Hello Kevin. When you open the Device Manager and expand the "Sound, video & game controllers" category, do you see "High Definition Audio Device"?
If not, then Windows is not detecting the audio hardware on the motherboard. One reason that can happen is that the audio is turned off in the BIOS. Most Dell BIOS do not have a setting for audio, but a few do. I don't have a list of which models have audio in the BIOS, so check yours. If you don't find a setting for audio, then audio is ON by default.
Another reason for Windows not detecting the audio hardware is that the hardware might have failed. Test the audio hardware by running the audio test in Dell 32-bit Diagnostics. The Dell 32-bit Diagnostic was on a hidden partition of the original hard drive that shipped with the laptop. If you no longer have the original hard drive, or if the partition has been wiped from the hard drive, download the Dell 32-bit Diagnostic files (CW1394A0) and run the diagnostic from a flash drive or cd. Expand the "Instructions" category and read "Custom Instructions for CW1394A0.exe".
An alternative to using Dell 32-bit Diagnostics is to perform a system recovery (revert the laptop to the original factory configuration). If the audio fails the audio tests, or if it does not work right after a system recovery, then the hardware has failed.
Jim Coates
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August 2nd, 2016 05:00
Hello Kevin. When you open the Device Manager and expand the "Sound, video & game controllers" category, do you see "High Definition Audio Device"?
If not, then Windows is not detecting the audio hardware on the motherboard. One reason that can happen is that the audio is turned off in the BIOS. Most Dell BIOS do not have a setting for audio, but a few do. I don't have a list of which models have audio in the BIOS, so check yours. If you don't find a setting for audio, then audio is ON by default.
Another reason for Windows not detecting the audio hardware is that the hardware might have failed. Test the audio hardware by running the audio test in Dell 32-bit Diagnostics. The Dell 32-bit Diagnostic was on a hidden partition of the original hard drive that shipped with the laptop. If you no longer have the original hard drive, or if the partition has been wiped from the hard drive, download the Dell 32-bit Diagnostic files (CW1394A0) and run the diagnostic from a flash drive or cd. Expand the "Instructions" category and read "Custom Instructions for CW1394A0.exe".
When you get the diagnostic installed on a flash drive or cd, see these instructions for running the audio tests.
An alternative to using Dell 32-bit Diagnostics is to perform a system recovery (revert the laptop to the original factory configuration). If the audio fails the audio tests, or if it does not work right after a system recovery, then the hardware has failed.