OptiPlex GX280 has no Sound Device

Today guy from DELL technical support came to my workplace and tried to resolve the problem I am having. He installed new motherboard, re-installed sound drives couple of times... NO LUCK:(

The only option I now have is re-format the hard drive and re-install Windows XP (service guy suggestion). 

It would take days to wipe out my Windows, and install it back together with all programs I currently have on my system. There should be another way.

Unbelievable, it is 21 Century and DELL does not have any troubleshooting tools!!!

 

At the risk of sounding a bit foolish. Have you tried diferent speakers or a head set to confirm the speakers are working? If they are power speakers are they plugged in and turned on? Sometimes we look so hard for the problem we miss the simpler steps to check.

Didn't I say in the previous post that I have DELL technician come over to my place to help me with the “no sound” problem (with no luck though). He tried everything.

I do not have speakers, I use headphones. In order to hear headphone sound you need to adjust volume. One way to do it is through “Volume Control”, but I cannot get there (I am getting “There are no active mixer devices available”).

What is your service tag?

Is audio enabled in bios?

What happens with the Utility partition diagnostics?

My Service Tag: 6LB2T71
Audio is enabled in BIOS.
If I boot to utility partition diagnostics I am hearing sound in audio test.

But I do not have an audio device in XP and I re-installed/uninstalled/installed audio drivers for my OptiPlex GX280 tens of times - does not help.

Message Edited by VladiA on 12-19-2005 12:15 PM

If you boot diags and you hear sound then its not a hardware problem. Its a REFORMAT ERASE EVERYTHING START OVER Corrupted registry problem.

Have you tried to reboot into safe mode and remove all of the sound drivers from the device manager list and then reboot and reinstall the drivers? I am not sure it would do much but it is certainly worth a try. As you say the sound works in diagnostic mode so its not hardware. maybe there are hidden duplicates of the drivers in the registry that this may find. I know this is a shot in the dark but everything else has failed. also try to reinstall quickset at the same time.
This is just from a very experianced Dell owner not a support tech.

Message Edited by sleeplesman on 12-19-2005 05:25 PM

I am not dell. I am not sending you anything. This is not the negotiate with customer service forum. Its clearly a software issue. Reinstalling is your option. The hardware is working. There are 3rd party services that will charge for travel time and service. Typical cost would be $3000 and travel time for onsite "software" repair.  The software issue comes about via Invalid drivers, and or installing software via NON ADMINISTRATOR accounts aka Non LOCAL ADMINISTRATOR.   Dell does provide software support IF YOU PAY FOR IT.  You have not paid for software support and therefore your issue is not covered under warranty.  Software support is not free from Microsoft or Dell.

You  have corrupted registry for the following reasons.

1 You did not install the chipset drivers BEFORE installing the Audio drivers and or installed other software not using the local Administrator account.
2 Because you did not login as administrator the Permissions to critical registry keys are now Broken.
3 You tried to install several drivers that were wrong and did all of the above.

WINDOWS XP HOME REQUIRES BOOTING SAFE MODE TO LOGIN AS ADMINISTRATOR.

Permissions problem

Listed Here in this Word Doc file
http://www.hauppauge.com/html/winxp_driver_data_invalid.doc

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ENUM\PCI

The fix is to put the permissions back the way they were (turns out this particular subkey had been modified by mistake anyway). You’ll either need to be a member of the local Administartors group to run this, or schedule it to run under Task Scheduler with admin credentials. You’ll also need the SubInAcl.exe command-line utility.

subinacl /subkeyreg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum
  /grant=Administrators=F
  /grant=System=F
  /grant=everyone=R

Now Windows will be able to properly enumerate devices and the problem should go away.

Read the KB article 555377 by Microsoft MVP Nick Whittome.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=555377

Get SubInAcl.exe from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=e8ba3e56-d8fe-4a91-93cf-ed6985e3927b&displaylang=en

Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility
Driver
 
Release Title: Chip Set: Intel Chipset Software
Installation Utility, Driver, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Multi Language,
Multi System, v.6.0.1.1002, A09
Release Date: 07/12/2004
Description: Software support for Intel Chipsets.

ftp://ftp.dell.com/chipset/R79695.EXE

Analog Devices ADI 198x Integrated Audio
Driver
 
Release Title: Audio: Analog Devices ADI 198x Integrated Audio,
Driver, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Multi Language,
Multi System, v.5.12.01.4060, A17
Release Date: 06/22/2004
Description: ADI Onboard Sound Driver Multiple System. 

ftp://ftp.dell.com/audio/R78477.EXE

 

Analog Devices Inc. SoundMAX(R) Windows(R) 98SE/2000/ME/XP WDM Driver

INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Installation or Update of Analog Devices SoundMAX Audio Driver

    NOTE: Remove any previously installed driver using the instructions
          in the next section.

1.  From the task bar, click on Start -> Run.

2.  In the Run dialog box, type C:\dell\drivers\R78477\Setup.exe

3.  When installing, "SoundMAX Install" dialog box appears. In the
    dialog box, press Next. When upgrading or reinstalling, "Setup
    Type" dialog box appears. In the dialog box, select "Reinstall or
    Upgrade" radio button, then press Next.

4.  Click on the Next and OK prompts as they appear.

5.  Reboot the system to complete the installation.

Removal of Analog Devices SoundMAX Audio Driver

1.  From the task bar, click on Start -> Settings -> Control Panel,
    or for Windows XP, click on Start -> My Computer -> System Tasks.

2.  Double-click on the Add/Remove programs icon.

3.  Double-click on SoundMAX Install. (A dialog box appears.) 

4.  Select Remove and then press Next.

5.  Reboot the system to fully uninstall the drivers.

TO INSTALL USING AN INF FILE:

1.  Find the location of the following files:

    * smwdm.sys
    * smwdm.inf
    * smx.cat (for signed drivers)

    NOTE: These files are located in the Se (for Windows ME / Windows 98SE)
   or W2k (for Windows 2000 / Windows XP) subdirectory of the
   distribution media.

2.  Open Control Panel using the Start Menu->Settings->Control Panel
    and double click the System icon.  On Windows XP, open System
    Information using Start Menu->My Computer->View System Information.

3.  Select Device Manager tab (on Windows 2000/ Windows XP, select the
    Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button).

    *For Windows XP

        a. If Multimedia device is "Intel(r) 82801 BA/BAM AC'97
           Audio Controller" (default), remove device and rename
           corresponding inf file C:\WINDOWS\Inf\wdma_int.inf into
           C:\WINDOWS\Inf\wdma_int.

        b. Select "Scan For The Hardware Changes".

        c. In the "Add New Hardware Wizard" dialog box, select
           "Install from the list of specific locations" radio
           button and click Next.

        d. Select location of the driver files noted above and
           click Next to install driver.
           
    If Multimedia Audio Device is older version of SoundMAX Integrated
    Digital Audio Device, follow driver update procedure described
    below for other operating systems.
         
  
    NOTE: Different actions are necessary depending on whether a
          Multimedia Sound Device is present.
 
    * If a Multimedia Sound Device is present (like "SoundMAX
      Integrated Digital Audio" or an "AC'97" generic sound
      driver), complete the following steps.
  
   a. Double-click on the device.

   b. Select Driver tab.

   c. Click Update Driver.

   d. Select Search for a better driver.

   e. When prompted for a location, select a specific location
             and enter the one noted above.

       NOTE: If you are prompted to insert the Windows CD, insert
     the CD. If you are prompted to reboot, do so.

    * If a Multimedia Sound Device is NOT present, complete the
      following steps.

   a. Click refresh.

             NOTE: A multimedia device will be found.

   b. Select Search for a better driver.

   c. When prompted for a location, select a specific location
             and enter the one noted above.

     NOTE: If you are prompted to insert the Windows CD, insert 
     the CD. If you are prompted to reboot, do so.

TO UNINSTALL WHEN USING INF FILE:

1.  Open System Properties using the Start Menu->Settings->Control
    Panel, or Start Menu->My Computer->View System Information for
    Windows XP.

2.  Select Device Manager tab (on Windows 2000/Windows XP, select the
    Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button).

4.  Select Sound, Video and Game Controllers -> SoundMAX integrated
    Digital Audio device.

5.  Click Remove (on Windows 2000/Windows XP, click the Uninstall icon
    with the red X).

6.  Following an uninstall, the system must be restarted before
    another install can be run.

    NOTE: If you are prompted to insert the Windows CD,
          insert the CD. If you are prompted to reboot, do so.

The Windows Plug and Play System maintains a backup copy of the driver
and will re-install it automatically upon reboot unless another driver
replaces it. If you wish the driver to be completely removed from the
system, complete the following steps:

Using Windows Explorer, delete the following from the WINDOWS
directory (WINNT for Windows 2000):

    a. C:\Windows\inf\Other\Analog DevicesSmwdm.inf (or any
       similarly named file if present)

    b. C:\Windows\system32\drivers\smwdm.sys

    c. For Windows 2000/Windows XP:
       C:\WINNT\inf\OEMn.inf, or C:\WINDOWS\inf\OEMn.inf for
       Windows XP, (where n is an integer)
       Only delete those files that are copies of Smwdm.inf
       (they will be named OEMn.inf [where n is an integer]).   
       Also, delete the corresponding .pnf files.

System Type: OptiPlex GX280
Ship Date: 7/1/2005
Dell IBU: Americas
 
Quantity Parts # Part Description
 
1 R7762 INSTRUCTION, DEVIATE-TO-TSMT-MNSTRM
1 T7280 PROCESSOR, 80547, PENTIUM 4 PRESCOTT DT, 520, SOCKET T, E0, MALE
1 T7422 INSTRUCTION, DEVIATE-TO-TSMT-PRFMC
1 149DF INFORMATION, PREPARATION MATERIAL, DEVIATION, PRECISION WORKSTATION, INCREASE, #2
1 702EX INFORMATION, PREPARATION MATERIAL, DEVIATION, PRECISION WORKSTATION, INCREASE, #1
1 5120P CORD, POWER, 125V, 6FT, SPT2, UNSHIELDED
1 T0943 KIT, MOUSE, UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS, 2BTN, OPTICAL, LOGITECH
1 N6250 KEYBOARD, 104, UNITED STATES, UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS, MULTI-MEDIA, LITEON, LEAD FREE
2 U2414 DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE, 512, 400M, 64X64, 8, 240, 1RX8
1 F4991 KIT, DOCUMENTATON ON FLOPPY DISK, SOFTWARE, POWERDVD, 5.1
1 F7885 CDRW/DVD COMBO, 48X32, HALF HEIGHT, HITACHI LG DATA STORAGE, CHASSIS 2001, V2
1 U4931 DISPLAY, FLAT PANEL DISPLAY, 17,  E173FPB, MIDNIGHT GRAY,
1 X8134 ASSEMBLY, FLOPPY DRIVE, 1.44M, TEAC, CHASSIS 2001, LEAD FREE
1 5H644 HARD DRIVE, 80GB, Serial ATA, 7.2K, 8MB, NATIVE COMMAND QUEUEING, SEAGATE
1 JD188 KIT, SOFTWARE, OVERPACK, WXPPSP2A, COMPACT DISKETTE W/DOCUMENTATION, ENGLAND/ENGLISH 
 
 

Message Edited by SpeedStep on 12-20-2005 08:14 AM

Message Edited by VladiA on 12-20-2005 10:49 AM

 

Message Edited by VladiA on 12-20-2005 10:49 AM

I only gave one example in one place that the registry could be corrupted.
There is no such thing as one size fits all single registry problem that cures all ailments always forever.

Your software is damaged.

Free support is not available to repair corrupted registry.

REINSTALL REFORMAT is what is available to you.

If you dont want to do that Buy a new hard drive and reinstall and reformat on that drive
to see if the hardware then works. I beleive it will.

Check if you have Windows Audio service started.