the same part of my mother board. Hope thats helpful!

Thank you for your time
Max

[shelf life]

hi maxh1985,

for some reason the original thread was in the archives??whats the make/model of your computer? sometimes info can be gathered from the website.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

Hi Shelflife,
To be honest my computer doesnt really have a make and a model, it was one of these wierd companies that kind of build one up for you out of loads of random parts, its called novatech,

The only thing i can find that might be useful is the make/model of the motherboard which came with the computers documents, its called a:

WinFast K7S741MG/K7S741GXMG

Theres doesnt seem to be any specific info on the audio device that is installed within it, but its definately built into the motherboard, one thing it does mention though is that "it is equipped with the Realtek ALC655 chip, which provides support for 6 channel audio output"

If you go to

http://www.pczonecomputers.com/k7s741mg.pdf

this will show you a copy of the manual i have, this is about as much as i can find out about what i have.
Hope this is helpful!

Max

[shelf life]

hi,

ok thats a start. do you know how to boot into the BIOS to make sure the onboard sound is enabled. for most computers it a certain key like f2 or delete. sometimes during a regular startup it might be displayed as:
"press xyz to enter setup"

EDIT: its delete for yours, see page 9 of the manual

look under intergrated peripherals for onboard REALTEK audio or something, make sure its enabled. F10 to save and exit (even though you didnt really make any changes)
if it is enabled then you should try reloading the REALTEK audio drivers off the cd. if you dont have the cd they can be downloaded off the realtek website.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

Ok im starting to get really worried about this now!
Right i went into the setup mode after pressing delete, when i went into intergrated peripherals, the only part i could find that was to do with the sound said:

Audio - access interface,

There was no enable/disable option. The only option that was given here was to choose between EDB bus or PCI bus. Tried restarting in both these settings and re-installed the driver both times. (i have got the driver on the CD that came with the computer)

The strange thing is now when i re-install the drivers it has now given this wierd little programme that gives the sound control options etc, and it is something to do with Realtek. But the wierd thing is, when the sound on my computer was working for ages in the past, i had never seen this thing let alone used it for my sound, its called AvRack. It hasnt changed anything, everything is still dead and greyed out when you look at the audio devices on the control panel, saying that i dont have an audio device.

I also tried the dxdiag check and it comes up with an error message saying it couldnt gather the information, the window does come up but there is no info filled in when you try to look at all the sound properties.

Do you think its just a case of finding the right driver for my computer? At one point when i was installing the drivers it said that it wasnt compatible with my windows, although it did only do this once out of the two times i was re-installing.

As a matter of fact im not even sure if im re-installing properly, as i cant find a way to remove whatever sound drivers it has already, just assuming its writing over the top of whatevers there.

Im very lost!

Hope that all makes sense
Thanks a million
Max

[maxh1985]

One last thing,
This did all start happening when i first started getting Malware problems, so dont know if this sound issue is linked to that at all?

[shelf life]

hi maxh1985,

i have seen that Avrack icon also.its part of the package. you see anything listed in device manager now? click on the sound.. in the list and right click and select "scan for changes". anything new showing up?

hard to tell if its malware related. possible, malware is getting more and more invasive and ending up all over the place on computers, it may not be the best coded stuff either.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

No theres still nothing coming up, nothing is changing at all when i install the new driver, its still exactly as it was before, on the device manager list:'Sound, video and game controllers'
its lists:

Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Video Codecs

and when you do into each different device it very annoyingly says 'this device is working properly. There is no sign of the Avrack thing anywhere. This is getting very strange!

Thanks Shelf life
Max

[maxh1985]

Just tried something else aswell that just doesnt make sense either, on the device manager, when you click on the audio device it gives you an icon at the top that gives you the option to update the driver automaticaly through a wizard. It asks for the CD, it searches for ages then all it comes up with is: Cannot continue the update wizard, the wizard could not find a better match for your hardware than the software you already have installed

The software i already have installed doesnt work!!!!

So fustrating!

[shelf life]

hi,

lets grab the ones from realtek. first look in add/remove programs panel and uninstall realtek if listed, or remove via device manager. reboot once then get this:


http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=23&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

[maxh1985]

Hi Shelflife,

Still absolutely nothing,

Had the same quite serious looking message come up whilst installing as before,
it said that this software has not passed the Windows logo test and that if i still installed it then it could destabilise the performance of my computer, it said microsoft strongly recommend that i stop the download.

But anyway, installed this one and strangley the icon has not appeared on the desktop or on the start menu, but i have checked the programme files and it is definately there.

Checked on control panel and in device manager and there is still nothing coming up. All still greyed out and no sound.

The only thing i can think of now is, on the website you sent me the link for, it gives the option of three different downloads, site1 2 and 3, havnt got a clue what that means and what the difference is here?

Thanks so much
Max

[shelf life]

hi maxh1985,

dont worry about that windows logo message. the software is safe to install. the other three download sites are just more sites to download the software from. did you check back in the windows service panel to see if the windows audio service is started?

[maxh1985]

Hi Shelf life,
Sorry about the late reply, could have sworn i wrote back to your last post but it doesnt seem to have gone up.

When you say check the service panel are you refering to when you go to run and type in dxdiag, when i do this a message keeps coming up saying:

Error: Could not get basic sound info,. result code = 0x80070057 (invalid arguments(s))

It sais it a few times as its loading up, then when you get to the sound tab there is a blank list of attributes. It is the same when looking at it from device manager.

Would there be any difference in the software if i downloaded it from another one of the sites that is on that link you gave me?

Thank you once again
Max

[shelf life]

hi,


check the service panel
start>run and type in services.msc under the name column look for windows audio, make sure its started and automatic.


Would there be any difference in the software if i downloaded it from another one of the sites that is on that link you gave me? no those links all fetch the same thing.

go to start>run and type in dxdiag-- under the directX tab you see a bunch of files listed? under the general tab you see your version of directX listed.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

Ok i went to the service panel and by Windows audio it did say started and automatic,

Went into the directX tab after typing in dxdiag

it came up a couple of times with the same message before:

Error: Could not get basic sound info,. result code = 0x80070057 (invalid arguments(s))

But there is a massive list of loads of stuff that i dont really understand, theres no way i could write it all out and it wont let me copy and paste but ill give you an example of one of the lines.

Name Version Attributes Language date size

ddraw.dll 5.03.0001.0904 final retail English 09/07/04

292864


By the example ive just written and another two things in these lists have an exclamation mark symbol in a yellow triangle by them. And at the notes at the bottom it sais

Several files (ddraw.dll, d3d8.dll, d3dim700.dll) are old versions, which could cause problems.
You should reinstall DirectX to get the latest version.


It sais on the system tab that my directX version is:

DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Hope that this is helpfull
Many thanks
Max

[shelf life]

hi,

thanks for the info. really just wanted to see if directx was installed. appears to be. the message about getting the latest version is interesting. i really dont think it will solve the sound problem but its worth a try anyway. it cant hurt anything. you get update directx here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=2DA43D38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en#QuickInfoContainer

[maxh1985]

Just installed DirectX from the link you gave me. Still no life. Checked through all the usual things that youve been telling me to go through and still no difference. One more thing i did notice was this message that came up when i was going into dxdiag:

DxDiag has detected that there may have been a problem accessing Direct3D the last time this programme was used. Would you like to bypass Direct 3D this time?

One more thing i also have remembered, this sound issue all began when i was trying to rather crudely remove some of the Malware that i had. I was on my task manager, ending random tasks that i did not recognise, thinking that they were malware programmes running, dont suppose this gives you any more clues?

Many Thanks
Max

[shelf life]

hi,

still no joy. that msg about direct 3d isnt anything to worry about. using task manager will only end a process from running, it wont uninstall it. i have been looking on the foxconn web site, its pretty skimpy. audio FAQ didnt help much and no forum. cant even find your board listed either.
that msg in the BIOs for the audio is toublesome, cant tell if its disabled or enabled. i will poke around some more.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

I really cant thank you enough for doing all of this, i really appreciate it.

Just cant believe its possible for a sound card to get this messed up!

Thanks so much for your time shelf life

I look forward to hearing from you.

Max

[shelf life]

hi,

when you look in device manager under sound video and game controllers you dont see anything like RealTek listed?
right above the device manager button there is a add hardware wizard, run the wizard and see if it detects the sound chip.
also look in the BIOS again for anything like enabling/disabling the onboard audio option.


shelf life

[maxh1985]

Hi

In my device manager under Sound, Video and Games controllers there is defintely notihng about Realtek at all, all it lists is Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Video Codecs

When i go into the properties for the audio codecs, it veru annoyinglysais 'this device is working properly'
There is also a list in the properties tab entitled Audio Compression Codecs. Theres quite a big list of various things such as DivX ;-] Audio Compressor, IMA ADPCM Audio Codec, from what i can see there is no mention of realtek or ALC655 in here. Dont suppose this gives you any more clues?

Nothing coming up on the Hardware installer, it just comes up with everything it thinks is currectly installed which is just the same list given in the device manager:

Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Video Codecs

Went into the BIOS again and cant find anything like you mention there, the only option to do with Audio is in the Intergrated Periperals which gives you the option of either PCI bus or EDB bus, most things in the list are now set to EDB bus. Had a look around all the other options in this mode and couldnt find any more relevant options, there was an On board Super IO section, which i thought might mean on board the mother board like my sound chip is. Couldnt see anything there myself, but im probably wrong.

The quest continues!
Many thanks
Max

[shelf life]

hi,

you should see RealTek AC'97 Audio listed in device manager.
in device manager, under the view menu select "show hidden devices" and see if anything new shows up. if it dosnt-- iam running out of things to try. pci sound cards are very inexpensive.
try installing the download again you got off the realtek website.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

Have re-intalled and still no luck, its so wierd. Im looking at the RealTek AC'97 folder in my programme files folder right now. But its just not being picked up anywhere else on my computer. Have found one other new thing on my device manager when i click on view hidden devices:
Microsoft Kernal System Audio Device. When you go into it there is a driver tab with various buttons to click on such as Driver details

(sais, C:\Windows\system32\drivers\sysaudio.sys)

Update driver and stuff like that. Clicked on update driver but that just asks for the CD agaon which we've already tried. Wondering if you had any thoughts?

Many thanks
Max

[maxh1985]

Surely in that driver details it should really say something like C:\programmefiles.realtekac97 ? Looks like it might be setup to the wrong driver file

[shelf life]

hi,


RealTek AC'97 folder in my programme files folder right now

it installs software and a driver. maybe your onboard sound is shot? you see any other things in device manager that might be flagged with a exclamation mark?

[maxh1985]

I have just looked in my device manager again and have found some of the yellow exclamation marks, when i go to view hidden devices. The exclamation marks are on the non plug and play drivers list. The following things have the exclamation marks by them:

HTTP
mchInjDrv
SIAODFLO

Just out of curiosity, if i were to get hold of a new sound card, would i definately be able to just install it straight into my computer and use it even though my current one is built into the motherboard?

Many Thanks
Max

[shelf life]

hi,

i have no idea what those three items are but i doubt they are related to the sound problem. the realtek site is pretty worthless for FAQ/troubleshooting. to your question: yes it shouldnt be a problem. you would have to have a open PCI slot for the card to go in. newegg has afew for about 10.00 dollars.

shelf life

[maxh1985]

Hi Shelf Life,

I finally have sound on my computer and i am in music heaven! I ended up buying a new sound card for £7! Had no idea it would be so cheap!
Looks like we'll never know what the problem was with that realtek sound card, very strange, but oh well thats technology for you i suppose!

Just wanted to thank you for all of your help, you've been absolutely brilliant. I just love the way spybot is fighting against all of these cowardly scumbags who make people's lives a misery with malware and viruses. Keep fighting the good fight, your good people!

Thanks a million once agian!
All the best
Max

[shelf life]

hi maxh1985,

Sound at last. great. thank you, glad to help.

happy safe surfing out there!

shelf life