Updated Desktop - No Audio

[Terryl]

I have just remembered something from a few years ago, (it takes a bit for my brain to kick in) I had about the same problems with a customers Dell PC, with trying to run XP Pro on a Dell PC manufactured and sent out with Vista as an OS and Vista hardware drivers, he did not want Vista and tried to go back to XP, he formatted the hard drive to start fresh.

What happened is that some of the hardware drivers were not backward compatible, (XP to Vista ready hardware) we had to install a network card, video card and sound card to get it to run like it did before.

The on-board video would not work except in safe mode, installing a video card fixed this, and had to do the same for the network and sound.

It seams that the new hardware chip sets were redesigned for a Vista + OS, (Vista and beyond) and were not reverse compatible with XP.

So it may show up in the hardware list, but it may not operate as before, I would look around for a Sound Blaster USB sound card, (or something like it) it may be the only way to fix the missing audio, or go to Windows 7.

 

[Analoguesat]

Take the wifi card out, stick a pci soundcard in & use a ten quid wifi usb dongle instead.

 

[Terryl]

I would just go with one of these hummers.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-External-Sound-Cards/zgbs/electronics/3015427011

But be sure it's XP compatible.

 

[blademedia]

Codecs ?
K-Lite Codec Pack 12.70 (Full)

 

[Channel Hopper]

If XP I assume you have SP 3 installed?

Oh yes.

 

[2cvbloke]

Given you have drivers installed and the thing seems to be playing audio, one thing that comes to mind, is the front-panel audio header on the motherboard populated or not? Some older boards require a couple of jumpers to be put in place to send audio to the rear audio ports if there's no front-panel audio setup connected, resulting in no audio...

 

[Channel Hopper]

I'll take a look, but currently no output from front or rear.

I'm contemplating trying a separate card and the dongle suggestion, problem is this is the small form factor case , but I also know where I can 'borrow' an identical one to do swopsie comparisons.

Annoying though because even straight after powering up this 620 is far faster than the 745 and I still haven't stuck a faster processor in yet.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Swopped out the motherboard (this one comes with a 3GHz processor, against the earlier 2.8 jobbie) and bang, in comes the audio.

Now running up the additional USB ports and getting the camera drivers ready for Skype, but everything looks OK so far, well apart from the need to position the old hard drive straight behind the processor fan at the moment (why do Dell's processor cooling systems bring in air that only serves to heat up everything inside ?)

Thanks for all the suggestions earlier.

 

[Archive-8]

Glad you have a working setup now. Both the dell's I have both have the cpu fan at the front and no apparent way for the heat to get out.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I would have to check the technology, but in my opinion the front fan should be drawing air from the micro since it is the first thing in the way (unless there are too many leaks). The ambient air temperature from everything else in a small cabinet can't be much more than the fresh stuff drawn in from the front can it ?

 

[Archive-8]

Inside my optiplex 380


Heat sink is at the front of the unit, with the fan feeding air in also from the front.

 

[Terryl]

All of my Dells have air vents at the back of the case, and the fan blows air in directly onto the heat sink, I do add fans to all of my PC's, some get so overworked that I have had to mount a very large fan on the side of the case, this is setup blowing air into the case, then I reverse all other fans to blowing air out, this keeps all the other components cool.

It looks ugly but it gets the job done.

 

[Archive-8]

@Terryl I wanted to build my optiplex 380 into gamercase, but can't find the power switch/reset switch combinations so I can case swap them, that way I would be able to build it up at a later date, as I am running freenas on it.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Inside my optiplex 380

View attachment 101348
Heat sink is at the front of the unit, with the fan feeding air in also from the front.

Where is the hard drive on a 380, under the CD/floppy drives ?

 

[Archive-8]

Where is the hard drive on a 380, under the CD/floppy drives ?

My 380 doesn't have a fdd only DVD rom.

But under the DVD rom is space for the hdd and where a fdd could go.

In my case I am using it as a freenas.

So the hdd holder has one drive, and the space above it, where the fdd would have been, is another hdd.

I boot freenas from a USB stick in the back.