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My computer doesn't make the window closing, start up, shutdown sounds, etc. AIM is also affected by this so there are no Instant Message sounds or door closing sounds when a Buddy signs off. I have AOL and there's no "You've got mail" sound when I have mail. I go to Control Panel and then Sounds so it takes me to Sound Properties. When I try to preview a sound individually(asterisk in this case) I get the error message: "Windows cannot play the C:\WINDOWS\media\Utopia Asterisk.wav file. It may be damaged or may not be a valid sound file. Replace the file and try again." When I go to Sound Recorder the record button is grey and can't be pushed.
The weird thing is it plays CDs fine, when I go to shockwave.com all of the games have their sounds, and most (I'm cautious to say all) websites with music on them load up fine.
I heard something about NetMeeting causing problems like this, but I don't understand what you're supposed to do if that's what messed it up. The only thing I know about NetMeeting is that it's one of the Add-Ins I got with AIM. I may have accidentally used it once, but I'm pretty sure it was after the sound problems first started. I'm using Windows 95 on a Hewlett Packard Pavilion. If you need to know something else just ask. Thanks in advance for your help.
Try going to Add Remove Programs/Windows Setup/Multimedia and remove the Sound Recorder. Exit out of everything and reboot. Go back and add the Sound Recorder back in.
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If #1 doesn't fix it then go to "Find/Files or Folders" and search for *.wav
Hopefully you will find quite a few. Do these work when you double click on them?
This will help narrow down the problem.
Derek
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Step #1 (removing, restarting, and then reinstalling) appears to have done nothing. When I double click the .wav files I get the error message "Another application is playing audio. You can either interrupt the application or wait until it is done. Then try using Sound Recorder again." That's news to me. How do I find out which application is doing that and how do I stop it? Or is there something else?
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Searched Google. found question no good answers. What is really annoying is that about 8 years ago I had this self same thing on W95 and cured it. Have tried hard but it just refuses to come back to me.
I'll keep thinking but in the meantime have you got any other devices that can play audio, such as RealPlayer or Media player. One of these may be ticked to somewhere to play .wav files and they are conflicting.
It was either something to do with these or it was busy in DOS and I had to fiddle with the sound card settings.
Let me know all you can, maybe my memory will suddenly get jogged. The times it's "nearly" come back to me......it's so frustrating.
Derek
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Still can't remember....oh dear
I just reproduced the screen you are getting by playing a .wav file in media player, then starting sound recorder and attempting to play another .wav file from there.
Might be worth pressing keys Ctrl-Alt-Del together to see if there is any sound player listed as already running (since Windows presumably thinks there is).
I feel certain that this "Another application..." message is the root of the problem.
Derek
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Yet more ideas.
You mentioned Utopia. Now I'm pretty rusty on W95 but I seem to recall that it's one of several sound scheme options. I assume you want this.
IF you have your W95 CD you can take these sound schemes in and out from Control Panel/Add-Remove/Windows Setup/ then Multimedia (I think).
It may be worth removing Utopia (and maybe any other scheme, leaving just sound recorder) "then rebooting" to see if any of this is upsetting the applecart. If you have the CD you can soon put it/them back if necessary/required.
If you have more than one sounds scheme perhaps this is confusing the poor thing.
Even taking sound recorder out, re-booting, putting it back may do something if it's gone wonky.
Gee I wish I could remember this one ...
Derek
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I don't have a Windows 95 CD, so I'm afraid that's out of the question. I do have a version of realplayer, but I downloaded it without thinking so it's not compatible with Windows 95. I can see realplay on the Ctrl Alt Del Screen, so I guess I might as well uninstall it since it's worthless to me, right?
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Well yes sure. If you don't want RealPlayer there's no harm uninstalling it. Whether it helps or not remains to be seen but I can say for certain that it is notorious at trying to take over everything possible. Reboot afterwards.
Not much chance of me remembering what it was I did so long ago, especially since in my own area of the UK it is now 35.9 F
Seems odd that RealPlayer is showing in Ctrl-Alt-Del when you are not actually using it, so there's a chance it's the culprit (especially if it was not intended for W95).
Fingers crossed here!
Derek
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Dang! I thought RealPlayer was messing it up too, but there's still no sound. At least I got to free up some drive space. I doubt this helps, but I can still here the modem dialing, screeching, etc. Here's hoping someone can help me out!
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I hate to give up, especially when I know I fixed this somehow at one time.
Your post is now off the first page so I doubt anyone else will look at it. I think you should repost it again, making sure you mention "the error message when you double click a file", "Utopia", and "the lack of a CD".
Some parting shots though. Go to:
Start/Settings/Folder Options/File Types.
Click on anything that looks like it's to do with sound and see if .wav appears (down the bottom) against more than one file type entry. If it does then one of them is probably wrong so post back.If you see anything about Real Player or Real Networks on the way through then rip it out. It can leave stuff around.
I assume nothing useful is now showing in Ctrl-Alt-Del.
Oh yes (important), I assume you are still getting the same error message when you double click a .wav and not anything different?
I'll keep this link for a while just in case you want to pop back. It's just that I don't think I'm helping much.
Still stinking hot here.
Good luck
Derek
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I have nothing called Folder Options in my Settings. I did find something that could be extremely helpful to you. (It means absolutely nothing to me) When I go to Start/Settings/Control Panel and then double click Multimedia, I get a blank screen with the heading Multimedia devices. Now this is just me thinking off the top of my head, but shouldn't there be at least one Multimedia device there?
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I'm on W98 so maybe that Folder Option isn't there in W95. Go to Windows Explorer then View (at the top). See if it is listed there.
In Devices it should show a whole stack of drivers. Does it say Multimedia Drivers, if so it should list the drivers if you double click it. I'll have access to a W95 m/c later on so I will compare notes and pop back just in case W98 is different.
Is your sound CD still playing?
Derek
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.... more.
Perhaps even more important, go to Control Panel/System/Device Manager then "Sound Video & Game Controllers". You should find your soundcard there (Sound Blaster or whatever).
Anything strange there, particularly yellow question marks or anything that says something is not working properly?
Derek
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I've had a look at a very basic W95 m/c.
To see what programs the file type .wav is associated with you have to go:
Windows Explorer/View/Options/File Types.
It would be interesting to see if .wav appears under more than one heading. On the m/c I looked at .wav opens with "Wave Sound", better known as Sound Recorder (sndrec32.exe). The icon is a yellow speaker symbol.When I go to CP/Multimedia it shows 5 tabs in a window called Multimedia Properties. The tabs are Audio, Video, Midi, CD Music, and Devices. In the Audio tab you should your preferred audio device (out and in - probably Sound Blaster). If the "show tray icon" entry is ticked there should be a speaker icon in the system tray next to the clock - easier for us if you have this. If you look in the Devices tab there might be several items listed under Audio Drivers. At the very least you should have Audio Devices (yellow speaker icon) and within this you should find Sound Blaster or whatever soundcard you are using.
If this panel is completely empty then I could send you a replacement mmsys.cpl file for W95. If so do a "Find" for this and let me know it's date and size (I'm hoping it's 11th July 95 and 185KB). Even if this is not causing your lack of sound it is not letting us take a proper look at it.
Also have a look at:
CP/System/Device Manager/Sound....
as previously stated.Let me know what you find, whether the CD still works and if you still get the same old "in use" message when you double click a .wav file.
Derek
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I couldn't use your first couple suggestions, but your last reply was 100% compliant with my PC. This is the only wav thing I found in Windows Explorer
Extension: WAV
Content Type (MIME): audio/wav
Opens with: MPLAYER2
When I go to Multimedia I only have one tab titled Advanced and it's completely empty. And my mmsys.cpl seems to disagree with yours.
Size: 189KB
Modified: 8/24/96 11:11 AM
All .wavs still claim to be damaged or not a valid sound file and I'm listening to The Beatles on my computer right now. I've got the feeling you're on to something here!
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