My dear brother brought over his antique Gateway 2000 and wants me to see if I can format and reinstall Windows 98. He would like to install some games like the JumpStart learning etc. He says there is trouble with the sound/speakers, the modem does not work–maybe struck by lightning? but not to worry about modem.
This computer was manufactured in 1995 and the tower looks like a sky scrapper.
I am studying the sound problem. I have used msinfo32 and gone to the Components and also expanded Multiimedia but I cannot find Sound. If I click the Multimedia I receive the message "There are no Multimedia devices." The Dxdiag diagnostics (start-> run-> dxdiag) show "No sound card was found". The computer has speakers so it once had sound. Device manager does not have any error markings like yellow or green icons indicating problems.
Does this indicate that the sound card may be bad and therefore is not located?
Thanks for any information or suggestions.
Susan
I did not find any Sound to remove in Device Manager. I look at Device Manager for my laptop and see Sound but then I go to his Device Manager and do not find any Sound. I did remove the Modem in his Device Manager and restarted Windows 98 and it found the Modem. So would this mean the sound card is bad? What about the Modem? Would Windows find the Modem if it were struck by lightening?
I hate the idea of formating and resintalling Windows 98 here because I hate finding and installing up-to-date? drivers for an 11-year-old computer.
Have you tried opening the box and removing the sound card and put it in another slot?
In the Control Panel, you should be able to Open the modem and test it.
I got the case of the monstrosity and removed the card. I know it is the sound card because of where the jacks plug in from the outside. There are three slots where cards could fit in but the sound card extends beyond where it plugs in to the slots. The two slots above will not work. There is a metallic cylinder to the right of slot above and would interfer with the inserting the card into that slot. Then there is a metal bracket that is to the right of the slot above that one. So it looks like I am limited to that first slot.
What is funny is that the speakers make noise when computer first is turned on and when it is turned off. Like the click when public speaker first turns on microphone. If the sound card was bad, would I even get that noise?
I tested the modem and the ATI: Ok, etc. and got a string of hex characters. At end 0 characters sent but was wondering if that was because not connected to phone line.
Any ideas please?
If it doesn't show in Device Manager, I'd say the system isn't reconizing the card being there.
If you know what make and model the card is, you can try to find the drivers for it on the web and download them to see if that works.
Thanks LDTate for all your help.
Ensoniq website does not exist anymore and I cannot find drivers. Since the computer originally came with Windows 95 and was upgraded to Windows 98SE, I am betting that I could not use the drivers from the original installation cd. Guess I could try that anyway. I am ready to return this computer to my brother and reclaim my kitchen dining table.
Since the computer originally came with Windows 95 and was upgraded to Windows 98SE, I am betting that I could not use the drivers from the original installation cd. Guess I could try that anyway. I am ready to return this computer to my brother and reclaim my kitchen dining table.
