How to diagnose sound problems?

well from what I understand there cirrect you have onboard not a soundcard but it should still show up when you find the driver update us

I found the driver at pcchips.com under C-Media, CM8738, and downloaded the same version that I started out with v. 1.3. Then it was unzipped. I opened it all the way up until the driver for windows 98 was highlighted. Then I went to control panel, system, device manager, and looked around for the update driver option. Didn't find one until I opened up the sound, game etc controller. Am I correct in assuming that the game joystick, for some reason which I now forget, is actually the sound driver, or the same as the sound driver? Because that is where I clicked on update driver, browsing to the site with open driver file just downloaded, and said to use that. From here on in, my memory is getting hazy, but whatever......I still have no sound.

Ok 1st of all your joystick and sound shouldn't be the same driver that is kind of weird, if you still don't have sound I think it is a hardware problem and you should try a new soundcard after all if the card doesn't fix it you can always return it.

Much more than sound problems now. Don't know when it happened, but sometime today, I became extremely unstable. It has taken me three attempts to post this, but I had the presence of mind to copy the first part to clipboard before the system froze on me again.

I began this post with the following:

Ever since this afternoon with that shared computer session with the guy from Expert City, and then I started going around and being redirected from one site to another.....I have been freezing left and right....and I never used to do that.

I am depressed. I sooo don't know what I am doing. I used the joy stick because I didn't see anything in that category that had to do with sound. Just tried to get into control panel from start, and couldn't click on start - nothing happens.

Finally got back here after truly weird stuff. Tried to click on the desktop icon in the systray to access My Computer that way, and couldn't depress that one either. Couldn't click on anything in the systray. Then I froze. Then screens started coming at me in rapid succession. Then a blank control panel window with nothing in it but a flashlight sweeping back and forth. How I got back here is anyone's guess, but I sure in hell don't know.

Continuing: I was going back to device manager to recapture what my options were under sound etc. controllers. Then the above happened.

Better post this while I still can. I have no idea if the downloaded driver was installed in the correct place. If I can get back, I will tell you why I chose game stick.

do a system restore

That ain't a correct assumption. Joystick connectors are identical to MIDI connectors (they're both 15 pin female DB's) so sound card makers just include joystick support to make the (otherwise rarely used) connection more functional and to prevent people from accidentally plugging in their joysticks & calling the sound card manufacturer. But they need separate drivers. After you use system restore to get some stability back, make sure you install the latest version of your sound card's driver from the sound card's properties page in device manager, as if that hasn't been done yet there's a decent possibility that'll fix it.

Why, oh why, didn't I stop to learn all of this basic beginning stuff when I should have? Impatient fool!
I'm going to take some of this offline to PM because I am too embarrassed, after I run some errands.

Ok I got confused but didn't he say he installed the driver and the soundcard still didn't show up or did i misread that.

I downloaded and unzipped both sound driver and BIOS for version 1.3. Neither are installed. The sound card...just where do I click on update driver as there are no tabs (except the first) under the sound icon in control panel.

I have not attempted the BIOS procedure that monger mentioned because I'm not sure what he means.

monger said:

_________________

Specifically:



Don't know what he means by a Win 9x or ME boot floppy and I don't think an .exe file came with the download. But will go check.

boot floppy means the boot floppy you made aka boot disk (if you didnt make 1 you can download 1) The 9x means the type of widows it is dont worry about that he just means your ME boot disk...ill post more in a sec i gotta run and do something.

When you see software versions doing things like 2.0.X or 9X it means 2.0.0-9 or 90-9

X is a wildcard.

basicly windows 9x is the windows series that includes Windows 95, Windows 98 first and second edition.

The numbers acronyms (win 9x.) I know...it was the boot floppy that had me scratching my head.

understand now? or you still need some direction?

You said you have Win98 right? go to Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs->Boot Disk (the 3rd tab on the top).

You can use the floppy you make from there to boot your computer to a DOS command prompt (no Windows).

Use the link I posted, rather than the one from PC Chips.

It will only work if you log in at driverguide.com with the password I posted before you follow the link.

The trail to the driver began with driverguide.com, with redirect to pcchips. But will try your link and see where it gets me.

OK. Downloaded from your link. Got 4 files unzipped into program files: C-Media, Win 9x. Instructions are one file as below:

"put the 2 files in the same folder.
if you want to backup your bios data, type:
ami /Sold.rom
the file will be saved with the name old.rom
now, lets write the great bios, updated and with no problem into your bios chip.
first, if your bios is fucked, get another bios from the same motherboard.
put the working bios in the motherboard and turn on the pc.
get a boot disk to go to dos prompt.
remove that bios, and put your fucked bios there.
TYPE
ami m598lmr.rom
press enter. your bios is working now

my email is [email protected]
if I can help you, good..."

The other three files are the .rom, a .vxd (presumably the driver), and an AMI file, which when clicked, looked like it was going to make the system crash, but then flashed this message:

Title bar: Finishing - ami

Message proper:
DOS/4G Protected Mode Run-time - Version 2.01a
Copyright (c) Tenberry Software, Inc. 1996
* Chipset type - SiS 530/5595
* Flash Part - MOSEL VITELIC V29C51002T
(and the following in red)
* Error 2 - Files does not exist

What now?
"

Hi sumac,

First of all, there's a chance you have no need to flash your BIOS (it may already be the latest version) and there's a chance your sound problems are unrelated to it anyway. IMO, the first thing you should do is make sure you have the latest sound driver installed (this is done from the device manager in Windows), and only after that should you attempt a BIOS update. To steal a line from Craven: As always, should your computer give birth to twins at that point we are not responsible.


In regards to flashing your BIOS...


There are 3. (instructions.txt, m598lmr.rom and ami.exe) The vxd file you mentioned is not from the zip I linked to.


Sumac, the instructions I posted before (which involve running the program in DOS) may be a bit technical, but it's very important they are followed to the letter or it won't work & may even cause you problems. If you're not clear about certain steps, don't hesitate to ask.

Monger,
I just uploaded it from the link you gave. 4 files, including .vxd.

Let me go back. I don't recall that your instructions for installing the sound card driver involved being in DOS. BIOS, yes, driver, no. But I may be misremembering.