some audio doesn't work anymore

[mel3498]

I think I've posted this in the correct part of the forum. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to technical computer issues, so I could be wrong...

Last spring I got a Dell Ispiron E1505 that came with Windows Vista on it. Everything was fine until I realized about a week ago that something weird was going on. First, I put a CD in because I was trying to get a few songs off of it and put them on iTunes so I could put them on my iPod (which I got about five weeks ago). I hadn’t listened to the CD in a while, so I wanted to play some of it to see which tracks I wanted to put on my iPod. Well, the CD would not play in iTunes at all. So I opened WMP and tried to play it in there. I got a “C00D11D2” error message. Next, I tried it in Real Player and it worked fine.

The next problem I noticed was that videos played using Quicktime or WMP had video, but no sound. I also noticed that games that came on my laptop (solitaire, spider solitaire, etc.) don’t play sounds anymore. Over the weekend I got on MSN Messenger (which I rarely use) and found that it does not play sounds either. AIM and other default noises on Windows still play and I am still able to hear videos on youtube.

I don’t know what I’ve done to cause this. The only thing I can come up with is that it has something to do with my iPod and/or iTunes. A few days before I noticed all this, I plugged my iPod into the laptop and there was an error message. Apparently the iPod was corrupted somehow. That problem has been fixed.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to solve this issue?

[mel3498]

Am I to take it that no one has a clue what's wrong with my laptop? If anyone has ANY ideas, PLEASE tell me. 

[patio]

There are issues with the iPod software no matter what flavor of Windows you are running...
It sounds like your file associations have gotten wonked as well.
I'd start by temporarily un-installing the iPod software and see if you can play music and videos normally.

[Broni]

Trying System Restore wouldn't hurt.

[mel3498]

I've tried both of those ideas, but things are still messed up. 

It sounds like your file associations have gotten wonked as well.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, but is there something I can do to solve that problem?

[Broni]

Maybe, you have some codecs missing. Get this:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Vista_Codec_Package.htm

[mel3498]

Thanks, but that didn't work either. *sigh*

[Broni]

Windows updates current?
How is your security? Firewall, antivirus, antispyware?
Any errors in Device Manager?

[mel3498]

Windows updates current?
How is your security? Firewall, antivirus, antispyware?
Any errors in Device Manager?

Yes, Windows updates are current.
My firewall is on and I have McAfee antivirus and antispyware.
No errors in Device Manager.

[Broni]

It's really weird problem.
Did you try to update your sound drivers? Download new one, uninstall old one, install new one.

[mel3498]

I wanted to let you know that my laptop seems to be all better. I was trying different things and finally went to the control panel, then hardware and sound. I saw "manage audio devices" and clicked on it. A message popped up saying something was wrong with something or other (I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly what) and asked if I wanted to fix it. I clicked on the appropriate choice, it got fixed, and now I can hear all sounds! It's funny how one little click can cure everything... even if you don't understand how it happened (like me). LOL. Thanks for your suggestions. I think they led me in the right direction.

[Broni]

Nice going, Mel. Thanks for posting back.