# Little To No Sound! Help



## metallica7

O.K. so, i have an audigy 2 sound card and logitech 5.1 surround...the computer is newly formatted so, i installed the driver...most the time i have no sound but sometimes when i m messin with it i can get it to have sound...though i have to crank the speakers to hear it...and when i do that, it doesnt use all 5 speakers...just 2.1...the creative program says its running 5.1.....i have no clue what could be wrong but at the moment nothings coming from the speakers....i have a dell 8300


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## PC eye

The first thing to do with this problem is look in the device manager under the "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" section seen there to see the wdm item has a yellow mark next to it. The other thing to try is the speaker calibration fpr each setting. Whenever you reinstall the Creative software that is the first thing to go through to see the setting changes work.


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## metallica7

device manager says its good...how do i do the second thing u said


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## metallica7

sorry for double post but i just noticed that.......

when i try to change settings for the creative audigy 2 it says: "Unable to change the sound device to your selected device."  Also, in the bottom right taskbar it doesnt have any volume rocker for me to change my volume.


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## PC eye

Your main problem by the description right there suggests a need to remove and then perform a reinstallation of everything. Which Audigy 2 model is that anyways? The main support page for selecting the model card and latest update follows the current version of Windows you are running at http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/ There you select the series as well as the specific Audigy 2 model since there are several listed.

 For Vista's 32bit versions for both Audigy 2 and 4 models alike you will be stuck with the beta drivers along with a pair of other updates seen at http://us.creative.com/support/down...&driverlang=1033&OS=26&drivertype=0&x=29&y=10


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## metallica7

you mean uninstall everything as in uninstall all audio drivers?


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## PC eye

The volume control in the Start bar is either visible or hidden by clicking on the bar itself and choosing the properties. There items are checked off or left unchecked. To change volume with the Windows volume control you can also go to the Start>Programs>Accessories>Entertainment" section to that control there. For the Creative sound mixer you simply go into the "Start>Programs" and look for the Creative folder there. To see what it looks like when creating a desktop shortcut for the speakers settings, sound mixer, and EAX console alike, http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5108/xpdesktopju9.jpg Look on the left upper center there.

 Once in the Programs>Creative group you can see if the settings as well as volume levels are working there. If none work you will have to reinstall the software itself to see this corrected. But this is nothing new with their software for some reason.


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## metallica7

ugg still no luck...the test that u can run says everythings running fine, but no sound comes out unless the driver is uninstalled...then i get 2.1


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## PC eye

When I ran the Audigy 2 ZS Gamer on the last build there were some fun moments fighting to get the drivers to go on and be made active by Windows there. It sounds like the installation is incomplete for the speaker settings. Have you tried any updates? Which Audigy 2 model is that anyways? Once you have an update downloaded run that instead of the original software disk.


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## metallica7

umm how do i get an update download?


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## PC eye

The two links posted earlier are for Creative's support site. The first one will bring you directly to the series and model selector. The following page is for language, OS, and the type of download.


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## metallica7

im having no luck and its making me angry


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## PC eye

With repeated attempts at updating and reinstalling the software it seems to be coming down to one thing. card failure. On the last build here the Audigy 2 ZS Gamer simply quit one day. The irony of that is that the sound card from the previous build was installed in another case with one of my old cpus and is still going strong! I think you are due for another card but if you any plans for Vista go with the X-FI series being the newest line out.


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## metallica7

but how does that explain the fact that it works without a driver... (2.1)


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## PC eye

Do you have onboard sound and have you plugged the speakers in there rather then the sound card itself? With the sound drivers for the board installed and that enabled your sound would be coming from the onboard audio chip. The other thing is likely is that Windows installed a driver set for you by going online during an automatic search.


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## metallica7

if ud tell me how to fix it instead of telling me possible reasons it would be nice


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## PC eye

Wnen you do hear sound from the card in the 2 1/2 is that at the 2 1/2 setting or even at the 5.1? With the software and drivers being installed correctly and still not hearing anything from the rear speakers could point at a bad jack on the card or something is no longer working like the portion of the audio chip for the rear channels. The idea of looking at different things is to see if this is software or hardware related. With a bad jack or failed chip the card would have to be replaced.


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## metallica7

with drivers installed, nothing comes out of the speakers, i have to use the integrated audio, which is also suppose to use 5.1 but it only does 2.1 also....i think everythings set at 5.1 from what i can see.  when no drivers are installed i get sound using the sound card....its 2.1.........when its using 2.1 at the 5.1 setting, the rear and middle speakers just crackle while the 2.1 plays


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## PC eye

If you are seeing this as well using the onboard either the mixer portion of the board software is having a problem or your speaker connection and rear speakers are...? If you have a portable stereo radio around turn the volume all the down first and unplug the rear speaker plug into the headphone jack there when the system is shutdown and all speakers are unplugged there.

 When you turn on board speakers and the radio lightly turn the volume up since the output will be far higher then a sound card's. Remember only the rear speakers there to see if you hear normal output then. If not you either have a bad connection in the wiring like plug or small control card, or two speakers are bad. The description of hearing static points more at a bad connection like a partially broken wire in one of the cords.


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## metallica7

no, this isnt the problem because i used these speakers just before this for my xbox and all speakers worked....it must be the mixer? i wonder how i should fix this....by the way i never told u...this is a soundblaster audigy 2....the normal model...

ALSO.... i have 2 mixers currently....the creative one AND the intregrated one...is that a problem? how to fix?


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## PC eye

It always helps to find out someone is running an Audigy 2 "anything". That was one mistake seen on the last build here where the card simply quit. But you are also seeing this with the onboard sound. Did you make sure that was disabled when running the Audigy? If that is still enabled it will directly interfere with any installed card.

 Onboard and PCI expansion cards conflict with each other. With XP you will want to install the Audigy card you have there in the second or third pci slot. Problems are known to come up with XP's own resource sharing. This is another thing to look at there.


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## metallica7

im thinking it is broke....when the driver is installed all i get is 2.1 sound so the 5.1 port must be broken....it will have to do until i get a new one....o well i get an xfi now


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## CCPS

haha TURN IT UP ..

nah hmm try on adding the driver again. if not try an plug is clean or plug in all the way . if not your AUDIO can be going be on your Motherboad . Then go on buy a new 12-9.00 sound card PCI and plug it in plug it in , then install the drivers.


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## PC eye

metallica7 said:


> im thinking it is broke....when the driver is installed all i get is 2.1 sound so the 5.1 port must be broken....it will have to do until i get a new one....o well i get an xfi now


 
 have you been back to the Creative site lately? They finally released actual full version driver/software Vista updates for their current product line including the Audigy and Live series. You can try going back and see if you are still running the initial beta release. The latest will automatically remove the beta for the full version. That could be your problem if there is no faults with the card itself to find.


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## metallica7

ACTUALLY i just thought of something....i dont have vista, i have xp, however, i downloaded the alienware vista theme....so everything is in vista fashion....do u think the alienware vista theme would make it so i need vista software?


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## PC eye

If you downloaded and installed the Vista version of the driver/software update that explains right away why you are having problems with sound and the speaker settings! You have to remove those and download the update for XP not Vista. That won't matter if you add a Vista theme geared for XP. You are still running XP.


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## metallica7

i do have the xp update .. still doesnt work


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## PC eye

One thing to make sure of on the Audigy line is to look in the audio console to make you have the CMSS set to that and not CMSS2 or stereo. That will put the sound in stereo and disable the surround sound or simulated effect knocking out the two rear speakers. Go to the "Start>Programs>Creative>Audigy 2" drop down menu for this.


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