If you have ever experienced issues with your sound in Windows XP, then you probably know how frustrating figuring out what is causing the problem can be.  

This article will walk you through a few ways to debug and fix sound problems, including: static sound, fuzzy sound, distorted sound or no sound.

First make sure that your sound drivers are installed.  Go to Start, then Add/Remove Programs and skim through the list of programs for a sound driver.  On my system, mine is called Soundmax,

This may not be the same for your system. C-Media or Audio Driver are other names that I am aware of but yours could be something else.  It should have either the word Sound or Audio in it’s name. 

If you do not see your sound driver, then visit windows update and check for updates.  (http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us) If your sound driver is not on your system, windows update should find it. 

Most of the time, a missing driver isn’t the problem.   The rest of this article will focus on what to do if you have already verified that your sound driver is installed.

To begin, do you see a speaker icon down by your clock?

If you don’t see a speaker icon down by your clock begin with the instructions in Part I.  If you already have a speaker icon down by your clock then skip Part I of this tutorial, and begin with Part II. 

**************************  Part I ******************************

For those that don’t see a speaker icon by their clock, Click Start then go to Control Panel.  Then Once You Are In Control Panel Open Sound and Audio Devices, the icon looks like this:

When Sound and Audio Devices opens up, place a check mark in the box for “Place volume icon in the taskbar”  then click Apply.

 

Now you should have an speaker icon by your clock. 

**************************  Part II  *****************************

You should now have a speaker icon down by your clock.   Double click on the speaker. 

Then you should get a window like this:

 

Click On Options then Properties

  Then Scroll down and make sure all boxes are check Marked

Then Go Back To The Volume Control and make sure all boxes are Muted Except For the  Master and Wave (see Below Pic)

 

That should Stop the Static (once static is gone, to figure out which one was causing it, you can one by one un-mute each item until you hear the static again)

 
If the above method does not make the static go away, then do the following:
Right Click on the Speaker Icon

 

Choose Adjust Audio Properties and this window will pop up:

Choose Advanced  and then make sure that the audio configuration says “Desktop Speakers”  Try changing the type using the drop down menu (try to see if a diff selection fixes it)

FixMyXP.com

Comments (4)

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Microphone background noises
written by jd1961, January 18, 2007

when i do voice with someone the background is excessive and scratchy..any ideas?

Regarding the comments on this article
written by windowsxp550, January 31, 2006

To get help with your specific problems, please submit your problem on the Forum, so that others can read and respond. To do this, you will have to register (don't worry it's free).

Once you have registered you can just copy/paste your question/problem so that the members of this site can reply to you.

Here is a link to register:
http://www.fixmyxp.com/forums/profile.php?mode=register&sid=7986aaf5b3b5e343c1141feec57a24e4

:grin

...
written by Guest, January 31, 2006

Well, I tried this little test too, but it doesn't help. My problem with sound is as follows (but I have no sound drivers in add/remove programs):-

If I'm watching a video from google, or listening to music via WMP, or even if I get a message on msn (you get the sound notifying you when you get one) - if I'm typing at any of these times, or even if there is anything to do with sound currently happening, I get "background" interference through the speakers. It isn't a proper "echo" of the keys being struck or anything, just like interference, like the noise when trying to tune in a radio or something.

I've asked numerous people about this, so don't know where to go from here. I don't have a mircophone switched on, I've tried a different keyboard and it still happened. Could it be the speakers/soundcard or what?

I have a Yamaha soundcard, but I've also seen something to do with Legacy Audio drivers too. I have a Sony VAIO 160GB, 1024 RAM, Windows XP Home Edition with SP2 installed. Unfortunately I can't recall when this first started happening.

...
written by Guest, January 29, 2006

Well :sigh
This little lesson says,
" speaker icon down by your clock ", place a check mark in the box for “Place volume icon in the taskbar”
Well my problem is, my Soundmax drivers shopw up, WinXP tells me all are working, but in WinXP Sound devices, everything is grayed-out.
OI can not hcnage anything.
I did see the large volume etc control box days ago, but now, WinXP does not recognize ANY audio device in the system- in my case,
Intel 865xxx MB w/ built in sound.
? ? ? ?

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