Windows XP Update - Now No Sound

Hi all! I stupidly did an optional update from "Windows Updates" online called: "Realtek Semiconductor Corp - Sound - Realtek High Definition Audio……Realtek multimedia software update released on September 23 2005." – & now I have no sound at all. I've tried reinstalling the drivers, both the original from the Abit AL8 disk, & the Realtek site, to no avail. Device manager shows no problems - all working properly. Thought it might be a conflict with SP3 so uninstalled that for my Windows XP Pro OS, & tried reinstalling Realtech drivers - still nothing. It obviously changed something in Windows that really screwed up the sound card software. Anybody have a quick easy answer? Otherwise I can just go to backup from last night. Been googling & searching Microsoft support but can't find this specific issue with this update. Probably not many were crazy enough to download this "update" when their sound card was working perfectly fine before.

Well thats certainly a weird one, lets start with the simplest\stupidly obvious bit, have you checked in the sound that it hasn't been turned right down or even muted ? Just wondering if this may of happened for whatever reason, next lets see if uninstalling it will help, go into the device manager and expand the sound\audio section, right click on everything sound related and select uninstall, when prompted to reboot say no and continue until ALL audio parts are removed; Note:- Not ALL parts may have an uninstall option, this is fine leave and move onto the next. When the last one is done reboot and allow the system to auto install them again, hopefully this will re-associate everything to the audio device and let it work again, see if this works.

Hi Guy, thanks, yes checked all that & tried device uninstall before & again - under sound the only one I can uninstall is the Realtek HD audio driver. It is weird. Sound is just totally gone - not even system beeps. If I had to guess it's something to do w/ a conflict between SP3 & this update, maybe even involving the Microsoft UAA Audio Bus driver. Though when I removed SP3 & tried all above again, still no sound.

Well I had something like this once, but have never heard of it anywhere else, but a long shot, go into the sound settings, right click on your volume icon by the clock, then select Adjust Audio Properties, click on the hardware tab, and in the boxes make sure the correct audio device is selected in each box, do the same under voice as well, I once had a nightmare time trying to get sound working, turned out the boxes I directed you to were set to the modem or something, can't recall now, but check these are set right.

Sorry, I've tried so much that I can't report it all to you, but I've pretty much checked all that too, & did again.
I wrote to microsoft about it, but no response yet. Also, I have this hotfix from them: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888111
assuming that the UAA bus driver (under system in device manager) might have gotten notgood up.

Yeah it will drive you nuts lol, but have you tried a system restore ? might be worth seeing if you can go back to prior to this happening.

Does the system put in "notgood" for notgood? Well that "hotfix" from M-soft wouldn't run because my current UAA driver is newer than it. Ya, need to do a restore. Though haven't done a system restore before. Was just going to use the Acronis image backup. I'll check out system restore.

There is/was a problem with Realtek sound and one or more windows updates. Read through this and see if it rings a bell. Not your exact problem but maybe similar enough?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935448

Also, a System Restore as 8210GUY suggested may fix it.

There is/was a problem with Realtek sound and one or more windows updates. Read through this and see if it rings a bell. Not your exact problem but maybe similar enough?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935448

Also, a System Restore as 8210GUY suggested may fix it.

thanks, though that won't run either since I have SP3.

smart me again - I cleaned out all my previous system restores last PM, so I'll have to restore the whole thing from my acronis backup.

I might remove SP3 again & try the above & the previous hotfix, before I do a complete restore.

thanks again, all!

There is/was a problem with Realtek sound and one or more windows updates. Read through this and see if it rings a bell. Not your exact problem but maybe similar enough?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935448

Also, a System Restore as 8210GUY suggested may fix it.

thanks, though that won't run either since I have SP3.

smart me again - I cleaned out all my previous system restores last PM, so I'll have to restore the whole thing from my acronis backup.

I might remove SP3 again & try the above & the previous hotfix, before I do a complete restore.

thanks again, all!

Too bad, I think SP3 fixed the problem. Acronis is a wonderful thing for sure. I wouldn't operate a computer without it. I never, ever install driver updates from the MS update site. Many people seem to have great success doing so but I've read of too many problems to take the chance.

Yeah I'm the same, at least in xp anyway, I always get the drivers from the makers site each time, but with vista I do tend to allow that to get updates, at least when there has been an issue in the system prior, sorry I have no better solutions for you, I hope you get it sorted, good luck.

Too bad, I think SP3 fixed the problem. Acronis is a wonderful thing for sure. I wouldn't operate a computer without it.

I never, ever install driver updates from the MS update site. Many people seem to have great success doing so but I've read of too many problems to take the chance.

ya, SP3 has its own UAA bus driver, which I think might be the problem w/ this "update" I did. never again for me on drive updates from m-soft. then they don't even support it.

"fool me once, shame on you….fool me twice…..uhhh, we won't get fooled again".