Can't get sound in new soundcard due to device showing as inactive


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Hi!

I bought a ASUS Xonar Essence St, which I thought of using in my PC that runs Windows 8.1 x64.

However, using installing the driver has shown to be a quite hard thing.

So I'd like to ask for help.

 

I have tried to use both the Asus drivers, as well as the alternative Unified drivers.

It seems that the drivers get installed, however the sound icon in the taskbar is indicating that there is no sound, and the troubleshooter returns that the sound device is inactive. However, in the playback devices and the device manager the soundcard exists with drivers, IRQ and everything else.

 

I suspect that this somehow indicates that the drivers don't fully install or that the sound services don't start.

Anyone who knows how to resolve this?

 

 

Would be very highly appreciated.

Have tried to fix this for 2 days now.

 

 

Kind Regards

Regert

Sweden.

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Regert~

 

According to some sites I looked up with regard to your issue .. (as long as its the SAME card I found and assuming you missed the 'X' in the sound card model,  if not  then my apologies for butting in ) as well as issues i have had with my own sound card(s) (Creative) 

 

Quite a few aspects COULD be causing your issue in, no particular order: 

 

-Recommend checking the 4 pin power plug for that card sometimes it doesn't 'contact' correctly. I.E.  lose or  not a full connection. Apparently a 'known' problem. 

 

-As far as the drivers .. either the official drivers(from ASUS) or the unified drivers SHOULD work correctly.  ( I would stick with the official drivers and software) 

 

-The other aspect that was mentioned in my searches is the fact that on-board sound if available (in the BIOS)  might not be disabled if this is the case  try that as well. 

 

- Check the ASUS software for your card  and MAKE SURE  the settings to 'activate'  the sound output channel(s) are set for what you want it to output to .  (This I CAN speak of from experience with my Creative card(s).. whenever I have re done my system(s), since win Win 7,   I have had to 'activate'  the sound output channels within the provided Mfg. software, it then works correctly and IS detected by Windows)  

 

After this is done.. you SHOULDN'T have to have the software running at any other time and can use the regular windows sound selection to do so. 

 

- Incompatibility with Windows 8 in general ( it happens sometimes).

 

My apologies for hitting you with so much info at once .. but .. hope what i gave you helps  :) 

 

Good Luck.

 

LoneWolf

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Regert~

 

According to some sites I looked up with regard to your issue .. (as long as its the SAME card I found and assuming you missed the 'X' in the sound card model,  if not  then my apologies for butting in ) as well as issues i have had with my own sound card(s) (Creative) 

 

.... text

   :)

 

Good Luck.

 

LoneWolf

 

Hi!

Thanks!

Well I tried the cable, both the ASUS drivers and the Unified ones. And both uninstalling and switching of the VIA onboard audio. Nothing helped.

I suspect that it might be that the power is insufficient, since I use the same power cable for 3 HDD, but it should be that bad.

 

Anyway I tested the card in a separate computer where I am testing Win 10 x64. And well, it worked after the first restart with the Unified drivers. Kind of nice. But rather crazy.

 

 

So it's either incompatibility, all the rests (that I have tried to remove) from the Creative card, Focusrite Saffire rest that  I have tried to find and uninstall. Or just general incompatiblity since Windows 8/8.1 seems to be a quite different OS.

 

Not sure how I will do now since the Win 8.1 PC is my main PC. Can be that most of the motherboard (Crosshair IV Formula) drivers are for win 7 x64 since ASUS hasn't bothered with Win 8/8.1.

 

Anyway it sounds good now. :)

 

Cheers.

Regert.

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Regert~

 

Regarding incompatibility with Win 8/8.1  and ASUS ..  

 

It DEPENDS   on the motherboard ..  THEORETICALLY  my Motherboard  .. it's not 'guaranteed compatible' ( ASUS words  directly via voice call and emails ) Win Windows 8/8.1 .. but yet i was able to get it working by adding a a few different components that ARE compatible with Win 8/8.1. :) Also by using Win 7 drivers on SOME components.

 

You said  that you  disabled and re enabled the ON BOARD VIA Sound card .. THAT COULD be part of the problem ..  you MAY have to disable it  entirely in BIOS  AND  enable for .. I believe the setting would for PNP sound..    so there is NOT a conflict between the 2 .. 

 

Once you disable the on board sound in BIOS  .. do as you usually would for installing the INDEPENDENT card .....  AND check your  Device manager to MAKE SURE the on board card is still NOT being detected there .. if it IS  .. DISABLE IT  there as well .. 

 

THEN try with the Asus SOFTWARE ..  that you should be able to get form the site itself .. NOT JUST DRIVERS   but the ENTIRE SOFTWARE PACKAGE FOR YOUR  SOUND CARD ...  

 

Again hope that helps  get ya back in the "audio groove"  with your system  .. even though you said its working now .. but in a different system.  

LoneWolf

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Regert~

 

Regarding incompatibility with Win 8/8.1  and ASUS ..  

 

It DEPENDS   on the motherboard ..  THEORETICALLY  my Motherboard  .. it's not 'guaranteed compatible' ( ASUS words  directly via voice call and emails ) Win Windows 8/8.1 .. but yet i was able to get it working by adding a a few different components that ARE compatible with Win 8/8.1. :) Also by using Win 7 drivers on SOME components.

 

You said  that you  disabled and re enabled the ON BOARD VIA Sound card .. THAT COULD be part of the problem ..  you MAY have to disable it  entirely in BIOS  AND  enable for .. I believe the setting would for PNP sound..    so there is NOT a conflict between the 2 .. 

 

Once you disable the on board sound in BIOS  .. do as you usually would for installing the INDEPENDENT card .....  AND check your  Device manager to MAKE SURE the on board card is still NOT being detected there .. if it IS  .. DISABLE IT  there as well .. 

 

THEN try with the Asus SOFTWARE ..  that you should be able to get form the site itself .. NOT JUST DRIVERS   but the ENTIRE SOFTWARE PACKAGE FOR YOUR  SOUND CARD ...  

 

Again hope that helps  get ya back in the "audio groove"  with your system  .. even though you said its working now .. but in a different system.  

LoneWolf

 

Ah, I see.

I also got a clue to try Daniel K's mod drivers.

So I just as might give it another try.

It will have to wait however to the weekend (work etc). But I'll write an update on how it's going!

Thanks!

 

Kind Regards

/Regert

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Here's what I did to get the card to work in Windows 10.  Instead of downloading the Windows 8.1 driver package, (which is still beta), I used the Windows 8 drivers and everything installed perfectly.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well i solved it.

It seems that somehow (update perhaps or so) a bug registry bug happened. So I had to manually re-add my user.

 

Same as here, but Windows 8.1: http://www.pcgamer.com/the-most-frustrating-windows-7-audio-problem-solved/

 

So I actually both got back the default sound and could later reinstall the ASUS Xonar card.

However, I seem to have still have trouble with the microphone on the Asus. If I view the Recording devices, the soundcard starts to click and the Reecording devices windows hang until I sign out. Also when I change the volume, the soundcard clicks (I read those clicks are protection of some kind).

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