Master Volume problem

[netharam]

I have a PC with win98SE & an onboard soundcard. Recently I face a problem where my master volume control does not have any effect whether high or low, except 'mute'. The 'wave' control acts as a master volume. I've installed the same driver which I'm using for the past three yrs. Can anybody help me get rid of this prblm?:rolleyes:

[Sylvander]

I'd guess this is a problem in the registry.

Try using "scanreg /restore" to jump back to before the problem was introduced.

If it's not the registry it's the software.
Do you have a backup of the C: drive?
If you do you could re-format the C: drive and restore the latest backup taken when all was well.

If you don't, did you change the sound card driver lately?
You didn't?
And you have updated the driver to the one you have always used successfully?
Could it be the windows volume control at fault?
Try removing it using "Add/Remove Programs>Windows Setup", then add it back again.

MY STORY
I had a problem.
The volume control would not hold volume settings.
Every time I rebooted the settings would be back at unsuitable values.
I discovered it was the generic windows sound card driver that was at fault.
The driver failed to record the new values [slider settings] in the registry.
I reverted to my original driver and the problem was fixed.

[netharam]

I removed the volume control & added it again but I still have the same problem. I have reinstalled windows too, even this didn't solve the problem.

[Steve]

Have you booted into safe mode and removed all the audio entries there? Reinstalling the drivers without removing them in safe mode first might be keeping the problem present.

[Sylvander]

Won't Windows just find the driver files that are already on the HDD and install the settings in the registry again, with the same results as before?

I think you probably need to:
Go to "Device Manager->[your Sound card]->Properties->Driver tab->Update Driver".
[Updating from the existing driver that seems to fail to work correctly to a different driver that does]
The wizard will then need to be directed at the ".inf" file for the correct sound card driver.
Do you have the correct sound card driver available?
You should make sure you know where that ".inf" file is before you attempt to update.
I'd expect that the one you've always been using successfully would be the correct one.

[Sylvander]

See these

Volume Control Disabled After Rebalance, Removal, Refresh, or Hot Dock
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;247398&Product=w98

WDM Audio Device Stops Working After Power, Docking, or Rebalance Event
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;247565&Product=w98

BUG: Speaker Icon Is Missing After You Install WDM Audio Driver
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;245262&Product=w98

WDM Audio Driver is the generic Windows driver that is automatically installed when you re-format your HDD and re-install Windows.
If this is the driver being used, you need to update to your original [old] driver. In my case I found it to be better than the WDM Audio Driver.

[mjc]

Removing the device in Device manager (safe mode or not) removes all the registry settings for that device...with safe mode being the more complete removal.

Whether or not Windows will just reinstall the device or ask for the driver location partially depends on the orginal install path (which is also stored in the registry) and how complete the removal has been (the reason for doing it in Safe Mode).

[Sylvander]

Assuming that the removal of the registry settings was as complete as it aught to be:

Would windows detect the presence of the hardware, then find the driver files [that match the hardware] on the HDD [assuming they were on the HDD] and install these?

[mjc]

With a very complete removal it would pause and ask for the files....

[Sylvander]

And if netharam were to do this and direct the wizard to search the C: drive for suitable drivers, then his [possibly unsuitable] WDM drivers would be found.

If on the other hand he were to direct the wizard to his original drivers on his driver CD or Floppy, then would these be installed instead?

How would he best put these driver files on his HDD?