"No Audio Device" suddenly on Windows XP, how do I fix this?

Question

Just to fill you in:

• A long time ago I started using a headset on my laptop (Toshiba) for online conferences. Sound worked fine for both the headset and the built-in speakers on the laptop.
• About a month ago the built-in speakers stopped working, and I could only hear things through my headset.
• I recently lost my headset so now I can't hear anything.
• When checking the Control Panel, and clicking on Sounds and Audio Devices, it says "No Audio Device" and all options are disabled.
• When opening up the Device Manager, the  "Other Devices" directory is open and all of the devices listed in it have yellow question mark icons with small exclamation points next to them.
• I tried uninstalling the devices listed in the "Other Devices" directory and letting Window reinstall them upon reboot--I read to do that on another site--but each time I did it nothing changed.
• The Sounds, Video and Game Controllers directory has 5 things listed in it: Audio Codecs, Legacy Audio Drivers, Legacy Video Capture Devices, Media Control Devices, Video Codecs. None of these have any warning icons next to them.
• When right-clicking on each and selecting "update driver", they each come back saying that "could not find a better match than the software you currently have installed". I'm not sure if it's just checking my system or if it's checking the internet also.

So what options am I left with now? I need to do some work with videos, both watching them on Media Player and editing them in Movie Maker, and I keep being told that the "required audio hardware can not be found" and I can't use either application.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi TiJuanWells,

Check to see of the Sound devices show in device manager by completing the following steps:

• Click on Start
• Right-Click on My Computer
• Select Manage
• Select Device Manager
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers

If the devices are there and are not installed, right-click on the device and install or update the drivers.

Answer 2

Hi,

Run the Microsoft Fix it from the following article:

“No sound in windows”: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/no-sound-in-windows

“How to troubleshoot sound problems in Windows XP”: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307918/nl

Answer 3

I should have put this in my opening post, but I've done both already...twice, actually. Neither was really too helpful and the problem still exists. The Windows Audio Playback Troubleshooter returns with the "Check Audio Device" showing as "not fixed" and one of the next options it gave to me told me to ask for help here--which is kind of ironic--and the other option was to send me to your first suggestions which I had already tried.

Answer 4

I'm having a similar problem as well... I have a Mbox and studio monitors hooked up to my computer everything work well when i'm doing my music recording and listening to my song's but for some reason when I play songs online line now the audio comes out the computer speakers instead of the through the monitor speakers and I wasn't always like that because i like to watch vids on youtube and listen to songs on pandora and I would like for my songs to come out the studio monitors. When I go to sound and audio devices on volume tab it say no audio device.

Answer 5

Hi,

when you go into the control panel under hardware and music.

What devices do you see there?

If you play music do the devices show activity?

If you see no devices there, or no activity we need to reinstall the drivers.

The more detailed info you can give us, the more we can help.

eddie b