no sound on Inspiron 1545

Thanks, but I don`t have any restore-points in the windows restore. Somehow they were also deleted in the clean-up. I have windows vista 64.

I don't have a silver bullet answer (except System Restore) for this issue. Just can try various things but it might require a Windows re-installation.

Try the native Windows driver. To install the native driver, remove the IDT driver. Open the Device Manager and expand "Sound, video and game controllers". Right click on "IDT High Definition Audio Codec" and select to uninstall. Put a check mark in the option to delete the files, and then ok. When you reboot, Windows will either install its own native driver or another IDT driver if there were any other versions on the hard drive. So go back to the Device Manager and check for an IDT driver. Keep uninstalling & rebooting until IDT no longer appears under Sound Controllers and "High Definition Audio Device" appears in its place. That will be the native driver.

Hello. Use Windows system Restore (type system restore into the search box) and look for a date from before you removed IDT.

If you need more help please include which Windows operating system you have.

I have done that now. The "High Definition Audio Device" appears in the device manager and when I put my mouse over the volume-symbol in the task-bar. And when I open the volume-mixer here it says no audiodevice installed. Are there other options?

Right click on the volume icon in the taskbar, then click on Playback Devices. If you see Speakers listed there, right click on Speakers and select it as the default device.

If Speakers is not listed, what is?

If I right-click on the speakers I can`t choose for set as default. There are other options like testing, configure, disable, properties, etc. At the bottom of the menu there is an option "set as default". But it is not active and I can`t click on it.

> Open the Windows services (type services.msc in the search box), scroll down to Windows Audio Service and make sure it is running and set to automatic.

> Re-install the IDT audio driver.

If still no luck there is a problem either in Windows or the audio hardware. If you re-install Windows (or use Factory Image Restore if you have the original hard drive) and test the audio immediately afterwards, if it works it was a Windows issues. If it still doesn't work the hardware has failed.

If you have the original hard drive and if the diagnostic partition has never been wiped, you can test the audio hardware with the Dell 32 bit Diagnostics. To do that:

1. Restart the computer and tap the f12 key as soon as it starts to boot up.

2. Select 'Diagnostic' from the boot menu. The computer will run its pre-boot assessment tests (PSA) before Dell Diagnostics starts. During the PSA you will hear some tones through the system speaker but this does not adequately test the audio hardware. Dell Diagnostics plays an instrumental piece of music complete with drums, so if you only hear some scale tones then you have only run the PSA.

3. Dell Diagnostics should open after the PSA tests, or you should see an option to open it. If you have ever reformatted your entire hard drive then Dell Diagnostics will no longer be there as an option. In that case run it from the Drivers and Utilities (Resource) CD if you have one.

4. Select 'Custom', then the audio tests. (At this point - after you have opened Dell Diagnostic custom - if you can't find the option to select the audio tests that is a symptom of a failed audio chip.)

5. The tests will run. Alternate between using headphones and listening to speakers in case only one signal path is working.
The tests will play some audio and ask you whether you heard it.

6. If you don't hear the music during the test it definitely means there is a hardware failure somewhere in the system.

7.If you do hear the audio during the test but not when you boot back into Windows, that almost always means the hardware is okay but there is a problem with the audio driver or with Windows.

8. Error codes: If you answer 'no' to any question that the test asks you, the test generates an error code that can tell a Dell technician that you answered 'no' to that question.

Thanks so far. I did the Dell Diagnostic test trough the resource cd. I heard the music so its not a hardware problem right? Is there anything I can try in windows before reinstalling everything?

     It is very possible as JIMCO says that it's a Microsoft Update issue. Since you have sound in the diagnostics...again as JIMCO states...it's not a hardware problem. In WINDOWS UPDATE. do a manual check and download the OPTIONAL updates. Those include devices and updates on update installations that impact devices and drivers. Hope that helps. 

I did the Dell Diagnostic test trough the resource cd. I heard the music so its not a hardware problem right?

That is correct. I believe this is an issue with a Microsoft update, not because you uninstalled IDT, but I can't tell you how to fix it.

Tried to update Windows but got an error 80070005. Somebody can help with that?

Microsoft board

Someone on that board might be able to help you.

This Microsoft article describes what the error code means and what usually fixes it.