How can I fix the 'No Sound on AC'97' issue in Windows 7 Ultimate?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around troubleshooting the 'No Sound on AC'97' issue in Windows 7 Ultimate. Participants share their experiences and attempts to resolve audio driver problems following a fresh installation of the operating system.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant reports that sound was initially present after installation but disappeared following Windows updates, despite the audio device being enabled in BIOS and compatible hardware.
  • Another participant describes a similar experience, noting that the Realtek driver was automatically installed but sound was lost after updates, leading to multiple attempts to uninstall and reinstall drivers.
  • There is a query about locating the audio driver on the Windows 7 DVD, with participants discussing the difficulty in finding the correct driver files.
  • Some participants suggest that using the motherboard manufacturer's driver rather than generic drivers may resolve the issue.
  • One participant mentions a potential issue with services or dependencies not starting correctly, although they believe everything appears to be functioning properly.
  • A question is raised about the motherboard model and the specific driver being used, indicating that compatibility may be a concern.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a lack of consensus on the cause of the audio issue, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness of different drivers and installation methods. Some agree on the importance of using the correct manufacturer driver, while others report unsuccessful attempts with those drivers.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various troubleshooting steps, including uninstalling drivers, checking BIOS settings, and attempting to locate drivers on installation media. There is uncertainty regarding the impact of Windows updates on audio functionality and whether a BIOS flash would be beneficial.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for users experiencing similar audio issues after installing Windows 7, particularly those with AC'97 audio devices or custom-built computers.

Equate
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
No upgrade, full install of WIN 7 Ultimate.

Problem is just like the title says.

Screens:

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3513/75588998.th.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7209/81433304.th.jpg

Icon in taskbar says: "No Audio Output Device is installed".

Yes, it's enabled in the BIOS. Yes, my hardware is compatible, I ran this http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...0-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displaylang=en" and everything is good to go. I uninstalled any previous audio drivers before trying to install this one:

http://download.cnet.com/Realtek-AC-97-Driver-Windows-Vista-Windows-7/3000-2120_4-10962344.html

I also tried numerous others. I had Windows trying to repair it - no go. I uninstalled it through Device Manager. Windows detected it on re-boot but went back to screen shot 1.

Funny thing is, I did have sound after it was first installed, but it disappeared after Windows ran its updates. Never came back. :mad: One might think I'm dealing with LINUX here... :-p

So, any ideas? Has anybody experienced the same? If yes, how was it fixed?

I'm stomped...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Computer science news on Phys.org
Equate said:
I'm stomped...

That was my first reaction after a clean new install of W7.

There was no sound even before any updates, but the Realtek sound driver was automatically installed by W7, and it was showing "device is working properly" message.

I tried to unroll the W7 driver, reboot, but it didn't get unrolled. Did it a second time, and then it got unrolled. I tried to install the original driver that came with the motherboard - had some privileges issue, and somehow it got latched on W7 a few reboots later - got sound. Then I ran the update - and sound died again. Error 10 somewhere appeared and so I ended up uninstalling everything, ran the update again, and then sound appeared.

On the same computer that used to run Vista - there was never an issue with any sound drivers.
 
Last edited:
I see I'm not alone.

By saying
uninstalling everything
you mean the audio drivers and the AC'97 "device" in Device Manager?

Right now I'm trying to hunt down the audio driver that's ON the WIN 7 DVD through "exploring" it. No luck so far. Any idea what to look for, name of it, file extension etc.?
 
Equate said:
I see I'm not alone.

By saying you mean the audio drivers and the AC'97 "device" in Device Manager?

yes, just unroll it from the device manager
Right now I'm trying to hunt down the audio driver that's ON the WIN 7 DVD through "exploring" it. No luck so far. Any idea what to look for, name of it, file extension etc.?

The drivers that I used came with the motherboard - as the computer was custom built. But then again, after the update, sound died. I uninstalled the update, installed it again, and sound worked from the windows drivers.
 
Your problem is that you are not installing the correct driver. Install the driver provided your motherboard manufacturer and not some generic driver off the internet.
 
what said:
yes, just unroll it from the device manager

Thats what i thought. I have already done that. WIN 7 picked up the "new hardware", tried to install it with the same (negative) result.



what said:
drivers that I used came with the motherboard - as the computer was custom built. But then again, after the update, sound died. I uninstalled the update, installed it again, and sound worked from the windows drivers.

Lucky you... :-p
 
Topher925 said:
Your problem is that you are not installing the correct driver. Install the driver provided your motherboard manufacturer and not some generic driver off the internet.

That was my first approach Topher, but it didn't do the trick.

After that I dove into the realms of the internets and tried a multitude of drivers (Realtek's first), all to no avail.

Someone else suggested it might be the Services/Dependencies not being started, but everything looks good:

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1385/capture007i.png​
[/URL]

I doubt a BIOS flash would make any difference?

:sigh:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What motherboard do you have? Can you give us a link to the driver you are downloading for it?

If the driver provided by the manufacturer doesn't work, then W7 is either not supported or you have some other issues going on besides the driver.
 

Similar threads

How can I fix my PC speakers' hollow sound?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
4K