No system sounds

After selecting a scheme and applying it, click on one of the sound events with a speaker icon next to it. Click the little play button to preview the sound and see if it will play now. If there aren't any speaker icons, the scheme is messed up and contains no sounds. If the sounds ARE configured there but won't play, check to see if the actual media file is present. Try playing the various configured sounds through another player.

If everything's in order in the sound config dialog but it won't play, maybe the Windows Audio service is disabled. (And your player program might not use this service to play stuff....) Run services.msc and make sure the Windows Audio service is set to automatic.

Thank you Joe, but so far to no avail.
The sound events all play through the speakers loud and clear when the speaker icon is clicked. The audio service is set to automatic and shows "started". The media file is difinitely present and all the files play their various sounds when clicked. I have made several new schemes and the result is always the same, the sounds play when the speaker icon is clicked but no sounds emanate when they should during normal operation of the computer.

See if these help?

262256 - No Sound Events Are Played

Sound Problem..
thread779-384988

Lost Your Ding?

Still no event sounds.

Thanks for trying, anyone else have any ideas?

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Sound Events.

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

321735 - The Startup Sound Is Not Played Correctly When You Start Windows


HOW TO: Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP

What kind of sound card is it? Have the latest drivers been applied?

Kelly Theriot notes:

Startup Sounds are missing:

TweakUI/General/Beep on errors (verify that the box is checked).
Restore Startup and Shutdown Sounds (Line 211)

[b[System Sounds are missing: [/b]

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key: HKEY_USERS. If it doesn't have a Data entry in the right pane that reads: (value not set), double click (Default) and delete it. If it does, check your HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21 keys for the same.

Restore System Default Sounds (Line 6)

Restore Media Files (Line 174)

This edit corrects many Sound issues: Fix the Ding.wav File (Line 6)

Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP

Kelly Theriot notes:

Startup Sounds are missing:

TweakUI/General/Beep on errors (verify that the box is checked).

Restore Startup and Shutdown Sounds (Line 211)

[b[System Sounds are missing: [/b]

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key: HKEY_USERS. If it doesn't have a Data entry in the right pane that reads: (value not set), double click (Default) and delete it. If it does, check your HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21 keys for the same.

Restore System Default Sounds (Line 6)

Restore Media Files (Line 174)

This edit corrects many Sound issues: Fix the Ding.wav File (Line 6)

Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP

The problem has been solved!

I tried everything suggested above without correcting the problem, but learned quite a bit from the experience. I wasn't aware of Kelly's Korner and am glad to have learned of its existence.

I have a recording program, "Total Recorder" that I often use to record streaming music and some of my telephone conversations. It has a setting that will turn off system sounds. This setting was not activated until I upgraded the program, apparently the setting was activated with the upgrade.

I didn't discover the lack of system sounds right away because I normally don't turn on my speakers unless I want to listen to something.

My thanks to all for your very able assistance, even though the suggestions didn't lead directly to the solving of the problem, they were educational. Again, I thank all of you.

Hogan