Sound effects and speech problem

[Scorpius]

I have a problem that i am unable to fix.

My sound effects and voices refuse to play, yet music and ambience sounds like engines, bullet velocity sounds, aircraft sounds, chronometre sounds etc. But i do not hear explosions, gunfire, any kind of voices or torpedo sounds.

I have tried doing a full reinstall and attempted to play with a clean 1.4b install but its always the same.

If its something to do with windows media player, like i guess it would be, i am also having trouble installing that. Since SH3 uses ogg files, i downloaded about 3 different variations of the codec but still no sound effects or voices.

When i finish installing SH3 or if i try to install a brand new copy of windows media player, i get the following error message.

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/2025/wmp9vb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Since i know this must be related to the sound problem, can anyone tell me how to install windows media player and bypass this problem?

[JScones]

Did you install the WMP 9 codec when you installed SH3? It's a selectable option.

[Scorpius]

"When i finish installing SH3 or if i try to install a brand new copy of windows media player, i get the following error message."

I get that upon successful installation of SH3 or if i install it from the dvd manually. I also get it if i try and install windows media player.

[JScones]

Well, that's a very vague way of saying that yes you also ensured that the WMP9 codec was selected and installed as part of the SH3 installation process.

Read http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/mediaadvice/0073.mspx . It should solve your problem.

The other alternative is to view the further details at the Microsoft web page like the error message suggests (although it may only lead you to the above page).

[SeaSpectre]

I have different sorts of sound problems.... Various sound effects will come and go. At the start of a patrol, I will hear my crew saying things to me, and I will hear the noise of the diesel engines. Then, some times (not all the time) the sound of my crew's voices will stop. But I'll still hear everything else. Or I'll no longer hear the sound of the diesels. Sometimes the noise from firing the torpedos will stop. But it's all intermittent.

Very weird. :(

[Scorpius]

Well, that's a very vague way of saying that yes you also ensured that the WMP9 codec was selected and installed as part of the SH3 installation process.

Read http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/mediaadvice/0073.mspx . It should solve your problem.

The other alternative is to view the further details at the Microsoft web page like the error message suggests (although it may only lead you to the above page).

Yes i have it selected but when it attempts to install after successful completion of the installation of the game, it puts that error message on the screen. When i try to install it manually afterwards from the DVD i get the same results. The same thing happens if i try to install windows media player full.

And yes i have visited that useless site that microsoft have on their site. As usual they totally miss the problem altogether.

Anyway, back on topic, why can i not install the codecs either from the SH3 installation or from manually running the executable from the DVD? And why can i not install windows media player?

And more to the point, is there a way to force it to install windows media player/the codecs anyway?

Oh and something i dont understand. If its a ogg codec problem, then why does the music play in the menu system and in the game, when its encoded in ogg as well as the speech?

That little snippet of information has confounded me entirely.

[JScones]

Did you try the solution recommended by Microsoft at the link I posted above, viz running the system file checker? The outlined Q&A is quite specific to your problem.

[Scorpius]

I hope this helps somewhat.

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/9476/sfc8yp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[JScones]

You running a firewall? If so turn it off and try again.

I know Windows Firewall (used to) block RPC communication by default.

[Scorpius]

No effect.

[JScones]

Seems like you have more fundamental problems than just missing sound!

Here's Microsoft's suggestion... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296241#appliesto

Yes, it states Windows 2000 but it equally applies to XP.

[Scorpius]

Well it states i need another 'puta to be able to follow the steps. So therefire i am at a loss.

[JScones]

Yes, but you can at least follow the first set of steps to determine whether it *is* the cause. At least then if not you can move on to something else (although I don't really know what else to move on to).

If you find it is the cause and you can't track down another computer...well...you may need to considering repairing your XP installation.

[Scorpius]

Or i just reinstall... again.

[JScones]

I was pondering writing that...but I thought the repair option may be a tad less drastic (and easier to swallow).

But yeah, ultimately you may have no other option.

[Cdre Gibs]

Let me take a wild stab in the dark here, is it an onboard sound card ?

Some onboards have a shocking habit of not being able to run the latest and greatest bits an bobs. IF (an thats a big if) it is onboard and your still having issues I'd suggest grabing a SB Live value SC as a minimum. It will be a lot more user friendly thats for sure. If its not onboard then forget all the above. ;)

[Scorpius]

I reinstall on a monthly basis. Its just that i only reinstalled 2 weeks prior. :damn:

And yes it is an onboard soundcard with the latest drives. My actual sound card died just recently and i havent got around to getting a new one. Whats that sound card worth these days here in aus?

(oh and yeah i know all about onboard sound cards. Normally i would avoid them like the plague but with so much going on at TAFE with my double course and all... its getting a bit hectic.

[JScones]

I'd go the Audigy as a base card - it's what I got. $50.

Curiously, what do you do to your machine that requires monthly reinstallation???

[Scorpius]

Trust me. You dont wanna know.

Oh and i dont do it out of need. Think of it as washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. To me its just maintenance.