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May 17th, 2006 20:00

Do you have a NEW Dimension with audio problems? post here

I received a NEW Dimension with faulty sound recently and I have placed several posts here you may have seen. I have tried to keep them informative, rational and done my best not to vent my anger in this forum. I now realise that I should do something a bit more constructive so I am putting in this thread to try and get numbers of how many people are affected by sound trouble on NEW Dimensions only. Dell will no doubt be looking at these posts so it might help them, others will also be able to see what the scale of the problem is.
 
If you have also purchased one please leave details of what the sound fault is, the model of Dimension, the Operating System, the sound device being used (onboard or PCI card), the driver for it, any optional extra audio software you may have bought with the PC and installed, any troubleshooting you have done and what the situation regarding the problem is now. Does the fault remain, have you returned the PC, had it replaced or are you stuck with it? I will get the ball rolling with details of my issues. I just hope everyone with problems finds this forum to post theirs. Maybe we are just unlucky, maybe we are not. This seems like a good way of finding out. I am now drawing a line under this as I've had it resolved but you may not have.
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Sound loss on powering up system and restarts.
(problem showing next to Sigmatel HD audio codec in Device Manager)
 
Dimension 3100.
Windows XP Media Center Edition.
SigmaTel Onboard Audio.
SigmaTel High Definition Audio driver. (STAC 92XX)
No additional audio software.
 
Reinstalled SigmaTel audio driver.
Restored factory settings from recovery partition. (Ctrl-F11).
All existing hard disk partitions deleted, then fully formatted.
Windows XP MCE reinstalled, All required drivers installed in order.
All on Dell's instruction ! Problem still existed. Returned for refund.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Reidybopper
 

49 Posts

May 18th, 2006 19:00

My sound problems are on a Brand New Computer with 5.1 surround Dell speakers

1. My Centre speaker mainly used for voice was of very low quality, I could hear the other 4 clearly but not the centre. I spent probably 6 hours on the phone to Dell Support who in the end told me that I have to PAY software support to have this fixed. Needless to say I refused to pay after getting a 3 year warranty. Eventually, my centre speaker is now working after downloading a  K-Lite Codec Pack. But now the sound of the DVD player is way too low compared to the rest of the system, I have to turn the volume up full to enable me to hear the DVD I am playing, and I cannot play DVD's due to the fact that I would be deafened if I decided to play from the Media player and forgot to turn the volume all the way back down.......

Dell want me to re-install windows and they say that this will fix the problem but I have heard all that before and am now refusing to do this and I want to get Dell to send a Tech to my house to fix this or send me a new Computer or a refund.

My Computer is Dell Dimension 9150               XP Media Centre     Sigma Tel onboard      

Sigma Tel High Def Audio Codec

Re-installed DVD Drive, Audio Driver, Restored to factory settings, downloaded K-Lite Codec, and Power DVD, Checked all the settings for sound and audio, spent hours explaing to Dell tech after Dell tech the problems, still not fixed one month later,

Doesn't look good for Dell Customer Service                   Not happy with Dell,  Will not buy Dell again

Will tell friends of my hassle with Dell computers,  probably going to be stuck with Dell computer that I can't play DVD's with

Hugh Miller

 

1 Message

May 26th, 2006 02:00

Yes, I have a new Dimension 5150. Says SigmaTel High Definition. One very weird thing is that when I use the sound recorder and place my file (which sounds fine on the sound recorder) into my Acid program, it suddenly speeds up and makes my voice higher. I have used the Acid for years -- this has never happened. And then -- when I put a new one on a cd with others I'd done before, the new was soooooo quiet.
There seems to be no way toask tech what the problem is and how to fix it. No matter how many times or ways I try to imput the number data, it is refused. I am at a very frustrated point now, and it is very hard to figure out how to create my professional sound on this computer.

M

11 Posts

May 27th, 2006 05:00

4 Posts

June 2nd, 2006 11:00

Dimension 5150

Pentium 4 HT 3.0GHz

Chipset Intel 945G Express

Audio Sigmatel STAC9220

Video Intel 950 (GMA950)

After installing the Win XP Pro I cannot install tha audio driver because when the installation is going to be complete I get a messagem telling me that "The system doesn't support the file I'm trying to install".

I followed the right sequence of drivers installation. First the chipset driver then the video and audio drivers.

I already tryed the Dell Support but had no success.

Regards.

Rodrigo

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

 

July 6th, 2006 22:00



@Godrius wrote:

Dimension 5150

Pentium 4 HT 3.0GHz

Chipset Intel 945G Express

Audio Sigmatel STAC9220

Video Intel 950 (GMA950)

After installing the Win XP Pro I cannot install tha audio driver because when the installation is going to be complete I get a messagem telling me that "The system doesn't support the file I'm trying to install".

I followed the right sequence of drivers installation. First the chipset driver then the video and audio drivers.

I already tryed the Dell Support but had no success.

Regards.

Rodrigo

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil






Just the same.

Cristina

Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil

1 Message

July 12th, 2006 07:00

Hi there,

I have a Dimension 5150 that I bought 4 months ago. I have problems with the sound intermittenly. Sometimes when I start up there is no sound at all, then other times it works perfectly fine. At other times i have sound when I start up and then it disappears sometime throughout the day.

I have no idea why this happens but its bl**dy annoying!

:smileymad:

4 Posts

July 12th, 2006 11:00

Hi All!

I solved my audio problem just installing the Windows Service Pack 2.

Regards

Godrius (jrodrigo.dias@godrius.com.br)

Rio de Janeiro

July 13th, 2006 21:00

I´ve intalled Windows XP with SP2 today and the problem was solved.
 
I called Dell last week and they told me that the software is build for Windows XP with SP2, less than that it won´t work.
 
Cristina
Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil

4 Posts

August 24th, 2006 18:00

Dimension 5150C

XP Pro service pack 2

Sigmatel audio codec, conexant modem

I have had 2 machines, the first arrived faulty.

The second crashed after 3 days "Bad pool header". On reboot no sound or modem in device manager.

Dell support recommended clean reinstall of windows which worked.

4 weeks later same thing happened. I tried everything to restore them, ended up doing clean install. This is totally unnacceptable.

 

10 Posts

October 26th, 2006 19:00

I've had a few DELL pc's and have recently taken delivery of a Dimension 3100, which is all fine except for a problem which seems to be caused by the Sigmatel High Definition Audio Codec, which is why I've found myself reading this interesting forum.
Speakers work fine but I particularly want to use recording software, Polderbits, which I've used for quite a few years now, on my other DELL pcs & which currently do still work. Not so with this one though! It only shows Line In and Microphone options when I open the Polderbits software. I contacted Polderbits (best customer service in the World), and here is part of their email:
 
"The available sound sources depend on the sound card that's installed.
If no Wave or Stereo Mix sound source is listed now, then recording from internal sources is not possible with the sound card that's installed.
You may consider to move the sound card from the old computer into the new one".
 
So does this mean I have to now purchase a new sound card for a BRAND NEW pc? No problems with previous DELL pc's and I really wish this Sigmatel thing wasn't on here!
 
I've contacted tech support at DELL so hope there's an answer that does not require me to mess about with sound cards.As you may have guessed I am not at all clever with techie stuff and run a mile at the thought of it!!
 
Thanks for all the comments in this thread, which I've found very interesting

October 28th, 2006 18:00

Exactly the same problem as top post...
---
Sound loss on powering up system and restarts.
(problem showing next to Sigmatel HD audio codec in Device Manager)
 
Dimension 3100.
Windows XP
SigmaTel Onboard Audio.
SigmaTel High Definition Audio driver. (STAC 92XX)
No additional audio software.
 
Reinstalled SigmaTel audio driver.
---
Disgusted and disappointed with Dell.

5 Posts

October 29th, 2006 15:00

Exactly the same problem as jamesjames99.  Every start-up means uninstalling & reinstalling Sigma Tel audio.

November 2nd, 2006 21:00

I managed to solve my problem (touch wood!!!) ie Sigmatel Audio Card problems by going here:
 
and downloading a (old?) driver.
Hope it helps anyone else with this very frustrating problem!
James

1 Message

November 10th, 2006 19:00

I have exactly the same problem with my 3100 as jamesjames.  When booting up, sigmatel HD audio codec fails and I have to uninstall and reinstall.  I'm going to download the older!! driver that worked for jamesjames.  Wish me good luck!
 
TOTALLY unacceptable for a brand new system.  Don't think I'll be buying another Dell. 

5 Posts

November 11th, 2006 08:00

Ive already tried downloading one driver that only worked for one reboot, so no harm in giving this (old?) one a go instead.  Fingers crossed!
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