# Computer: No sound after replacing Win98 with XP **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866 "2003-07-25T14:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/1 "2003-07-25T14:09:27Z")
This involves my son’s computer. I’d really like to get this fixed before he heads back to college this fall. **Symptom:** No sound coming from the speakers at all. Neither system sounds nor music files. **Events leading up to the symptom:** 1. Backed up data files 2. Wiped the hard drive and installed Windows XP Professional **Computer:** Gateway. Intel Pentium III. Creative Sound Blaster Live! Value sound card. Boston Acoustic 735 speakers with sub-woofer. **Steps already taken in an attempt to resolve the problem:** 1. Verified cabling configuration (against my own, identical computer) 2. Ran Windows Update, and installed _all_ updates, both critical and non-critical 3. Downloaded new driver from Creative’s web site. 4. Downloaded new drivers from Microsoft’s web site. 5. Swapped sound cards with my computer to rule out a sound card hardware failure 6. Contacted Creative’s Tech Support who suggested installing Gateway drivers 7. Ran Gateway Update, and downloaded and installed their drivers All of these steps have been unsuccessful (and I was diligent about following instructions to the letter). There is still no sound. I have email requests for help into both Creative and Gateway. I thought I’d also seek assistance from the Teeming Millions. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/2 "2003-07-25T14:20:35Z")
I’m not being patronizing - I had this problem that dogged me for a day before I finally solved it, and was too embarrassed to admit it, but … If there is a Volume Control icon in the systray, doubleclick that and verify that nothing is muted. If there is no icon in the systray, go to Control Panel - Sounds (I’m doing this part from memory; I’m on Windows 2k at work and have XP Pro at home, and they vary slightly) and check there for volume control. Just like the electrical engineer who forgets to plug in his device, I forgot to unmute my speakers and instead tore my computer apart looking for a hardware problem. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/3 "2003-07-25T14:38:20Z")
**lno** , no offense taken. I wish I had overlooked something that simple. I did check to ensure that the volume controls were OK and that nothing was muted. Thanks for the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/4 "2003-07-25T14:51:51Z")
I would try Start: H you get a search box, input: sound They have a lot of things you can try listed there. That works best for now cause I don’t know what version of XP you have. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/5 "2003-07-25T14:53:10Z")
Have you tried swapping the speakers with the ones on your computer? This would rule out a problem with them. ---
**Author:** ![milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milk_milk_lemonade)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/6 "2003-07-25T14:55:34Z")
Is the device working in device manager? (Show desktop icons, right click My Computer, properties, hardware, device manager button) Remove the device and reboot, allow windows to detect it and load the best driver. If there is a speaker icon in the systray it is probably working and therefore might be a problem with your amp/speakers… ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/7 "2003-07-25T15:05:34Z")
**handy** , do you mean Start: Help? **Number** , I’ll try that tonight to rule out a physical speaker problem. **milk milk lemonade** , are you suggesting I physically remove the device and reinstall? … or remove it virtually (via Device Manager)? ---
**Author:** ![milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milk_milk_lemonade)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/8 "2003-07-25T15:15:34Z")
Oops, sorry! I mean remove the “virtual” device from device manager - leave the physical sound card alone! Also, if that doesn’t work you could try moving the card to another slot insde the PC - that will pretty much achieve the same thing (remove from device manager / redetect / reinstall driver). ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/9 "2003-07-25T15:19:33Z")
Thanks **milk milk lemonade** for the clarification. I’ll try it tonight. ---
**Author:** ![milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milk_milk_lemonade)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-no-sound-after-replacing-win98-with-xp/190866/10 "2003-07-25T15:24:44Z")
Slightly off topic, but I have noticed this before. I had a Crystal based soundcard (basically a re-badged S3 chipset) that worked fine with Win9x/ME and 2000 and also with Linux variants. XP just didn’t want to know and as it was so old there were no updated drivers available from the manufacturer. I think something about the hardware was just not XP friendly. I guess it’s because some soundcards rely on the CPU to do a lot of the processing (a bit like Winmodems) and the way XP works its processes is somehow different.