SYSTEM32\SNDVOL32.EXE

'Search' for sndvol32. It should be in C:\I386 and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32.

If you have to re-install you will need your re-installation cd-rom of the Windows Operating System.


1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key as you insert the CD-ROM to prevent it from starting automatically.

2. Click on Start and then Run. Type cmd and then click OK.

3. Type the following lines at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

d:
cd i386
expand sndvol32.ex_ c:\windows\system32\sndvol32.exe

(Note that there is a space between "ex_" and "c" in this command. D and C are the letter names of the cd drive and the hard drive; change them if yours have different letter names.)

4. Type exit to quit the command prompt.

After the re-installation you should be able to re-install the audio driver.



Different way:

Put your WinXP cd disk in your CD drive. Click "Exit" but leave disk in drive. Go to control panel--Add/Remove windows components. Make sure the box next to Accessories is checked. Click OK and let it run. When it is finished, go back to control panel and choose "Sounds,Speech and Audio Devices" and then "Sounds and Audio devices" and check the "Place volume icon in the task bar"


More advice:

Run "expand X:\i386\sndvol32.ex_ C:\Windows\system32\sndvol32.exe"

X is your CD drive letter.

If that doesn't work, check the CD for the correct location of the
sndvol32.ex_ file. Use Windows search. Then modify X:\i386\sndvol32.ex_
to the correct location for that compressed copy of sndvol32.exe on the
CD.

Jim

the first option didnt work, which was start,run,cmd,........the second option did which was reinstalling acessories of of the back up disk, thank you very much!

Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't all that sure about that 2nd way. Good to know it works.

Jim

jimco i wanted to thank you again, and also was curious about what exactly does that mean that the file was expanded. Almost forgot to mention, the fix options that you sent , i told you that the first one didnt work, start, run ,cmd, so i did the second one which was to reinstall accessories,  which was successful but after i shut the machine down and started it back up the little volume icon wasnt on the toolbar and when i went to sound and audio devies "advanced volume controls" i still got the cannot find snvol32.ex, but on the otherhand i still had volume. I then did the first option, start, run, cmd and it then expanded the file and when i logged off it gave me the saving my settings, and its fine now.

I'm a music teacher not a tech and much of my 'advice' is just passing along stuff others have come up with, so:

I believe Windows keeps compressed backup copies of some files in a folder i386. That's why the first thing I said was to search for it, to see if the backup was still there. The same i386 folder of compressed files is on the cd. The DOS command is supposed to extract the specified file from the cd, uncompress it and copy it onto the hard drive into the System32 folder from which the executable file is run. You might want to 'search' again and see if there is now a backup file in i386.

I'm not at all sure why the 2nd way does anything, since sound doesn't seem to be one of the components of Accessories, but I'm just glad to know it helped in a roundabout way. Any thoughts on that?

Jim

Thank you for the confirmation.

Jim

Nicola,

This is a problem I haven't heard of before. I would try removing the existing audio driver and then download and install a new one. If you need more details on how to do that please state the computer model and operating system.

Jim

This is the Laptops Audio board; I don't know much about the desktops but here is what you would do if it were a laptop:

Dimension 3000 XP downloads page


Click the + sign next to Audio to find the link to your audio driver. Download it but before installing it look in the Add/Remove Programs list in the Control Panel and if it is named there remove it. Then install the new one.

You might get better advice on the Desktops Audio board.

Jim