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Question

Dell Inspiron - Audio Issues

by Dec 29, 2011 2:59PM PST

I read through an old thread of the same issue & tried everything that was suggested there but I still have no luck in getting audio back on my Inspiron 1525.

Discussion is locked

11 Posts
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Answer
When you say
by Dec 29, 2011 8:56PM PST

When you say you reinstalled the drivers, and then checked for updates, from whence did you get the drivers and check for updates? If it was from Windows Update or the "Update Drivers" button in the device manager, there's a good chance that's your problem. Usually it takes an event like this for people to realize the folly of downloading drivers from Microsoft.

So, following along this line of reasoning, go to Dell's support site, enter in your service tag, then download the latest audio drivers there.

If you already did that, then what I would do is download a Linux LiveCD like Knoppix. Burn that to a disc, boot from it, and then see if you can get audio. Since this is a completely different OS, and running off a CD/DVD, it helps narrow it down to either a stupid Windows trick or a hardware issue. A 3+ year old laptop should have pretty decent hardware support on Linux, so if you're still not getting any audio odds are the motherboard is bad. However, if you do get audio under Linux, then you know that the issue is with Windows.

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Update
by evienyc Dec 30, 2011 6:57AM PST

On your advice I went to Dell's support site, entered my service tag and downloaded the latest audio driver, only when I ran it I got an error saying "This is not the correct audio driver for this system". I went back to the Dell site to read further & it seems the driver is compatible with Windows XP; I have Windows Vista.

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Duh...
by evienyc Dec 30, 2011 7:01AM PST

Ignore that... apparently I wasn't paying attention and was checking for updates for Windows XP. Goes to show just how incapable I am.

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Driver for Vista downloaded
by evienyc Dec 30, 2011 7:48AM PST

After figuring out my duh moment I downloaded & installed the proper audio driver for Vista from Dell support site. Audio still not working. This is so frustrating.

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Well
by Jimmy Greystone Dec 30, 2011 10:12AM PST

Well, at least you know that it's a software issue, so worst case scenario you just format and reinstall. That's considerably better than the prospect of getting a new motherboard OOW.

So, I would suggest going into the device manager, removing the drivers installed now, then going back and installing the drivers you downloaded from Dell again. If that doesn't work, I'm afraid I've spent a bit too much time in the Mac world, and my Windows skills have atrophied a bit, so I'd have to hand it off to someone else for anything between that and just formatting the system and starting with a fresh OS install.

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Installed new
by evienyc Dec 30, 2011 2:36PM PST

I removed the old drivers & installed the brand new ones from Dell, multiple times, but no dice. Seems the OS doesn't want to cooperate. Thanks for all your help though... you got me a lot further than where I was before!

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Are you sure this device works?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Dec 31, 2011 1:13AM PST
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Audio with Linux
by evienyc Dec 31, 2011 4:49AM PST

When I boot the computer using Linux Live CD the audio works without issues so I know the device is working... just not with Windows.

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Good answer. (Love it!)
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Dec 31, 2011 6:03AM PST

Those Live CDs are my weapon of choice for issues like this when I need to test the hardware.

PRETEND this is a new Windows install. Install the USUAL. The Motherboard Chipset package, then the the Audio driver and finally Dell's Quickset app.

Once the Dell Quickset is installed, try the keyboard volume controls.
Bob

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More
by evienyc Jan 4, 2012 12:06PM PST

Bob, I'm not familiar with what you mean by pretending this is a new Windows install & the subsequent steps. Can you provide more detailed information about what needs to be done? Where do I get all those things to install or pretend to install? I'm not very tech savvy so I'm learning all of this as I go. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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You could have installed Dell's Quickset
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jan 4, 2012 12:43PM PST

And it might have worked. Why not try that?

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