Audio Device not available

Ok, I've had enough, I've spent 4 hours this morning trying to work out what the heck Windows is going on about, but to no avail.

Is there anyone here who can work out the following puzzle:

1 Via motherboard based PC with onboard Avance AC'97 sound chip and 1 Creative Sound card (ES1371, ES1373) that was working absolutely peachy yesterday.

1 random Windows update during the middle of the day changes the Avance Drivers to C-Media AC'97 drivers...

Suddenly the Creative Soundcard doesn't work...

I rollback the drivers to the Avance ones, and windows now states that both soundcards are working fine... However, everything that plays any sound gives the error "No Audio Device"... even Control Panel, and yet Device Manager says everything is working fine...

I've run DxDiag to no avail (No Soundcard Available) and have run out of possible explanations or solutions. I can't even find any help on Google, only suggested driver updates that are all the same C-Media driver that caused the problem in the first place.

#435103

sounds like it would be an amazing coincidence, but perhaps your soundcard has come unseated. maybe try reseating it. also, in device manager, completely uninstall it and let windows reinstall it on reboot. gl!

#435107

I tried both of those and a guide I found to fully uninstalling the C-Media drivers but it still doesn't work.

#435116

Did you disable the onboard sound? Usually I don't use onboard sound and an add-on card simultaneously. It's one or the other for me

#435130

That still hasn't solved it... I can't understand why Device Manager can find them but nothing els can...

#435202

something similar happens when my windows audio service is stopped, do you have it started?

#435220

Checked Windows Audio Service... it is running all fine and dandy. Still no sound card detected.

#435231

can you get your hands on another sound card? pop it in and see if it works. it'll help narrow down where the problem is.

#435233

try a pair of headphones or another lot of speakers as well, its unlikely 2 speakers have broken but maybe a loose or broken connection?

#435236

I can't get my hands on another sound card, not for a long while at least.

It's definitely not the speakers... If it was the speakers I just have no sound, what I have is a bunch of applications refusing to play sound as they cannot find the sound card.

#435290

Ok, I've made some progress... Windows is reporting that the Creative Sound Card is an ES1371 when in fact it is a CT4750, however I can't find any working drivers for this anywhere...

Has anyone any idea where to find drivers... Creative no longer have the drivers for the CT4750

#435450

http://www.soundcard-drivers.com/drivers/22/22324.htm

googled it

#435452

I've tried that site, I can't use the site it links to and Bugmenot accounts get deleted very quickly there

#435458

so, sign up for the free account.

#435459

I can't I get referrer errors and yes, URL referring is turned on in Firefox.

#435470