Request for help with PCI Device issue/No Sound

I really appreciate your thorough reply.  I'll give this a try right now!

I attempted the solutions listed above.

services.msc was already set to automatic so I didn't alter that.

I found that when attempting to run r171789 it would reach the configuring stage then automatically begin to try to install r114079 (which I had previously installed by that point.

I'm still getting the yellow exclamation and update driver doesn't seem to work.  The wizard can't find new hardware.

When I boot up it still states Found New Hardware PCI Device.

It currently appears to be attempting to upload the Sigmatel driver when I boot or reboot, but it says it is incompatible.

The reason I think it may be software and not hardware is because it was working fine until I attemped to remove programs from add/remove yesterday to open up hard drive space.  I removed some programs that said "Last used in 2006" because I thought they couldn't be important if they hadn't been used in 3 years.  However, 4 of these (that were all next to each other...can't recall their name...were audio related, I believe...if I recall correctly).  I mention this in case it's helpful in problem solving.  It was after attempting to remove programs and not having a restore point to go back to unfortunately that I started having the audio problems.

This e1505 model has buttons in the front that mute/lower/increase volume which when I push now brings up the box that used to show volume, but it is always all the way down and sound doesn't work.

When I attempted to play Rhapsody (online music access) it just skipped from song to song to song without stopping to even try to play anything.

When I attempted to watch a video online I could see the video fine but it had no audio.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I found that when attempting to run r171789 it would reach the configuring stage then automatically begin to try to install r114079 (which I had previously installed by that point.

That behavior is odd. You restarted the computer as part of installing the chipset driver, correct?

There is a possibility that one of the audio things you removed was the Microsoft UAA driver which is necessary for the Sigmatel HD audio. Try this:

1. Go to c:\Dell\drivers\R171789 and delete the R171789 folder again.
2. Go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888111 and get the UAA driver. Install it and restart the computer.
3. Download R171789 again.
4. After it finishes extracting the files and begins to install, cancel.
5. Open Device Manager and expand System devices near the bottom. Go to the PCI Device entry with a ? next to it. Go to the properties and choose to update the driver. Choose to manually find the drivers and don't let windows look for drivers on the net or automatically. Browse to
c:\Dell\drivers\R171789\WDM

With any luck it should detect some new hardware and one of them should be the Sigmatel.

Thanks for your help.  This didn't seem to get me any closer and thing were looking even worse so I decided to an attempt a clean install which has brought up a new challenge.

I've posted the following in what I believe is a more appropriate section of the forum, but I'll copy it below in case anyone has any ideas on how I can approach this...

I'm attempting to do a clean install using the Operating System ("Already Installed On Your Computer") disk which came with my laptop.

The problem I'm having is that in the beginning of installation it gives the option of Windows Media Center or Windows XP Professional.  When I choose the Media Center option, nothing seems to happen.  So I can only install the Windows XP Professional version, which doesn't look right on my screen (looks streteched no matter what display settings I use) and, more importantly, it doesn't seem to recognize that I have a wireless connection...so I can't connect to the internet with that computer (I'm writing on this post on another computer).

How can I install the WIndows Media Center from the Operating System disk.  I currently have Windows XP Professsional installed but since it's not apparently compatible with the E1505's wireless ability, it's not something I want to keep installed.   Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

I hope this isn't too late. I strongly urge you to not do an OS reinstallation from disks, but rather use the PC Restore function that was on your hard drive when the computer left the factory. Dell's PC Restore for XP is an image of your original operating system in a hidden partition on the hard drive. It's like a normal reformat in that you have to save all of your data to removable media, but it is different because it includes all of the original drivers, applications and configuration settings of the computer when it was new, and it only takes a few minutes to do. Whatever was working when you got the computer will work after PC Restore, except for any hardware problems that have developed over time.

To use PC Restore you restart and press Ctrl + F11 during the restart process and it should take you to the "PC Restore" menu.To learn more about it see page 104 of your Owner's Manual. Of course if the hard drive has ever been wiped clean of all partitions then the Restore function will have been lost. Even if you do an OS installation from disks I urge you to not reformat the entire drive, but only the "c" partition. That way you would also save the Dell Diagnostics partition which is another important tool for diagnosing audio and other problems.

Anything that doesn't work after PC Restore either wasn't working when the computer was shipped or is the result of hardware malfunction. For that reason PC Restore can serve as an excellent diagnostic tool for distinguishing between hardware and software problems. If the audio doesn't work then it is the hardware. If everything works then you can take note of all of your drivers and devices, then do a reinstallation from disks if you still want to (but only formatting the "c" partition) and you will know which drivers you need to download afterwards. When you install drivers after an OS installation from disks be sure to follow the correct order of installation (first the Notebook System Software, restart, then the chipset driver, restart, then the other drivers) or else the Sigmatel driver will not install.

Thanks for the guidance.  Unfortunately I had already tried to install the Operating System last night.  My current situation is that I have Windows XP Professional installed and it doesn't allow me to install Windows Media Center Edition even though that comes up as 1 of 2 options towards the beginning.  The Windows XP Professional doesn't seem formatted for my e1505's display screen (everything looks stretched on either screen resolution).  Most importantly it has no connection to the Internet.  I did partition it only on to the C: drive as you mentioned.  I tried the Ctrl+F11 method you mentioned but unfortunately that no longer appears to work since my install.  I'm surprised I'm not supposed to use the Operating Disk as I had to purchase it in addition to my laptop and was told it was for doing a fresh install if the system broke down.  I removed all of my data before doing the install.  Is there any way to use the Operating Disk in a manner that would create a reinstall of Windows Media Center or did I purchase that for no reason?  Thanks.

I'm surprised I'm not supposed to use the Operating Disk as I had to purchase it in addition to my laptop and was told it was for doing a fresh install if the system broke down.

I didn't mean that you are not supposed to use the disks, just that the PC Restore option would have had so many advantages:

1. Your computer would have been functioning like new in a matter of minutes.

2. Your drivers would all be installed and you would not have to guess which ones to install. For example you now need to to figure out what model graphics card you have so that you can install the correct driver for the screen to display correctly. With PC Restore that would not have been an issue.

3. You would have instant diagnosis. Anything that didn't work afterward a PC Restore would be a hardware problem ... no need to waste time trying to correct with software.

4. All of the configurations would be correct.

I removed all of my data before doing the install.  Is there any way to use the Operating Disk in a manner that would create a reinstall of Windows Media Center or did I purchase that for no reason?

I'm sorry but I don't know the answer to that. Try posting that question on the Microsoft Operating System Board.

Thanks for clarifying.  Fortunately I rec'd some excellent help in another tech support category and was told how to find the proper drivers by entering my original service tag so it was pretty easy to install the drivers.  It's good to know about the PC Restore option as that may come in handy in the future.  Thanks for your assistance.