There are no active Mixer Devices Available

[kevin]

Hi i'm having this problem after a tv tuners drivers corrupted my sound
cards...

*//error msg: There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer
devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then
click Add Hardware.

This program will now close. //*

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the soundcard (intergrated SoundMAX) and
everything seems fine. It is also showing up in the Device Manager. What
would be easier is if i could get the name of the driver and istall it
straight off the Windows XP disc as it is a "Microsoft Driver" not a
"SoundMAX driver"

Is your onboard audio device enabled in the BIOS?
Did you download and install the latest Windows XP
audio drivers available from the support web site of
the manufacturer of your motherboard or computer?

Go to Start > Run and type in: services.msc , and hit enter.
Scroll down to "Windows Audio", right-click on it and select
Properties, set the startup type to Automatic, click Apply and
then click the Start button.

[kevin]

yes, drivers are up to date yes... problem is wif winxp pro and i've looked
at it more and the real problem is "Device Status" (after going into Device
manager -> Sound Video & Game Controllers -> soundMAX integrated digital
audio -> Properties:

Audio Devices (SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio) -> Status: Driver is
enabled but has not been started
MIDI Devices and Instruments (WDM-based Device) -> as above
Mixer Devices (SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio) -> as per audio devices

Thanks for your help so far but this still hasn't resolved my problem as I
have tried that and it was already started. I've also restarted to computer
(again) afterward and still no luck.

I've got the same problem, OK here is the deal - win xp with sp2 on a P4
(865GM2 MSI motherboard)

Device manager lists the audio device and drivers and says its working
properly. There are no conflicts. However, Volume control says there is
no audio device and settings are greyed out. Drivers in use c-media
5.12.1.44

Up until a recent windows update, sound was working. The update
installed the latest hardware driver for AC97 audio contoller (which it
identified as vynl AC97).

We have removed the files in system32/ and system32/drivers that relate
to the vynl update and those for c-media and replaced them with the
original working c-media drivers (as listed above).

we have checked the services are running for windows audio and
dependants.
AC97 is enabled in the bios, which has also been reset along with the
cmos.

to rule out hardware we have installed and subequently removed a SB
card - the exact same fault is present.

anyone know a fix?

OK we got it fixed. The plug and play software emulator had was missing.
Fixed by searching for machine.inf then copy to temp directory. remove
at about line 20 " ExcludeFromSelect=* "

goto control panel, add new hardware, next (let it seach), yes hardware
is connected, next, scroll to bottom, add new hardware device, next,
install from list, next, select system devices, next, select have disk,
point to amended copy of machine.inf in temp directory, scroll to "plug
and play software device emulator" in right hand column, next and
complete install.

Search for the machine.inf file on your PC. Create a directory and call
it anything you like. Copy the machine.inf file to the new directory.
Modify the .inf file as instructed.

When you get to select have disk, browse to the new directory you just
made and use your modified machine.inf file.

machine.inf is in your windows directory. to find you must advance
search for hidden files

[marcos77]

i screwed up my windowsXP audio setup while trying to install a bad PCMCIA audio card.
PC froze (not BSOD, just froze) a couple of time while hard disk was writing/reading drivers in the system folder. i had to turn off the pc each time and boot again.
The second time i reboot i discovered i had no audio.
Audio peripherals in Hardware were all yellow marked, even EIDE DVDreader was yellow marked , and "plug n play software enumerator" too.

you can easily imagine what happened... 3 or 4 fundamental drivers had
been damaged because hard disk was reading/writing in those sectors when the PC froze.

so i gave a look to the system log , found which drivers couldn't be loaded and manually overwrite them with backup files i had.
then i removed yellow marked peripherals and reinstalled them.
Now everything seemed right, but there was still no audio.
I forgot to reinstall "Pnp software enum". And I didn't know how to reinstall it, since it didn't appear in "install new hardware" lists.
Until Optrex found the solution.

rite i did what optrex said but after that it said "device cannot start, Code 10". it says that on my audio driver aswell. when i go onto run, ect... it says that my device is already started. how should i mend this?

hi but i cant find eny machine.inf fil in my pc plzzzz tell me what to du u r a good person plzzz i want to wach movies plzzzzzzz

hi guys i had the same prob but i have fix it yaa and i am happy.but i an not remember much of that what i did but still i tell u some thing.farts start,control panle,system,hardwaar,device mannager, if u guys havin same prob then u shold c somthing yollow question mark that named auido cantroler or some thing liker that im not sure. eny ways duble clik it and one window will pop up now click on reinctall drive,thean chose *install from a list or spacific location* thean next,and chose *dont serch i will choose the driver to install*thean next, thean scrol down to *sound video,and game cotroler* and thean next now in manifacture chose lntel and in model chose lntel(r)82801AAAC audio controler and thean click next and thean yes and install it . plzzzz commant and sa that it did work and if u dont like it theas say that i didnt right it. well i that works for u guys well it did for me. commant me ok?

can't seem to find machine.inf
any suggestions?

Are your search options set to include System and Hidden files?

[Hank Freid]

First of all i would like to tell you Machine.inf

Machine.inf is the INF file used by the Windows operating system during the Windows startup process to map core chipset hardware and BIOS-enumerated or firmware-enumerated device identifiers (IDs). Windows uses this information for tasks such as:

• Creating services and visual display strings.
• Copying drivers in conjunction with Layout.inf.
• Creating and deleting registry entries.
• Applying filter drivers.

As new chipsets evolve or when system manufacturers change device description strings for their current chipsets, Machine.inf is the file they must modify.

To study more visit Machine.inf

go to run
and type services.msc
then go to windown audio
double click on it
and under service status
there are start
click it and your problem will be solve

[Boo]

The fix from Optrex worked. Before the reinstall of the sound driver did not.

Now I have a question: Do I move the modified <machine.inf> file from the temporary location to the \windows\system32\ directory for future updates? Or do I leave it alone in the \temp directory?

Thanks again for a solution to a difficult problem (for me at least).

Hello, i need help, i have just read your message, followed all steps through correctly (i hope) up untill "Have disk" where i Browse to my temporary file "C:\Documents and Settings\Bec\My Documents\machine.inf" click ok and then nothing occurs and i am left with the manufacturer and model panes blank. Is it that i have set up a wrong temporary directory? Or that i need to insert my manufacturer's installation disk?

I probably have done something obviously wrong, heck i didn't know what a temporary directory was untill last week, i just want to be able to listen to music, and i really appreciate that people are out there that are willing to help someone who may not be all there with computers :)

Although the sound card and its drivers are installed correctly. I receive this error message about no active mixer devices when I try to double-click on the Volume icon in the system tray of Windows XP.

Most people will assume the sound card itself is having difficulty or the drivers have no been installed, or maybe the system has been muted. However, when the computer starts or shuts down you hear the normal Windows sounds. However other audio does not play normally and results in error messages.
When I checked the Sound and Audio Devices section of the Control Panel in Windows XP, it shows there are no audio devices and everything is greyed out.

I Have the same problem for over 4 months, I tried so many things to solve it, but no luck.
I have a Lenovo 3000 N200 laptop , I tried reinstalling windows , but still I have the problem.
I tried to run services.msc, but wndows Audio is started from services, but audio setting is greyed out.My computer mother board ID is SROSA001.86C.0034.D.0711141732
I do not see onboard audio when I go to bios .
I tried everything.
Is there anyone who knows the solution to this ?

I tried the Machine.inf file too, but still no luck.
Can you tell me how do you enable onboard audio from BIOS??
There is no update for my motherboard on Lenovo site.

Thanks for the prompt reply Joe, I downloaded both files from lenovo site , the bios and also the audio drivers , but it still does not solve the problem.
Is it possible that my soundcard is ****ed up?

Is there any other way to reset the BIOS to Factory Default without taking the battery out?
The battery for Lenovo laptop that I have is located under the keyboard and I can not see the battery.
Is resetting the bios going to fix the sound?

My problem is with sound .
I get the message " There are no active mixer device available"
My audio setting is greyed out and the device manager shows Legacy audio drivers as the primary sound drive and the properties say this device is working properly, But I do not hear anything.
Some forums say that my onboard audio should be enabled in BIOS , but I do not see any onboard audio in BIOS.
I Have a usb 5.1 soundcard with a mic input and a head phone jack which is working ok, but my concern is how to fix my onboard audio.

Depending on whether you have type 0687 or 0769, one or more of these
drivers may be needed.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...&validate=true

Did you locate the files after download, and run them? Anything's
possible; the sound card could be bad.. it's just difficult to get at
most components of a laptop, so that should be the last thing you try.
Still, if you been fooling with it for four months, it might be time to
visit a local computer shop.

Look here for more ideas:

Volume Icon Is Not Displayed in the Notification Area, and You Receive
an Error Message When You Try to Add It:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=319095

Your message says nothing about the problem you're having with the
sound, so I don't know for sure. But my guess is probably not, since
you are much more likely to have a driver problem if you have a
problem with your sound.

yer better off on the phone with Dell techsupport for 7 hours.

Kelly has a few suggestions at her site:

Click "S" and scroll down to "Sound Troubleshooters", just about halfway
down the page.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm

Does your "cleaning" program have an "undo" button ?

[HeBeGeeBee]

I had similar problems to everyone listed above, but I found a solution that was much simpler than most of those also listed above. It would be worth a try, that is to go from the simplest solution to the more complex if the simpler one doesn't work. I started with the first step started by others. Here is what worked for me:

Lost Sound?
If the symptom is that: “error message: There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware. This program will now close.”

Go to Start > Run and type in: services.msc , and hit enter.
Scroll down to "Windows Audio", right-click on it and select Properties,
set the startup type to Automatic, click Apply
then click the “Start” menu option from the “Action” menu.

Then, you may have to go to the “Sound” control panel
and choose the “Audio” tab.
Then ensure that the "Conexant AMC Audio" is chosen from the pull down menus
both for “Sound Playback - Default Device”
and also for “Sound Recording - Default Device”.
The “MIDI music playback - Default Device”
should be “Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth”.

I have had a problem with my sound on my laptop for over 2 months and after 3 techs looked at it and could not fix it, I found your thread in the forum and the machine.inf solution fixed it right up for me -- you have made my day bro

windows audio is already started and is in auto start up mode in services.msc and all of my devices are functioning properly....

there has got to be more to fixing this problem.

that post should be added to the hall-of-fame fixes for audio, or at least stickied

what do u mean by remove
at about line 20 " ExcludeFromSelect=* "
i tried it by removing that line and it doesn't seem to work.
please help!

i have the same problem but my speakers still don't work after this step

I'm just so fed up with NO ONES fixes working for me. I've tried the "services.msc" fix and that does nothing as it says my windows audio appears to be running, I've tried optrex's fix and that didn't work, in fact before I tried optrex's fix the audio would work on my pc for a little while after startup and now it's completely gone.

[RedTechJunky]

ok so ive done this once and it didn’t resolve my issue, im going to try again to see if a second attempt will result in better luck....... its not services.inf or whatnot sound card and drivers are current .....all problems started after winwp update not sure which one sp2 or sp3 as I completed all the updates in the same night, roommate never updated and figured i was doing her a favor, ha so much for that!!!! comp runs great but with out sound its just $h!t

will be back with results soon but i would also like to know what to do with the file i create in temp ? why not just edit original file? not going to try but worth a shot?

well thats just great but where is Kelly's site?

Also just want to add that after trying optrex's fix (that didn't work) it now takes my computer half an hour to properly start up. I can move my mouse around the desktop but any programs/folders I try to open freeze and task manager wont work and if I put my mouse over the task bar at the bottom all I get is an hourglass, half an hour later it all just instantly starts working and maybe 1 in every 10 times my sound will work for a short while before completely disappearing. Seriously if any of you want to challenge your computer fixing skills then try and help me out.

[caffie]

I need major help like i was cleaning my computer and i uninstalled my sound thing and now i just dont wanna use it can some1 help me should i sell my laptop because re installing the sound seems like to much trouble

[TiggerS]

IF YOU ARE USING XP
I got the same problem after I uninstalled some media device.
And I think that's why the solultions such as 'restarting the window audio device in device manager' or 'updating the driver' didn't help in my case.

What I finally did to solve the problem was as follow,
go to control panel,
choose add new hardware,
then follow all the default choices, which window will automatically find the device that you are lacking for you.
you might need to restart your pc.

[fayyaz mobile zone]

Go to Start --> Run, and type in services.msc.

A window will pop up with a list of services. Scroll down to Windows Audio. Right-click
and click on Properties.

Make sure that "Startup type" is set to automatic. Also, make sure, under "Service
status," start is selected. (Mine was somehow set on stopped. I clicked start)
100% worked.)

[jaycee_utrecht]

Originally Posted by fayyaz mobile zone

Go to Start --> Run, and type in services.msc.
A window will pop up with a list of services. Scroll down to Windows Audio. Right-click and click on Properties. Make sure that "Startup type" is set to automatic. Also, make sure, under "Service
status," start is selected. (Mine was somehow set on stopped. I clicked start)
100% worked.)

Unfortunately, this solution does not work. I installed the correct driver of the on-board sound and this installation was succesful. Also, in BIOS, it is enabled.
Anyone a good suggestion?

[vinnyg]

I had same problem too... my system (win xp) was installed with realtek audio driver. so i had tried steps in "service.msc", but since even it didnt work (for no reason...!!!). i just deleted the installed realtek s/w. restarted the system, the the windows itself detected new h/w found. it installed and lo... the audio mixer control started appearing!! its working fine now ( u can also try manual install method if windows fail to install the s/w, and i selected the "Realtek Audio Driver ver 4.0.100.1189" s/w)

-- vinny