Help! Sound is detected but can't be started?

[kinney]

My brother has a HP computer that is one of the flex case styles, so the audio can't be swapped out. It detects his Intel AC97 audio but the device can't start. I reformatted the HD and put XP on it hoping it would help with the problem but the same error in 2K and XP.

I tried running HPs diagnostics on the computer and when it comes to the audio one it locks the computer up.

I suspect a hardware error. I updated to latest bios and newest drivers from HP for the computer, its a e-vectra.
It was working at one time and then one day it just quit.

Any suggestions?

"dude your getting a dell", is that kid trying to say he wants to stick his 'dell' in you?

 

[FatBurger]

What do you mean by "start"?

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>

 

[kinney]

Thats what windows 2k/xp says is the problem. Yeah i asked the exact same question to myself.
'the device could not be started'

eh? sorry for the vagueness, thats why i came here!

"dude your getting a dell", is that kid trying to say he wants to stick his 'dell' in you?