Plug & Play prob

[ARMYUK]

Foxconn 661 7mI mainboard

Prob started when sound dissapeared , its onboard ac97

Checked device manager no conflicts
checked bios on board was enabled

Decided to try a pci sound card , I disabled onboard but when I rebooted the system did not pick up new device , tried another + tried a network card & modem the same result it will not pick up anything up, its as if plug & play is disabled or just not working , any help would be appreciated , hope this makes sense.

[Rick]

Did you try to use the Manual scan for new hardware/changes in device manager ?

[ARMYUK]

Tried all I know mate ,also wnt into bios & tried to set pci/config / reset config data , I enabled it but everytime you go back into bios it has disabled itself

[Paleo Pete]

I enabled it but everytime you go back into bios it has disabled itself
Edit/Delete Message

That's normal, reset configuration data is a one time setting, when you enable it the BIOS hardware data (I/O addresses, IRQ's etc) is reset, then it sets itself back to disabled, so it is not reset every time you reboot.

Is this XP?

Probably, but not critical. Boot into Safe Mode, the F8 key during boot should give you a boot menu. Once safe mode is up and running go to device manager and remove all instances of sound cards, wave table etc then reboot. You might have to do the same for the plug and play section, probably not.

On reboot it should pick up the sound card again and ask for a driver. This is to remove ghost drivers, leftovers that may be causing the machine to have problems detecting devices.

I'm also wondering if this could have anything to do with someone's devious DRM software...stranger things have been known to happen...

[Sylvander]

I see this boards' BIOS includes a "Reset Configuration Data = Enabled" configuration setting.
"I enabled it but everytime you go back into bios it has disabled itself"
That's exactly what it should do.
When you "Enable" the setting, the BIOS is forced to re-detect all the presently connected [and detectable] PCI hardware, make non-conflicting resource allocations, record those settings in the ESCD (http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/res/pnpESCD-c.html) for use at each subsequent startup, then auto-reset "Reset Configuration Data = Disabled" to re-lock the settings so recorded.
Those settings would then be used at each Startup unless/until this procedure is repeated.
It aught to be repeated EVERY TIME the PCI hardware arrangement is changed.

So a PCI sound card should have been catered for by the BIOS by having its needed resources allocated [with no conflicts], should be reported by the BIOS to Windows at startup, reported by Windows as detected, had drivers installed by Windows, been added to the hardware tree in the registry, and be initialised by Windows for use by Windows.

More on the ESCD. (http://www.dewassoc.com/support/bios/escd.htm)

Oops, you got in before me Pete. :)

[rascard2007]

replace the battery on the motherboard and see if U can keep the changes u make in the BIOS setup

[ARMYUK]

Thanks for info on reset config data , have tried all that you have given me still wont recognise any devices I try & still no sound from onboard even though no conflicts in device manager , should also add will not do windows updates they just fail , does it look like board fault or software , thinking reformat & reinstall win xp what is your opinion .

[rascard2007]

If U have the bootable Win XP SP2 Disk at hand try a "Repair current Instalation" first, must of the time it solve ur problems if ur Windows is "Dizzy".

On the other hand, a virus could be responsible for that strange events, check if u are clean.

[Sylvander]

1. "no sound from onboard"
(a) Have you re-enabled the on-board sound?
(b) If so, have you removed [or disable in the Windows Device Manager] the PCI sound card?
(c) Have any sounds been allocated to "events" [in Control Panel->Sounds and Multimedia->Sounds->Sound Events], and if so do you hear any of these?

2. "even though no conflicts in device manager"
Yes, but...
(a) Is the sound "device" [PCI card or on-board PCI] set up for use by the BIOS having allocated resources and the ESCD "force updated"?
And does the sound card hardware [in the form of audio "devices"] show in Device Manager?
If the BIOS doesn't do the business, the hardware won't even be seen by Windows, won't show up in device manager at all, and so there will be no conflicting "devices" [since they don't even exist so far as Windows is concerned].

3. Do you have "dxdiag.exe" on your PC?
If you do, run it and use it to test your "sound" & "music".

4. You could also/alternatively use the "Audio Wizard" included with "MSN Messenger" & "Netmeeting" to test.

[ARMYUK]

Tried all I know & everything on forums im on still no joy , its mates pc will format as last resort at the weekend

[ARMYUK]

Problem solved , put in a spare hd & installed windows , the onboard sound is gone but it now recognises other pci cards , put in a sound one & disabled onboard all is well , also updates are fine , there must have been some issue with windows . Thanks for all your help , will reformat his when he gets his data saved .

[Ajmukon]

it is possible that you mobo is bad;
or something you recently installed is causing the problem

For example: I bought a Radeon x1300 PCI and installed it, when i booted up and installed the new drivers, it DISABLED my On-board Internet.

Try uninstall recent Driver updates or newly installed components and see if sound returns....

this is how i fixed my Internet problem (if only after MANY weeks of troubleshooting and a replacement Mobo)

EDIT: posted same time you reported Solved!