M17xR4 no audio device ?!

I have been intermittently getting an audio issue where no audio will play, and speaker icon (which has an X on it) I get the message of "No speakers or headphones are plugged in."

I've bios A05.
And have fresh install of windows 7.

The only temporary solution I've found that seems to fix this is doing the Fn+F7 reboot to switch to integrated graphics (HD 4000), and then doing it AGAIN to switch to dedicated graphics (GTX 680m)

I see many thread here but no solution to fix it!
Is there any news from Dell or i have to call then to switch my mobo ??

Thank you in advance.

 

Speakers and headphones are controlled via the Windows Audio Device graph and the Creative SB drivers. One thing to check, if/when your speakers cut out again, open up device manager and look under Sound, Video, and Game controllers. See if your sound blaster is still listed underneath the device list. If it isn't, could be a motherboard problem. Another place to check is in the Windows reliability monitor. In Start Menu, type reliability in the search box and under the results, click view reliability history. What you are looking at are the warnings (yellow exclamation point) and the critical events (red circles with and x). All events are sorted by date so when you open up it should be displaying only the events for that day. See if there are any errors where a service or driver has crashed or been stopped. If there are, post them here.

 

I checked Reliability and see this :
I have fresh installed win7 on saturday, then i have 3 days in this history.
first day : critical event / stopped working
- Creative Audio Service
- Creative High Definition Audio Service
- IntelCpHeciSvc Executable
- Intel(R) Dynamic Application Loader Host Interface
- Stereo Vision Control Panel API Server

Second day : critical event / stopped working
- AlienwareOn-ScreenDisplay

Today : critical event / stopped working
- AlienwareOn-ScreenDisplay

AlienwareOn-ScreenDisplay stopped working because i try to clic on button for sound/wifi etc... and got this.

for the moment i'm on 680m (after a switch Fn+F7 on integrated and 680m)
and i have device manager :

- Nvidia high definition audio
- Sound Blaster Recon 3di

i will check when i got no sound on a cold reboot.

 

Well, first two services that stopped working are what control your laptops speakers and headphones. I believe the 5th service on that list controls the 3D display. Services 3 and 4 are Intel crap that have to do with encryption and security regarding your CPU. OSD could very easily be causing your sound to malfunction if it is unstable or corrupt, or if you don't have the latest Microsoft .NET updates installed. I know OSD requires .NET to run correctly.

PS: If you've modified your shell32.dll file in anyway (say for a custom theme), that will also quash your sound service.

 

I never changed shell32.dll
i got .Net here : Download: Microsoft .NET Framework4 (programme d'installation Web) - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details
And have all update from windows update...
And i don't have the 3D display.

i have to do another fresh install you think ?

 

The 3D software is still there because the 680m card is 3D capable. I take it from the French Microsoft Website, that is where you are? (just curious). Possibly not. I would uninstall (completely wipe) OSD and then restart, re-download and reinstall OSD just for good measure. Because the sound will work and then just drop out without warning, I get the feeling there are drivers or software that are failing.

 

From France.

Ok i will try this when i'm coming back to home.
uninstall/reinstall OSD

Oh and just in case this is important or not, sartup sound cracking too, but just starting sound...

And this computer only have 3 days (received friday)

 

This happens once every week to me. What works for me is just resetting the laptop twice in a row and that gets the audio back up and running.
I'm using the A05 bios also.

 

Hello,

Ok no more device this morning...

in device manager i only have this one : - Nvidia high definition audio no more Sound Blaster
and no word in Reliability .

 

Huh. That sounds like a hardware failure. If it was software based, like the drivers are corrupt, then you would have a warning in reliability that the device drivers stopped working. Instead it is looking more like the audio device becomes 'unplugged' from the system. That would be a motherboard issue. There is a known issue with the audio device not being detected in the R4s. Alienware's solution was to flash the A05 BIOS. But you already have that BIOS version so I'm not sure what the next step is. Flag down an Alienware rep here in the forum and give him a quick review of the issue. I'm guessing the next step is a motherboard replacement...you're still under warranty, yes?

Alienware M14x R2, M17x R4 & M18x R2 Audio not detected | Dell

 

I already update to A05, i found this link too. but no change.

I receive this computer last friday, then yes i'm on warranty.

I think yes it's hardware or bios bug, because if i do a Fn+F7 to switch back on integrated card, computer reboot (he stop and restart) then sound is back, and i can switch again to 680m

But a don't do this switch today, i just reboot computer to windows 8 (another partition) got sound, reboot to windows 7 sound is back...

i see this on event viewer (but nothing on reliability) for this morning :


i will try to boot tomorrow on windws 8 first and see what happen, because now sound is back and he's not going to bug anymore for today..., really strange bug.

 

You might need to translate that for me. And what section did you find this under, i.e. Windows Logs -> Applications

 

I found this on Event Viewer, Windows Logs -> Système

 

That explains it. If you haven't disabled or messed with the audio service in anyway, then the service stops because the sound processor cuts out. At this point, it really looks to be a hardware problem. Unfortunately the only way to fix the sound controller is to replace the motherboard.

 

It's so random too and strange, since i see there some other have same problem


Other test i will do, is endind tonight computer on integrated card, and tomorrow see if sound here or not at startup
Other is to log in windows 8 before windows 7 on 680m and see.

I'm more on a software faillure than a hardware... i hope !
But well if it's hardware... so sad
Sound working when it's ok... !

And i'm waiting for this A08 bios, some news M17xR4 coming with a A08 bios (not mine was A05...)

 

Sure, you can wait for the A08 BIOS. Hopefully that fixes it. One thing to remember, the 680m has its own sound processor. So when you switch over to it, the Nvidia HD audio takes over. Then when you switch back, the system tries (and is able to) reactivate the integrated sound processor. Know that you are not the only person out there with this issue, but I would get in touch with the Alienware reps here in the forum and see what there recommendation is; whether to try reinstalling the sound drivers, reflashing the BIOS, or replacing the motherboard.

 

And where did you find alienware reps here ?
sorry for this noob question lol

 

Here's one: http://forum.notebookreview.com/member.php?u=508846

 

Ok thank i will try to send him MP.

 

I see you are currently running A05. Did you flash your BIOS with the one provided in the article? This should be done even if the computer had A05 since you received it.

As radji suggested, reinstalling the audio driver may do the trick.

Open the device manager and uninstall the IDT High Definition Audio, check the "delete driver software" box.

Then Download and install the Audio driver from the list below

Alienware M17x R4 Drivers

Try and let us know if it worked!

 

I will tell you tomorrow, because i have this bug/problem when i cold launch my computer... until i switch Fn+F7 from 680m to integrated card and back to 680m.
Yes i have update bios with this news A05 yesterday.

 

For this morning,
- Login to windows 7 : No sound
- reboot and login to windows 7 : no sound
- reboot and login to windows 8 : no sound
- log back to windows 7 : no sound
I try the fix from other thread but got no luck can't detect sound card.
- Fn+F7 to switch on integrated card, computer reboot, log in win7 : sound is back
- Fn+F7 to switch on 680m, computer reboot, log in win7 : sound always here

dont' know what to do now... !

 

It's a brand new system. Make Dell fix it. Issues after a week is unacceptable.

 

Yes i know it's my only solution i guess, but i don't like it when dell tech open my alienware.... always getting more problem after... !

 

Please send us an e-mail to [email protected] with your service tag and contact information, include the link to this thread and a brief explanation of the issue that you are experiencing, we will get back to you as soon as possible to help you out.

 

Ok, thank you.

I just sent my email.

 

did you have any luck with a fix? I am having the same issue.

 

rabidt, please send us an e-mail to [email protected] with the information requested on my post above, we'll get back to you

 

I got a mobo replacement.
but for now i don't know if it's ok or not, because now it's my gpu who's dead since the mobo replacement..
they are going to change graphic card, if not ok they change mobo again...

 

@hdisnice: sorry to hear that your gpu havin hard time. Actually this Audio issue is not related to hardware, almost 70% user complain about same issue. So do we consider all new revision shipped with Creative card are faulty? No.
This issue related to windows, if you dont want to overcome this error again then just fresh install windows 7 sp1, but DO NOT use windows update. As one of windows update is reason for this issue.

 

@Peter: not sure if it's software since i got not sound too in windows 8, but sound back when i do this switch Fn+F7

 

Well i had a lots of issue regardin to audio before, so i have tried to fix it with microsoft fixit tool but it was just temp solution. So again ive fresh install windows 7 sp1, so far didnt use any of windows update, audio works fine. Hence i think its related to windows update as ive already format system more then 4 times, whenever i update it problems pop up again n again. I think we need to wait till Dell release refresh driver for it or tested fix bios(A03 was release to fix this issue but unfortunately it didnt )

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...re-m18x-r2-m17x-r4-audio-fix.html#post8872936

Newer driver has been avail for a couple weeks...no need to wait for Dell to get their act together! ...

 

I am still having this issue and I have the A09 bios... the hell is going on... this is very annoying! Only thing that shows up on device manager is NVIDIA High Definition Audio, I try to reinstall the soundblaster drivers to no avail, I can't even find a control panel for that anywhere on my system... I need help!

 

Switch between iGPU and dedicated GPU fixes it, works everytime.

 

Если тут есть рускоговорящие пользователи , подскажите , это все-таки виноваты обновления ? До сих пор мучаюсь с этой проблемой...

 

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!!
have applied this fix twice now
both guaranteed without other futzing

thanks for confirming signex