No Audio device

Computer model?

I am using Windows XP and onboard sound.

     Was your sound working and suddenly quit, or have you reinstalled Windows recently?  If your sound was working you can try reinstalling the driver located here:  R94481.EXE.

     Download the file to a folder in your Documents folder, double click it to expand it, and follow the instructions that pop up to execute the installation.

Dimension 4700

In order for anyone to help you need to let us know what computer you have and what operating system you are using (Windows XP, Windows Vista, whatever).  It would also be helpful to know if you are using the onboard sound or an add-on sound card.

Usually if you download Sigma Tel Audio driver, this will fix the problem.

so did you get the problem fixed?

Yes, my sound was working properly and it quit last week.

     birddoggarton;

     I appreciate that you are trying to help, but please try to keep your advice accurate.  The D4700 does not use Sigmatel.  It has the Analog Devices AD 198x sound chip, sometimes called SoundMax.

     Princess76;

     The file name I inserted in my previous post is a hot link.  If you click on it you will open the page containing the driver.

No, the problem is still not fixed.

     Next step is to check to see that the Windows Audio Service has been started.  Click Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Services.  When you get to Services, use the scroll bar on the right to get down to Windows Audio.  Double click Windows Audio to bring up the dialog box.  In about the middle of the box you should see a text box labeled Start Up Type.  The box should have the word "Automatic" in it, and the Service Status below this box should state "Started".  If you don't see these , use the arrow button on the right side of Start Up Type to put the word "Automatic" in the box and click OK.  Close Services and Control Panel, restart your computer.

     If the Windows Audio has already been started, simply close out all the boxes and check the following:  Click Start, Control Panel, Sounds Speech and Audio Devices, Sounds and Audio Devices.  The box should appear with the Volume tab already selected.  Make certain that there is no mark in the box marked Mute.  If this is ok, click the tab marked Audio.  The box marked Default Device under Sound playback should contain SoundMAX Audio.  If you are doing any recording this should also be your default Sound Recording device.  Click the tab marked Voice and make sure that SoundMAX is listed as the default device for Voice playback and recording.  When done click the Apply tab and OK to get out of the Control Panel.  Restart the computer.

     Still no sound?  Go back to the control panel, Sounds Speech and Audio, Audio Devices.  Look in the Speakers section under Volume and click the Advanced tab.  Use the arrow button at the right of the box under Speaker Setup to access the menu and make sure that Desktop Stereo Speakers have been selected.  Some of the other menu selections will also work with standard speakers, but some of the selections give strange results unless you are using them with the appropriate sound system.

     Let us know how you make out.

In the Default Device box - SoundMax audio was not listed.  SB Audigy 2ZS Audio was listed in the Default Device.  Could this be the problem?

     That is a problem unless you have an Audigy sound card.  Look at the back of your computer and let me know if you see two sets of speaker connectors.  The onboard sound connectors should be clustered above the USB connectors toward the center left if you are looking at the back of the computer.  If you have a sound card the connectors will be all in a line near the bottom of the computer on one of the four metal strips you will see there.

     If you have an Audigy sound card you should have a disk from Creative with its drivers.  So far as I know Dell did not ship D4700's with add-on sound cards, and does not have the drivers for them on this site.  Please let me know what you find.

     To help, have a look at your Setup Diagram.  The second page shows how to set up additional devices including audio.

No, I don't have a sound card.

     In that case you need to set the default sound devices to SoundMax as advised.  If you don't have SoundMax as a choice you may need to use the Add/Remove programs tool to remove any driver you find for the Soundblaster Audigy and use the link I gave you earlier to install the driver for the SoundMax onboard sound.