Install Free Windows XP Sound Card

[Sheri723]

Hello, I bought a computer from someone thinking it was all intact. Later when I couldn't go online, I discoverd there was no sound card/driver. Where can I get one for a Dell Desktop - Windows XP Pro 1-2 CPU, Pentium 4 -Model DHM? Can anyone help me?

 

[ksiemb]

Hello, I bought a computer from someone thinking it was all intact. Later when I couldn't go online, I discoverd there was no sound card/driver. Where can I get one for a Dell Desktop - Windows XP Pro 1-2 CPU, Pentium 4 -Model DHM? Can anyone help me?

Any STD PCI audio card will work. You don't have to buy one specifically for that model, but if you want, go to dell.com and look up owner manual for hardware shipped with.

 

[jiminpa]

you can download all drivers that were shipped with dell computers at the dell site. start here...
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
You might also want to do a dell factory restore, if it is still intact. at post, start pressing Ctrl F11 repeatedly. You may have to do it several times to catch it. You may also find that the restore partition has been wiped out or the autorestore has been damaged. CAUTION - this WILL wipe everything from your drive and restore it to the way it was when it was shipped from dell.

 

[ksiemb]

you can download all drivers that were shipped with dell computers at the dell site. start here...
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
You might also want to do a dell factory restore, if it is still intact. at post, start pressing Ctrl F11 repeatedly. You may have to do it several times to catch it. You may also find that the restore partition has been wiped out or the autorestore has been damaged. CAUTION - this WILL wipe everything from your drive and restore it to the way it was when it was shipped from dell.

My take on his problem is: he has no sound card.

 

[jiminpa]

@ ksiemb, most all dell stuff that has been built in the last 12 years or so has at least basic on-board sound. @ Sheri723 do you have a green 1/8" pin jack socket on the back of your computer? normally next to some USB jacks. If YES, you should just be able to download from dell. Almost everything I have seen from dell in the last 10+ years has had on board sound, even some server class boxes. I think that might be a Dimension 4300. I just looked at a 4700 & it has on board sound.

 

[Sheri723]

The sound card is there and plugged into the green socket on the back of the computer. I think something else is wrong. I didn't buy it new from Dell. I have repeatedly called the person I it from and he doesn't return my calls so apparently he knows what the problem is and/or just doesn't want to deal with it. Sheri723

 

[Chicano]

The sound card is there and plugged into the green socket on the back of the computer. I think something else is wrong. I didn't buy it new from Dell. I have repeatedly called the person I it from and he doesn't return my calls so apparently he knows what the problem is and/or just doesn't want to deal with it. Sheri723

Hi,
I have the same problem but it is not my system. It is my office's system. I don't know how to resolve it.
Please help me.

First of all you need to check in the Control Panel \ Sound and Audio devices \ Audio tab \ if the controls are grayed-out, go to Start \ Run \ and type "devmgmt.msc" (no quotes), hit Enter \ and under Sound Video and Game devices \ you will find the Sound Card make/model... right click the sound card and select Uninstall, and restart the computer. (If you have trouble identifying the sound card, install Speccy and look under Audio for the make/model).

If the sound hasn't been restored after the restart, install a System Information application... either Speccy, Aids32, Everest Home, etc. (Speccy is simple and easy read) and see under Audio, the sound card make and model... and with the sound card information, you can google for drivers or better yet if you look in the system information application under Motherboard, copy the model, and go to the motherboard manufacturer website, look in support \ Downloads \ Drivers... a sound card driver is usually avilable for update.

After the download, if the driver is in a rar or zip file, extract the include files to a folder you create in the C:\Program files folder... (example: C:\Program files\Dell Drivers) then execute the setup.exe file and if the download is an .exe file, just execute it and follow the installer instructions... when the installer has finished, your sound and audio will be restored.