Reinstalling XP; system can't find sound card

[flapsforty]

I am trying to reinstall XP on our desktop Dell, coming to you now from my dimly understood iBook. (why doesnt the iBook wrap vB tags around highlighted text in a pprune post for example????? )

Have managed to do the operative system from the CD, now busy with the Driver & utilities Resource CD. Got the first 2 drivers fine, but when it has almost finished unstalling the sound card it gives me a little box with the dreaded red cross, the stern word SEVERE and 'driver not found'
Dell support has of course gone home for the day. Not that it matters as I waited in their phone queue for 97 mins without ever speaking to anyone earlier today.

Any clever clairvoyant here who has a suggestion as to how I could become 'unstuck'? :confused:

(yeah yeah yeah, moderating JB has taken care of that kind of unstuck long ago thank you ;) )

[BOAC]

Any clues on the name of the driver, Flaps? Does it show anywhere? I could download it for you and 'post' it.

[flapsforty]

BOAC I shall look but have little hope here :(
Thank you

[BOAC]

Try rt click on my computer, properties, hardware, device manager and look for the red exclamation mark. Then rt click on the device and select properties and try 'update driver' - you never know!

[Spitoon]

Try going to the Device Manager and right-click on the problem device and select uninstall - then reboot and let Windows find the device again. You should then get the chance to find drivers from the CD or on-line - might work if it was just one of those little 'glitches'!

[flapsforty]

Spitoon,
errmmm.... where would I dfind the device manager please? If you tell me that, I should be able to do it ;)
Though, if I have't installed it yet, how can I uninstall it? Or doe sthe fact that the install of the sound card gets ALMOST to the end perhaps mean that it's installed but nor correctly?

[Keef]

The device manager is one of those things you need to know the way to...

Start - Control Panel - System - Hardware - Device Manager.

You'll see the offending device in there, with a yellow or a red flag.

Click on the device, click the "wrong" mouse button, and select "Update Driver".
If that gets you into hostile territory, then ditto but "Uninstall".

Then restart the machine. Often, that's enough to persuade it to see things your way.

If that fails, there will be further questions...

[Spitoon]

Sorry flaps, BOAC talked about it in the previous post so I didn't think to go into more detail. Keef's spot on - just another way to get there.

[oldfella]

I've had this problem twice after reformats and xp installs.

If you aren't sure about finding what is inside your computer download Bellarc Advisor and get a full printout.

Identify the soundcard then Google search for the driver download.

Install - job done

[frostbite]

Being a Dell it is likely to be an onboard sound card as opposed to a seperate unit.

The generic driver supplied with XP is probably the correct one so, do you have any other XP CDs (your post implies another machine) you can try the installation from?

[BlankBox]

...go here..

http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?subcat=sup&s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&k=drivers

...most of these guys have a self serve system...should be able to find your missing goody here..

[Cornish Jack]

Flaps
If it's a Dell, the machine will have a Tech Ref No/Identifier label on it somewhere. Make a note of that and go to the on-line Dell support site, log-in and put the ref. no in their search box and it will offer you a download of ALL the appropriate drivers etc. An excellent system.
If it's a newish machine, it's likely to be an on-board sound chip ... AC97 or similar.

[Conan the Librarian]

Cornish beat me to it there, but he is right. Dell machines have a unique "Tag" number which is usually on the back of the case. If you follow his sugggestions but are not still sure what is what, then cut and paste the whole page into here and the inmates will tell you which driver is which.

Conan

[Gertrude the Wombat]

... think it's fun to attempt to "reinstall Windows" when they don't know what they're doing??

Around 99% of the time it's unnecessary, around 99.99% of the time it doesn't actually solve whatever problem you thought you had, and as you've discovered a fair proportion of the time it just fails if you haven't prepared properly leaving you worse off than you were before.

Yes I know that some of the robots on the end of "technical support" lines have "reinstall Windows" somewhere in their scripts, but you don't believe them surely to goodness????

Here's the true story about reinstalling Windows:

(1) Don't, unless you know exactly what you are doing.

(2) Don't, unless you know exactly why you are doing it, you know exactly what the problem is that you're trying to solve, and you have cast-iron proof that intalling Windows will solve it, and you have cast-iron proof that nothing else will solve it.

(3) Pay a professional to do it properly.

(4) Fix the real problem first ... then you won't have to reinstall Windows.

And finally, if you choose not to follow any of the above advice at least follow this one please:

(5) Just don't.

[flapsforty]

Thought I'd report back. ;)
Gertrude, here's the reasons I needed to re-install XP (and as you so correctly point out, fun had nothing to do with it)

We have 3 different iPods in the house
To use an iPod, you need a programme called iTunes
iTunes only works if you have service pack 2
Service pack 2 only loads if you have a registered version of XP

Despite the many health-enhancing tips posted in this august forum & slavishly implemented by yours truly, the home PC started showing signs of imminent demise last year. Rather than risking a wipe-out, PC was sent to a reputable outfit for saving of data and re-installment of OS. PC was accompanied by its little folder of of official Dell re-install disc.
The thing was done, and many Norwegian kroners changed hands. :(

Upon its return to the happy home, PC worked flawlessly. But iTunes acted funny and finally gave up the ghost.
Took me a fairly long time to figure what had happened but I finally cottoned on to the fact that the repair people, instead of putting in our original XP and upgrading that with the approved downloads and service packs, had installed a version of their own.
Which wasn't registered to us and consequently didn't accept any offical service downloads.
I could not go back to the fixit folks and kick up a stink, since the company are good customers of Mr40. :ugh:
Having read this forum for years and thus knowing that there are in existence normal people who reformat their PCs themselves, I decided to take the plunge. :eek:

Spent most of friday behind the keyboard of the PC, with the iBook next to it to look up various websites and solutions every time I got stuck.
Eventually downloaded all the drivers (thank you gentlemen!! :ok:)
Installed same.
Downlaoded all Microsoft packs & fixes
Re-installed the wireless and got it up and running.
Got my Norton pin-code and downloaded and installed same.

The whole thing works!

Another irational fear slayed; I should have started doing this myself years ago. Best bit of all was the undisguised awe in the eyes and voices of 17 year old son & mates when they came home from school and found a working PC.
My street cred has rocketed. ;)

[BOAC]

OK! Now you can fix mine, clever clogs...................:)

[Gertrude the Wombat]

PC was sent to a reputable outfit for saving of data and re-installment of OS.
Ah yes, when choosing a professional to do something properly to your computer there is an art to avoiding the cowboys, just as there is in any other walk of life.
(1) You don't say whether you had cast-iron proof before giving the machine to these people that (a) it couldn't be fixed without a re-install and (b) a re-install would actually fix it. (Well yes, it would if you completely wiped the disk first, but really ...) So it's not clear from your post whether the "reputable outfit" should have accepted a commission to re-install or whether they should have advised you that they'd prefer to fix it properly.
(2) As they screwed up, I take it you no longer consider them "reputable".