Realtek ALC888 on ASRock 775Dual-VSTA not working...

[sdsumike619]

For the life of me, I cannot get my sound to work! I enabled the onboard sound in the bios, installed the latest driver from realtek. Installation appeared to be successful, rebooted, no audio drivers in the device manager Any ideas?

[redwudz]

I've never ran into that problem. Have you went to ASRock and made sure you have their latest audio drivers? My only guess is a bad/corrupted driver file. If you have the latest, maybe try an older driver. If you are only using the ones from Realtek's site, ASRock may be different. Just guessing at this, though.

And do you mean the 'Sound, video and game controllers' has no audio drivers of any kind? Usually the OS has some of it's own. Or are just the Realtek drivers missing?

[ofbarea]

Try uploading Bios 1.80 then re-install the drivers. You are using XP SP2, right?

[sdsumike619]

Yeah it has some drivers but not the ones I want, it has things like "legacy audio driver" but still "no sound device" when you go to the audio setup in control panel, etc.. I downloaded the latest everything for the motherboard, and actually downloaded the latest drivers straight from Realtek. I'm going to call ASRock tomorrow..

I could do the bios update but I always worry about messing with that kind of stuff... Is it pretty fool proof? I don't want to @#% up the works..

[ofbarea]

Hi, I have an ASRock 775Dual-880Pro (same Via chipset) and I remember that at one point in time, after upgrading from BIOS from one version to another, something changes and all my devices were re-recognized.

I think version 1.80 of you BIOS will add some memory configuration tweaks. So I think this is a good one to do. Besides, it may help on the devices recognition as it did with mine.

[lordsmurf]

I have to be an ass now, I cannot resist.

I TOLD YOU SO! Using VIA is playing with fire. This is only the first of many problems you can expect to have.

All I can say is good luck! Any money you saved on the cheaper board will be made up for in time trying to make the damned thing work correctly.

[Jester700]

...and the Intel based ASRock 775i65g is $10 cheaper. The only issues are 2 DIMM slots and the need to disable onboard video. I'm confused as to why you chose the VIA board.

[sdsumike619]

I just updated the bios to 1.8, no such luck with the audio.. I called them and the tech told me to take out the motherboard and test because there could be an "out of place" brass fastener for the mobo that is touching the board underneath...Man, I don't want to take this thing apart.. I think I have a PCI soundcard laying around somewhere I can use... The system is working quite well with the exception of the sound though..

Any other suggestions to try?

[lordsmurf]

You'd be wise to not use on-board sound anyway. Just cross your fingers and pray this is the only VIA issue you run across.

[sdsumike619]

I know, I've been warned... It's working ok though

[sdsumike619]

I went ahead and put that old PCI soundcard in, it's not 7.1 but I don't even do anything that requires that anyways so I don't see it as a big loss.. the card works perfectly.

[ofbarea]

By the way, did you try using the latest Via Chipsets drivers?

http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=2&OSID=1

[sdsumike619]

I sure did, thanks for the suggestion though

[ofbarea]

Hi,

I just noticed that ASRock has a new firmware (1.90) for your board that fixes some audio problem for Windows Vista. This firmware may help you with the audio problem.

http://www.asrock.com/support/download.asp?Model=775Dual-VSTA#bios

[sdsumike619]

Is the bios update for XP or just Vista? I already updated to 1.80... (I'm using XP, not Visa)

[ofbarea]

ASRock web page does not say much about this. But Either WIndows or XP, they changed something in the audio PCI configuration.

[sdsumike619]

naturally lol

[jkirzec]

Any solution to the "no audio device" problem.

I have the identical problem my my ASROCK 775DUAL-VSTA motherboard I just bought.

All else is fine.

[ofbarea]

As an user of another ASRock Via based mobo, try the following:

1. update the BIOS to the latest version
2. Update Via drivers www.viaarena.com
3. Reset your BIOS parameters and make sure that you have plung and Play OS and enable Adio.
4. Try reinstalling Audio drivers. Use the ones from ASRock web page and the ones from Realtek web page

If this does not work try a PCI sound card.

[jkirzec]

Thanks! Somehow between downloading and installing the newest VIA drivers and newest Realtek drivers and changing te address for audio in the BIOS setup, things started to work!

I never cease to be amazed ... at the value of persistance.

[sdsumike619]

It doesn't work; I had to install a PCI card a long time ago