Microsoft KB Archive/161249

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How to Test/Reinstall Sound Card Drivers for NetShow

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Q161249

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft NetShow versions 1.0 and 2.0
 * Microsoft NT Workstation version 4.0
 * Microsoft NT Server version 4.0

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SUMMARY
Some versions of the Sound Blaster Sound Card drivers either do not work or produce a hissing, buzzing, or scratching sound when playing compressed audio. This article provides instructions to test, and if necessary, update your sound card driver.

MORE INFORMATION
Some drivers for Sound Blaster cards may not perform well with sound Codecs that use compression. Because NetShow uses such codecs, you should first test your system's sound by playing a sound file that has been compressed before you install and run NetShow.

Use Sound Recorder to test your system. If the sound is not satisfactory, replace your current driver with one of those included on your Windows NT 4.0 distribution disc. For more information, see "Changing Your Sound Blaster Driver" later in this document.

To Test Your System's Sound

 * 1) Click Start, and point to Programs, and then point to Accessories, and then point to then Multimedia, and then click Sound Recorder.
 * 2) On the File menu in Sound Recorder, click Open and browse for a sound (.wav) file to open and use in your test. For example, you can use the Windows NT Logon Sound located in the Media subdirectory of your Windows NT directory.
 * 3) Select a sound file and click Open.
 * 4) Click the Play button in Sound Recorder to make sure that your system is playing sound normally.
 * 5) On the File menu in Sound Recorder, click Properties.
 * 6) On the Details tab, click Convert Now. The Sound Selection dialog box is displayed.
 * 7) In the Format box, select Microsoft ADPCM, and then click OK. The system compresses the .wav file you selected.
 * 8) In the Properties dialog box, click OK.
 * 9) In the Sound Recorder dialog box, click the play button. The sound should play cleanly. If it does not, you must change the driver for your sound card.
 * 10) To close Sound Recorder, click Exit on the File menu.
 * 11) Sound Recorder displays a message explaining that the .wav file you used has been changed. Click No to avoid saving the changes.

Changing Your Sound Blaster Driver
If, after checking your system's sound, you need to replace your sound driver because there is a hissing, buzzing, or scratching sound when playing compressed audio, use the appropriate driver from your Windows NT 4.0 compact disc. Both standard and plug-and-play drivers are available. To change drivers, you must be logged on to your computer with Administrator privileges.

In order to install a new driver, you must first remove the old driver and restart Windows NT. Before removing the old driver, write down its settings so that you have them available when installing the new driver.

To Remove the Current Sound Driver

 * 1) In Windows NT Control Panel, double-click Multimedia.
 * 2) On the Devices tab, double-click Audio Devices, select your current Sound Blaster driver and click Properties.
 * 3) On the General tab, click Settings and write down the settings for the card.
 * 4) In the Sound Blaster Configuration dialog box, click Cancel.
 * 5) Windows NT may prompt you to restart; click Don't Restart Now.
 * 6) In the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Properties dialog box, click Cancel.
 * 7) In the Devices tab, click Remove.
 * 8) Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the driver.
 * 9) In the Multimedia Properties dialog box, click OK.
 * 10) Restart Windows NT.

To Change the Driver for a Standard Sound Blaster Sound Card
To change the driver for a standard (not plug-and-play) Sound Blaster sound card:


 * 1) In Control Panel, double-click Multimedia.
 * 2) On the Devices tab, select Audio Devices and click Add.
 * 3) From the List Of Drivers, select Creative Labs Sound Blaster, and click OK.
 * 4) In the Driver Exists dialog box, click New.
 * 5) In the Sound Blaster Base I/O Address dialog box, select the address to use in the I/O Address box, and then click Continue.
 * 6) In the Sound Blaster 16 Configuration dialog box, select settings for interrupt, DMA channel, 16-bit DMA channel, and MPU401 I/O address, and then click OK.
 * 7) In the System Setting Change dialog box, click Restart Now.
 * 8) After your computer restarts, repeat the test of your system's sound as described earlier in this document.

To Change the Driver for a Plug-and-Play Sound Blaster Sound Card

 * 1) After removing your old driver, use Explorer to navigate to drvlib\pnpisa\x86 (or other processor) on the Windows NT Server 4.0 compact disc.
 * 2) Right-click Pnpisa.inf and click Install.
 * 3) Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box to restart your computer. After you restart and log on to the computer, Windows NT displays the New Hardware Found dialog box.
 * 4) Click Driver From Disk Provided By Hardware Manufacturer.
 * 5) In the Install From Disk dialog box, type the path name for the SBPnP driver: drvlib\audio\sbpnp\i386 (or other processor), and then click OK.
 * 6) In the Select Device dialog box, click Creative Labs Sound Blaster Plug And Play, and then click OK. The Sound Blaster 16 Configuration dialog box is displayed.
 * 7) In the Resources tab, look for resource conflicts in the Conflicting Device List. If a conflict exists, click the resource in the Resource Type list, and then click Change Setting. In the Edit Resource dialog box, change the value to one for which no conflict is reported in the Conflict Information box, and then click OK. When all conflicts are resolved, click OK in the Sound Blaster 16 Configuration dialog box.
 * 8) If the New Hardware Found dialog box prompts you to select a driver for Creative Labs 3D Stereo Enhancement Technology, click Windows NT Default Driver.
 * 9) If the New Hardware Found dialog box prompts you to select a driver for Creative Labs Advanced Wave Effect Synthesis for AWE 32, click Windows NT Default Driver.
 * 10) If the New Hardware Found dialog box prompts you to select a driver for IDE CD-ROM (ATAPI 1.2)/Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller, click Do Not Install A Driver.
 * 11) If the New Hardware Found dialog box prompts you to select a driver for Microsoft Joystick Port Enabler, click Windows NT Default Driver.
 * 12) Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box to restart your computer.
 * 13) After your computer restarts, repeat the test of your system's sound as described earlier in this document. If your card is not performing normally, you can troubleshoot the resource settings you made during installation using Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click Multimedia, click Devices, click Audio Devices, click Audio for Creative Labs Sound Blaster, and click Properties.

Check the support site on http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia for more information.

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