Failed Audio on a 3 years old Dell Dimension 2400

middledogwatch · Aug 9, 2007, 02:11 AM

Hi Guys, you were strongly recommended to me as a potential source of salve for a very sore problem; that said, I have to say that I'm new at this fault finding stuff (and I'm certainly no techno-expert) so please forgive me should I go astray!

Apologies for the length of this first post, I don't really know what sort of information I need to offer - so you have got the lot .. (I think).

The main picture is this - I've just reformatted my 3 year old Dell Dimension 2400 (running XP Home SP2) for the first time since new. I have brought its RAM up to 768mb (from 256) and added a Sony DVD RW DW-U14A (ex a dead pc) so I could cut some DVDs. The Sony is installed on the same ribbon as the original Dell CDROM (type: IDE\CDROMHL-DT-ST_RW/DVD_GCC-4481B), with its jumper set to 'Slave'.

My problem is that, since re-formatting, I now appear to have 'No Audio Device' according to Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices - and the only reason I went there was after discovering that I could not get sound from my audio CDs

I believe I have an integrated sound (?card?) as part of the motherboard; according to Device Manager I still have the same setup under 'Sound, video and game controllers' as before the re-format, with all drivers apparently running properly (Audio Codecs / Legacy Audio Drivers / Legacy Video Capture Devices / Media Control Devices / SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio / Unimodem Half Duplex Audio Device and Video Codecs).

Yesterday I ran a Dell diagnostic tool, in DOS I guess as I had to use it as the boot CD, and obtained good sound for part of its testing - but then it failed the last test, 'Intel ICH4 Audio Record and Playback Test' (error code 1B22:0178).

In the old days of steam-driven computing I would have removed the sound card and played the substitution game but, now most things are apparently built onto the motherboard, it appears that this option is no longer open to me.

Any help / guidance will be very much appreciated, and thanks for taking the time out to read down this far

T

skinnie · Aug 9, 2007, 10:22 PM

maybe you need to download latest drivers for it ..try using everest to know wich codec it uses..

JRosenfeld · Aug 11, 2007, 02:21 AM

Try posting on the Dell forum, lots of experts there familiar with the Del 2400.

http://www.dellcommunity.com/support...d.id=dim_audio

middledogwatch · Aug 11, 2007, 02:40 PM

Hi Folks :-)

Thanks for the advice - I had already checked and downloaded the latest SoundMax drivers but unfortunately it made no difference

Happily the problem has been sorted, albeit I spent several days trying various options .., it eventually turned out to be down to a mal-functioning 'Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator' which lives in Device Manager/System Devices.

After trying to rectify the problem (caused by a brand new, but after a couple of frustrating re-installations from the same, obviously duff, Dell branded O/S re-installation CD) I upgraded from 'XP' Home to 'XP Pro' and it sorted out the problem!

I'm pleased to say that all is sweet now, and once again I can work to the gentle sounds of Bucks Fizz

drifting languidly throughout the house - so cheers again for the advice, your responses were very much appreciated guys :-))>

T

Aug 9, 2007, 02:11 AM	#1
middledogwatch DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Failed Audio on a 3 years old Dell Dimension 2400 Hi Guys, you were strongly recommended to me as a potential source of salve for a very sore problem; that said, I have to say that I'm new at this fault finding stuff (and I'm certainly no techno-expert) so please forgive me should I go astray! Apologies for the length of this first post, I don't really know what sort of information I need to offer - so you have got the lot .. (I think). The main picture is this - I've just reformatted my 3 year old Dell Dimension 2400 (running XP Home SP2) for the first time since new. I have brought its RAM up to 768mb (from 256) and added a Sony DVD RW DW-U14A (ex a dead pc) so I could cut some DVDs. The Sony is installed on the same ribbon as the original Dell CDROM (type: IDE\CDROMHL-DT-ST_RW/DVD_GCC-4481B), with its jumper set to 'Slave'. My problem is that, since re-formatting, I now appear to have 'No Audio Device' according to Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices - and the only reason I went there was after discovering that I could not get sound from my audio CDs I believe I have an integrated sound (?card?) as part of the motherboard; according to Device Manager I still have the same setup under 'Sound, video and game controllers' as before the re-format, with all drivers apparently running properly (Audio Codecs / Legacy Audio Drivers / Legacy Video Capture Devices / Media Control Devices / SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio / Unimodem Half Duplex Audio Device and Video Codecs). Yesterday I ran a Dell diagnostic tool, in DOS I guess as I had to use it as the boot CD, and obtained good sound for part of its testing - but then it failed the last test, 'Intel ICH4 Audio Record and Playback Test' (error code 1B22:0178). In the old days of steam-driven computing I would have removed the sound card and played the substitution game but, now most things are apparently built onto the motherboard, it appears that this option is no longer open to me. Any help / guidance will be very much appreciated, and thanks for taking the time out to read down this far T

Aug 9, 2007, 10:22 PM	#2
skinnie DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 77 Rep Power: 0	maybe you need to download latest drivers for it ..try using everest to know wich codec it uses.. __________________ DFI NF2 Ultra+Athlon XP-Mobile 2600+ [SP97] 2x512 Mushkin Redline Xp4000 [OCZ XTC Cooler] Albatron 6800GT@Ultra 256mb DDR3 [VF900CU] Terratec Aureon Space 7.1@Prodigy 7.1 Audigy 2 ZS Logitech X-530 5.1 Sennheiser HD201

Aug 11, 2007, 02:21 AM	#3
JRosenfeld HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 104 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Try posting on the Dell forum, lots of experts there familiar with the Del 2400. http://www.dellcommunity.com/support...d.id=dim_audio

Aug 11, 2007, 02:40 PM	Thread Starter #4
middledogwatch DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Hi Folks :-) Thanks for the advice - I had already checked and downloaded the latest SoundMax drivers but unfortunately it made no difference Happily the problem has been sorted, albeit I spent several days trying various options .., it eventually turned out to be down to a mal-functioning 'Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator' which lives in Device Manager/System Devices. After trying to rectify the problem (caused by a brand new, but after a couple of frustrating re-installations from the same, obviously duff, Dell branded O/S re-installation CD) I upgraded from 'XP' Home to 'XP Pro' and it sorted out the problem! I'm pleased to say that all is sweet now, and once again I can work to the gentle sounds of Bucks Fizz drifting languidly throughout the house - so cheers again for the advice, your responses were very much appreciated guys :-))> T