# sound card problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224 "2001-01-09T21:39:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/1 "2001-01-09T21:39:30Z")
hi, i have a problem with a ensoniq pci sound card, the drivers are the latest and there are no conflicts but for some reason it plays only cd audio and not wav files any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/2 "2001-01-09T22:21:17Z")
It is likely that you do have a conflict somewhere. The CD audio output pumps direct to the cards amp section and largely bypasses the drivers. Go to the control panel/system/device manger section and delete/remove the sound card from the list and any linkages like joysticks etc. Move the PCI card to another slot. Restart the system and let the system ask for the drivers it needs. Have a driver disk handy. This may solve you problem. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/3 "2001-01-09T22:51:14Z")
Astro’s might be right (I know he’s right about the CD-ROM hookup), but it could also be a Windows snafu. Does it have trouble with WAV files specifically, or is it everything but CD audio? ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/4 "2001-01-09T23:12:23Z")
Ummmm, while you’re on the topic and once ya git chief sorted out… my roomie’s son did something a while back, and ever since this damn puter won’t even play CD audio, let alone wav files… ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/5 "2001-01-09T23:48:38Z")
Hmm. This may be stupid but have you checked to make sure the levels are o.k. in the volume control panel? That is, are toggles for wav files cranked up and not muted? ---
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/6 "2001-01-10T01:36:48Z")
thanks everyone… i moved the card and changed some settings and it worked… it was in the playback devices in multimedia stupid computers!! ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/7 "2001-01-10T05:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > \*\*Hmm. This may be stupid but have you checked to make sure the levels are o.k. in the volume control panel? That is, are toggles for wav files cranked up and not muted? > > \*\* Nope, it ain’t stupid. _This_ is stupid: I went messing after your post and found I couldn’t adjust volume because I have no mixers installed. Somehow (read dumassity [the state of being a dumass]) I managed to crash the system. With the judicious application of the required cuss words I got it up again, as you can see, but can find no way to install mixers. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/8 "2001-01-10T08:48:58Z")
Noth: Same question, does it not play _anything_? And what did roomie’s son (little kid, or big kid trying to install stuff?) mess around with - a ballpark guess’d be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-card-problem/49224/9 "2001-01-10T18:53:47Z")
**KKB** , it will read cds, but will not play the sound, nor will it play any downloaded sound files. As for what the little kid was doing… apparently he was trying to install playernet for msgolf. Make any sense?