No audio output device is installed - fresh windows 7 install

[styrafoam]

This is on a Toshiba (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/...sp?poid=403665 ) laptop that previously had vista. From the first boot up after the format the speaker in the task bar has the white x/red dot over it whit the message "no audio device is installed" when you hover the cursor over the icon. None of the drivers from the toshiba website or from realtek will take.

After several hours of googling it seems that this is a common problem, but none of the solutions seem to work here. One solution is to remove the sound card's entry from the device manager and reinstall an updated driver. I have no sound & game controllers entry, nor do i have an other devices entry which it seems that the sound card will show up in when it isn't properly installed.

Running the troubleshooter is unhelpful, it gives "Check audio device" and a "hardware changes may not have been detected" entries. If you click on the detection details it gives you computer name, windows version, architecture: amd64, and the time the troubleshooter was run.

Most recent intel chipset drivers are installed, all windows updates have been applied including optional ones. I'm guessing there has to be a way to force redetection through the registry, but that is only a guess. Any help is much appreciated.

*edit* Fixed, see post 13

 

[Elixer]

This doesn't work ? http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...2812&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663

What is the specific error message that the realtek driver installer tells you ?

 

[styrafoam]

This doesn't work ? http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...2812&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663

What is the specific error message that the realtek driver installer tells you ?

The self extractor runs, the account control comes up asking if i want to allow the realtek audio driver program to make changes to the computer, click yes and nothing else happens. The one from the realtek website finished with a message along the lines of "no compatible device exists".

 

[Elixer]

The self extractor runs, the account control comes up asking if i want to allow the realtek audio driver program to make changes to the computer, click yes and nothing else happens. The one from the realtek website finished with a message along the lines of "no compatible device exists".

In that case, get 7zip, then the ones from the toshiba, uncompress the installer, and you will find a directory with many files. Then, goto add/remove hardware, tell it you manually want to install, then point it to that directory (or one of the directories in that directory), and after finding the correct one, it should install it.

 

[styrafoam]

Add a device doesn't see any hardware, the window has a message of "searching for devices, make sure your device is discoverable". Manually adding a legacy device through the device manager wants a specific .inf and there are about 100 of them in the extraced directories of the driver package.

*edit* manually adding realtek HD audio in the legacy device list will get me an entry in the device manager with the yellow ! triangle, error is code 10, device cannot start. The no audio device installed warning over the speaker in the system tray persists with it added, and after removing it.

 

[Elixer]

Make sure you are installing the correct version, either 32bit or 64bit.
As for which file, that is hard to say, I would just keep trying different ones, and see which one works out.

To use the Add Hardware Wizard, the user must be a member of the Administrators group on the test computer and run the Add Hardware Wizard from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated Command Prompt window, create a desktop shortcut to Cmd.exe, right-click the Cmd.exe shortcut, and select Run as administrator.
From the elevated command prompt, do one of the following:

In Windows 7 and later versions of Windows, run Hdwwiz.exe to start the Add Hardware Wizard, and then click Next.

Note Starting with Windows 7, the Add Hardware Wizard can no longer be started from the Control Panel.
In Windows Vista and earlier versions of Windows, run Hdwwiz.cpl to start the Add Hardware Wizard, and then click Next.

Select Advanced Option, and then click Next.

Click Show all devices in the list box, and then click Next.

Click Have Disk.

pick the path to one of the inf files...

If that don't work, I would contact toshiba support, and see what they say...

 

[styrafoam]

Drivers are the 64 bit version so they are proper relative to the os, I'll try the elevated command prompt method when I get home from work though. Laptop is well out of warranty though, I'm afraid of what Toshiba would want to fix it $$ wise.

 

[chucky2]

You try resetting the BIOS to BIOS Defaults, letting it reset, and then going back into the BIOS and making sure everything is setup properly?

Is there a newer BIOS for this machine than what you're runnning?

Chuck

 

[styrafoam]

The bios are pretty barren as far as options go like most laptops are, I think the only thing that has ever been done in there is change the boot order. It probably wouldn't hurt too look for an update for kicks. I am usually in the "isn't broke, don't fix" camp so I almost never check for them, but I guess in this case it actually is.

 

[chucky2]

I've seen many of these older notebooks/PCs I work on that have BIOSs released to "Support Windows 7" or some other sh1t like that. Sometimes the explanation is detailed, other times it's very vague. usually I always make sure to flash first, restore defaults, then go in and make sure everything is setup properly. THEN I install Windows. Having latest BIOS on before doing a Windows install makes the most sense to me.

Chuck

 

[szvwxcszxc]

You need audio driver. Check the laptop drivers page on toshiba website.

 

[Steltek]

The self extractor runs, the account control comes up asking if i want to allow the realtek audio driver program to make changes to the computer, click yes and nothing else happens. The one from the realtek website finished with a message along the lines of "no compatible device exists".

If it says it can't find a Realtek device, I wonder if your machine doesn't have a Realtek audio chipset? I noticed looking back through the available drivers on the support website there is a Conexant Audio Driver for Windows 7 dated 06/25/2009. Granted, the compatibility page doesn't list your laptop model; however, you probably have nothing to loose by trying it as it shouldn't install at all if there is no compatible hardware:

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...812&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663#

EDIT:
Did you try installing the drivers using the Toshiba Software Installer for Win7 utility?

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...812&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663#

 

[styrafoam]

Ok first off, thanks to everyone. This was a weird one for me, but chucky2 was on the right track.

On the way home i had an epiphany and decided i try booting an Ubuntu disc to see if it would recognize the sound card. Sure enough, no sound in Ubuntu, nothing recognized under the sound properties. This had me thinking that the onboard sound was dead. For fun i decided check the bios revision and the laptop was running the original release, there were around 6 revisions available. Figured i was pretty much out of options i downloaded the newest revision, intending to swap harddrives after the bios update didn't pan out and reinstall from the original toshiba restore disks as a final death certificate for the soundcard.

Flash bios, reboot, the desktop loads, speaker icon is still X'd out but i get the "installing device driver" dialog & icon in the system tray. 10 seconds later and the sound is working. Strange thing here is there is nothing in any of the change history entries that mention sound, windows 7, or anything that would seem to be related here. Tons of crash fixes, a few cpu support additions and random bug fixes mostly. Still confused as to how the original bios would allow sound under Vista but apparently nothing else, but its working now so all is well.

Thanks again-

 

[Skywaulker]

Glad to see you worked out your problem.

You mentioned that you the most recent BIOS release didn't contain any information of note in regards to sound, windows 7, etc.

Maybe the issue was noted in one of the five additional BIOS fix change logs? Just a thought. Unless the most recent BIOS contained a cumulative change log of all the BIOS changes since v1.

Either way, glad to see your problem is solved.

 

[styrafoam]

Glad to see you worked out your problem.

You mentioned that you the most recent BIOS release didn't contain any information of note in regards to sound, windows 7, etc.

Maybe the issue was noted in one of the five additional BIOS fix change logs? Just a thought. Unless the most recent BIOS contained a cumulative change log of all the BIOS changes since v1.

Either way, glad to see your problem is solved.

The page had each revision, with a changelog for each update. My guess was that it was just an unannounced update.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/biosw.jpg/

 

[chucky2]

Glad to see you got your sound working!

As for changelog on these PC hardware manufacturers sites, I have not seen one that actually has a nice detailed changelog that actually lists every change actually made to the BIOS/firmware. It seems whoever manages the BIOS is allowed to do whatever they want and supply whatever notes they want, and poof!, that's the changelog.

For those of us that have to follow a real SDLC and document all changes, it's crazy, but, it's just the way it is. That's why I say it's always best to flash to latest, let it POST, reset, restore to Performance/Optimal (or if it doesn't have that, to Defaults), let it POST, reset, go in and make sure everything is setup, and then do your OS install. That way the install is looking at the newest BIOS and setting itself up correctly the first time, and not having to make changes afterwards. I know this is over the top in this day and age of ACPI BIOSs and OSs, but, if you do it this way you in theory should have the least amount of problems.

OP glad you're good now!

Chuck