Lower than normal Volume

[dhinds]

I have an Sound Blast Audigy 2 card that came with my Dell Dim 4600. Up until just recently I have had more volume than I can use. I mean it would make my Bass Box rumble. The volume is now about 50% or less of what it used to be at full volume setting. I have checked the Device Manager, Drivers etc and all seem to be working fine, which they would be because I can still hear all music, sounds, audio of any kind. I have checked all volume controls on my XP machine and applications until I am blue in the face.  Having said that I have recently installed and been using Vegas Movie Studio and updated some video codec and drivers for my SB card. I guessed that it could only help... wrong. I cannot seem to Roll Back the Drivers now to reset them. I also tried reinstalling the original drivers from the Disc that came with the computer. It didn't increase the volume. I also installed new ram but I can't see that making a difference. The sound is good quality and uses all 4 speakers but it is just annoying that I cannot crank it up when I want to hear the Matrix sound track at ear bleeding volumes like I used to. Any one have any ideas. P.S. I didn't know if this was Hard or Soft Ware.

[2k_dummy]

Is anything from Vegas Movie Studio loading at startup? If so disable it from loading (it should be an on demand app anyway). Then make sure that all software controls are set to max and use the speaker control for the volumn setting.

[dhinds]

Nothing from Vegas is loading and I have tried turning off all but essential start up apps. All volumes from everything I can think of is on full and so is the speaker volume knob. I have tried adjusting all to no avail. That is what has me so confused. I can only assume that some kind of audio codec came down with a video package and that is what did it. But wouldn't a reset drivers or reinstall of Audigy software take care of that... apparently not. Thanks for the suggestion however. Maybe my ears are getting bad.

[2k_dummy]

If you suspect that it is a codec causing the problem, You should be able to change the priority codec (for video and audio). Control panel/mutimedia/devices.

[dhinds]

One thing I have notice since I having this volume probles was a change in the Devise Manager list under Sound, video and game controllers
Prior the list was

Creative SB Audigy Processor

After Vegas Movie Studio Install and some other codecs

Audio Codec
Creative SB Audigy 2 (WDM
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Video Codec

Where did the Legacy come from, do you know what it is. As far as I know my nVideo Gforce graphics card doesn't have video capture. Geeeeez this is frustrating. Also my headphone Volume is allot louder than the speakers. I guess I am bound to the headphones for any listening.

[2k_dummy]

Apparently Vegas or the codec install changed some things in your setup for the SB. Try disabling the extras in device manager one at a time, starting with the legasy items. They are not normally needed but may be required by Vegas. If that doesn't solve the problem, you might have to reinstall your SB drivers. Generally the driver indicated by WDM is a windows generic, though it may have actually been provided by SB.

[dhinds]

Well I have just about exhausted my options. I un- installed or disabled anything and everything that had to do with audio on my computer via the Device Manager and Control Panel. I re-installed my SB Audigy drivers / software and then one by one brought things back on line. I STILL have 50% volume. The only other thing was to ask if a resistor or some circuit sound board component could have burned out and let the card still function but not to full capacity. I know that sounds like along shot but anything is possible considering all I have tried to bring this volume back up. Have I mentioned that the headphone volume is as loud as ever, how is that for weird. This totally has me stumped and short of going to buy a new Sound card I guess I will live with it unless any of you learned people have any other suggestions.