Gremlins Emerge with Switch to Windows 7

Well it seems I spoke too soon, my stuttering and popping in Windows 7 returned today.

So I opened this thread to review and went to Sound shortcut on the desktop.

Somehow trying to switch between audio devices, I may have deleted something.

Now, on both "Playback" and "Recording" tabs, it says: "No audio devices installed".

Thinking it can't be so easy to delete a critical device, I have rebooted, disabled and enabled anything I could see in Device Manager, but now, nothing - no sound at all.

A quick Google for "no audio devices installed" reveals I am not the first, but weird and wacky suggestions re the BIOS and/or reinstalling Windows and I am in no mood for that.

Can anyone please tell me how to restore the audio - or even better, install more of an audiophile set up as a default?

Thank you.

Can anyone please tell me how to restore the audio?

Try doing a Windows "System Restore," under Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore (or else enter "System Restore" into the "Search Programs and Files" box under the Start button).

Choose the most recent restore date which is offered that is prior to when the "no audio devices installed" problem arose.

Doing that will not affect your music files, data files, emails, etc., but will undo any Windows updates, and possibly program updates or installations, that have been performed subsequent to the restore date. Those updates would therefore have to be repeated.

If the System Restore doesn't fix the problem it can be reversed to the present date, which would eliminate the need to repeat the Windows or program updates that may have occurred between the two dates.

Best regards,
-- Al

Al,

System restore worked - thank you.

Will continue to work towards a better understanding of audio in Windows 7 and a hopefully a leaner, meaner, audiophile configuration.

PC's come out of the box as a jack of all trades (or master of none). To get them to perform as a music server you basically are doing what any good stock car racer has to do... strip out the useless parts for a performance vehicle from the standard factory model and replace highway performance parts with speed oriented parts.
Needless to say most don't want "race car" compromises in a comfortable suburban ride.

Wow am I glad I found this thread. I have a old Dell laptop that runs like a snail in wet cement, but the sound is phenominal thru my Benchmark USB DAC. I was thinking of getting a new(er) version for the speed and screen but now I am haveing serious 2nd thoughts.
-John