Tema
No sound after service pack update
Acer AM5100-U5201A
OS Version: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium, Service Pack 2, 32 bit
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, x64 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 1
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 1790 Mb
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon X1250, 256 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 147761 MB, Free - 81026 MB; D: Total - 147487 MB, Free - 147391 MB;
Motherboard: Acer, F690GVM
Antivirus: Bitdefender Antivirus, Updated: Yes, On-Demand Scanner: Enabled
BIOS Version/date: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 600 PG, 6/25/2007
SMBIOS version: 2.5
Problem: No sound at all, not even on system boot up/windows greeting.
I have no idea what else to try and do to get my sound back. I never should have done the service pack update! I just knew it was a mistake! See details below.
History: March 8, 2013
Hotmail email changed over to outlook for it's layout. My Older I.E. browser could not display this. Help said I needed to updates: service pack 1 (something I've desperately avoided due to complications last time I did that) before I could get I.E. version 9. So I did the service pack 1 update. As part of that update computer had to reboot. Upon reboot, NO more sound. Still could not run I.E. 9. I now have Service pack 2. Still no sound, but did upgrade to I.E. 9 successfully.
Turned out Service pack 1 was not the correct one needed to allow update with I.E.
What I've done so far:
1: checked to make sure all connections were still in place. Confirmed, all are plugged in securely.
2: Swapped out speakers with new ones. Rebooted. Still no sound. Original speakers: one cord plugs into speaker jack behind computer. The other is USB cable that is power for the speakers. The swapped out new speakers, one plugged into the speaker jack, the other was regular power cord plugged into outlet. Both yield no sound when turned on and volume up.
3: checked for and Updated audio drivers.
-also all 3 show as 'device is working properly" (yet no sound).
4: Checked to be sure nothing was muted in volume control panel.
5: Ran microsoft Fix it. Indicates All is working.
6: Then ran Windows Audio Playback troubleshooter. Couldn't full run as had no idea what to select on 2nd screen. 
7: Uninstalled/reinstalled drivers. Still no sound.
8: Headphones also no sound.
9: Had computer tech dude come over. He checked lots of stuff, is 'unable' to resolve issue. Suggests perhaps sound card is no good. (from a windows update? Can that kill a sound/audio card?).
Drivers listed under device manager: Sound, video and game controllers:
High definition audio device: provider: microsoft; driver date: 6/21/2006; Driver version: 6.0.6002.18005; digital signer: microsoft windows. Driver is updated.
Since I was advised to uninstall and reinstall each driver I did.
After uninstalling and rebooted to prompt the 2nd device (realtek) to reinstall that driver, I got this listed: High definition audio device: Provider: Realtek Semiconductor corp; driver date: 3/29/2013; Driver version 6.0.1.6873; Digital signer: Microsoft windows hardware compatibility publisher (got from realtek website). Driver showed yellow triangle with ! in it, so right clicked it. Update it, but it said this driver is still not working. It read: Reinstall the drivers for this device. (Code 18)
and to reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver. I clicked this. It says: the best driver software for your device is already installed. Windows has determined the driver for this device is up to date. However the triangle is still there, and it still says click here to reinstall driver.
NOTE: prior to uninstalling and reinstalling, all three drivers had said they were working properly, and were updated, no yellow triangles. Realtek was the listed 2nd device (now it only lists a 2nd high definition audio device, which when properties>details is selected, reads the above info). After going through all the microsoft help windows to diagnose and troubleshoot, the last suggestion was that if all other things didn't fix sound, to then uninstall and reinstall drivers.
3rd device: Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device; Provider-Microsoft; driver date: 1/26/1999. Version 6.0.6001.18000; digital signer: Microsoft windows. It has been updated.
United States