Driver for sound card.

[Muddy]

So I was setting up one of my computers to give to a friend and in my cleaning I deleted a folder called C-Media thinking it was some game package or something that an employee must have downloaded...NOPE! It was the sound card software! I've been searching the net for the drivers to no avail. Should I just reformat the whole damn HD?

[Big Dan]

If you reformat you'll loose everything. It's kind of pointless except for if you have the manufactures restore disc with drivers but that's still the long way to go about doing it.

Have you tried the sound card's properties in device manager? Try to find an updated driver that way. What about running Windows Update?

If the sound is still working Windows is probably using a generic driver - It's not something I'd worry about.

[Strong]

Have you tried to undelete the files?

[Muddy]

If you reformat you'll loose everything. It's kind of pointless except for if you have the manufactures restore disc with drivers but that's still the long way to go about doing it.

Have you tried the sound card's properties in device manager? Try to find an updated driver that way. What about running Windows Update?

If the sound is still working Windows is probably using a generic driver - It's not something I'd worry about.

The sound isn't working. I did look at device manager...it told me the name of the device..tried to find it on Google and in fact downloaded a few...nothing has worked so far. It has all the recent Windows updates too...

[Muddy]

Have you tried to undelete the files?

I emptied the recycle bin already...

[Strong]

You used to be able to use a DOS prompt and a statement like undelete to make files that have been deleted reappear. When a file is deleted it isn't physically removed from the filing system, only the pointers to it are. That means if the physical location where it was stored has not yet been over written, it is possible to undelete it. The recycle bin isn't important because you would be going underneath the windows user interface layer of the operating system (OS) and interacting with the file system itself, (which of course is a lower level of the OS.)

I used to use something like Norton or other similar system management software to reclaim lost files in this way.

The provisos are, that the physical location has not be overwritten, and I'm not sure if it will work with newer OS (I've done it with pre-XP). It was all so long ago I can't remember all the details. I would think something similar must exist now.

[Ferre]

Maybe you can recover it with something like this?

How To: Recover deleted files (http://www.tech-pro.net/how-to-recover-deleted-files.html)
Recover Deleted Files - Free (http://askbobrankin.com/recover_deleted_files_free.html)

[Zap]

It might be easier to open up the computer and pull the sound card out and look at it.
You can usually find a make and model number on it somewhere, perhaps printed on one of the chips.
Write down any identifying info you can find on a piece of paper and put the sound card back into the system.
Then, google for the drivers using that model number. EG. "CH5612 driver"

I've had to do this more than a few times, myself and it's usually pretty easy to find the drivers.

[pctec]

Muddy...

There are two ways you can get drivers for the card.

1. Google the model of the card... ex: HP156M3 Drivers
The model number isn't always on a label and may be printed on the board somewhere.

2. Google the control chip number... ex: ES1938S Drivers
This will get you generic drivers to at least get the sound back.

http://www.btwimho.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1148&stc=1&d=1274107877

[pctec]

Zap beat me by 12 minutes... the time it took me to dig out a cart, take a pic, get typing and post... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Muuuuuuuuuuhahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Phuck I am slow...

[Zap]

Sorry Dude.
I beat you to the punch, but then again...
A picture is worth 1000 words. Nice touch.

[Muddy]

Thanks all! Yes, pictures are VERY helpful...especially for me!

I did in fact Google the motherboard model number and downloaded what looked like a promising compatible sound card driver. After download and reboot, nothin'.

I finally said "to hell with it" and tried to reformat. Got a message saying the version of XP I was trying to load was older than the current version on the machine. (Must be due to updates because it's the very CD that was used to load XP on the machine originally.) Said I needed to change the BIOS to load from the CD which I did and it still wouldn't load from the CD. Grrrrrr...why me!

Thanks to your pic Tim I have an idea of what a sound card looks like so I'll try to get a number off of that and search for drivers again.

Strong, my friend is using this machine to play WOW and has loaded that humongous game on there so I wouldn't be surprised if those driver files have been overwritten.

Right now he's playing in silence which he seems to tolerate but it drives me nuts. For one, I can't stand doing something without full functionality. Be like playing chess but the rooks can't move. Also it was my intention to give him a fully operational computer...I feel like a dope for whacking his sound!

[pctec]

Sounds like Muddy has the computer that was spawn from hell :)

Muddy... is that computer a brand name machine? If it is you can usually go to the manufactures website... go to support, and then download exact drivers for the model... Just a thought...

[Zap]

Another thought, if you get tired of pulling your hair out.
You can buy a new sound card. Probably get one for under $20.
Doesn't solve your issue, but sometimes the path of least resistance is the way to go.

[Muddy]

...but sometimes the path of least resistance is the way to go.

Totally agree with this!

[Muddy]

Sounds like Muddy has the computer that was spawn from hell :)

Muddy... is that computer a brand name machine? If it is you can usually go to the manufactures website... go to support, and then download exact drivers for the model... Just a thought...

No not brand name...was built along with many others by my IT guys.

[Strong]

Hardware vs. Software people; you can tell the hardware people, any excuse and they'll willingly open up your computer and rip out the gubbins, software people only think of the hardware as a last resort. :sqwink:

The sound card was working fine, before you deleted the drivers, is that right Muddy? If so downloading the drivers should cost nothing at all. Yeah, I know, I'm as tight as a walnut.

[Zap]

One thing just popped into my head, and it's certainly a long shot, but...
Since the drivers were previously installed, when reinstalling the drivers, point it to the C:\Windows\INF directory and see if the computer can take it from there.
It is a long shot, but it sometimes works.

[Muddy]

The sound card was working fine, before you deleted the drivers, is that right Muddy? If so downloading the drivers should cost nothing at all. Yeah, I know, I'm as tight as a walnut.

To be honest, I'm not sure. I didn't check the sound first. It's possible that the sound never worked on this machine.

[pctec]

To be honest, I'm not sure. I didn't check the sound first. It's possible that the sound never worked on this machine.

TSK TSK TSK
Wasting all of our gawd damn time! :sqmad:

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:sqlaugh:

Bish!

[Strong]

Hang on a sec, did you say your IT guys made up several of those machines. Could it be that you have another machine with the same card and drivers? Just a thought.

[Muddy]

Hang on a sec, did you say your IT guys made up several of those machines. Could it be that you have another machine with the same card and drivers? Just a thought.

Yes, in fact there is one that is this one's twin. Same box, same everything. When turned on though, it just continually beeps and won't boot up.

[Muddy]

As a matter of fact, I have three that do that.

[Strong]

Well you could just copy the drivers and see if they work.

But if all they are gonna do is beep at you, then I'd rip the sound card out and install a cheap new one like Zap suggested.