Inspiron 8600 sound problem

Question

I'm having a weird problem with the sound on my 8600. I've just installed an external Creative soundcard, and this will only work if i disable the Sigmatel internal driver. When I switch the internal driver back on, I can't control its volume or mute it, and I can't get the Creative soundcard to work. In the control panel I can see I've set everything to Creative soundcard, and in my audio apps I set it to the same, but still this invisible audio driver works away in the background. Most of my problems came after I upgraded to XP Pro from Home, but I thought I'd solved most of them by wipe the HD and restarting. So what's going wrong here? (Other recent install is PowerDVD and Adobe Audition.)

strezise · Answer

Hi, thanks for your reply. It's the Audigy 2. I wish I oculd say it worked as you describe, but it doesn't. The only way I can get Audigy to work is by disabling the Sigmatel driver. With the Sigmatel driver enabled I can't use the Audigy and I have no control over the volume level on the internal sound! I can see Audigy in both all the settings, so it's selected, still the Sigma takes charge and gives me no control over levels. Seriously odd. I updated the driver for the Sigma from the Dell website and used the one recommended for the Inspiron 8600.

Jim Coates · Answer

strezise,

Is this what you have done:

Start/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices properties/Audio tab

where you selected Soundblaster as the default device for playback and recording. You then clicked on 'Apply' and 'OK' but the Audigy would not work while the SigmaTel driver was installed?

Jim

strezise · Answer

Yup. I selected Soundblaster in the usual way, and it shows as the default device even, but the internal driver continues to work and Soundlbaster doesn't until I actually disable the Sigmatel driver in Device Manager.

strezise · Answer

Thank you. This has solved most of my problems. The Sigmatel driver has to be the one you list, not the most recent one, then the conflict ALMOST goes. My remaining problem -- life was never simple -- is that the remote control and external box have no impact on volume. I see the volume changing on the screen but don't hear it! I have to go to the Creative Volume Control dialogue to change the volume. The same with the mute. I can switch it on on the external hardware box, but not off! Again the software mute has to be used. Is this a simple fault requiring a change of hardware at the shop, or just another software conflict?

Thanks again for all your patient help.

Simon

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Inspiron 8600 sound problem

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