PCI Multimedia Audio Device

My e-machines 1.1 ghz Intel Celeron computer with windows 98SE is
giving me a heartburn.

A few days ago, when I turned on the computer I got the following message: "Found PCI Multimedia Audio Device, Do you want to install it? "
I clicked on "Cancel" and the computer worked fine as I am not running any
video, games or music on my computer.

Ultimately one day I decided to install it and so I pressed "Install ".
As usual it gave me locations to select from such as WindowsSE CDROM.
I inserted the CD, but the hardware could not find the proper software.
I used your bulletin board for help and found the Realtek site to download the
drivers from.It was a zip file and after expanding it, it settled in Windows/temporary folder. Next time I rebooted and pressed "Install ", it
found the files in the temporary directory and installed the device as
Realtek AC97 Audio device. So far so good. Everything worked fine until
I rebooted. I received a few types of error messages. One of them was
"Startup error 0251: System CMOS checksum bad, Default configuration
used. Press <Del> to setup or <F2> to resume.

I pressed F2 and I got another message "Exception 0E has occured @
0028:C001545A in VXD____. This was called from 0028:C0058C25 in
VXD____. It may be possible to continue normally. After a few Cont-Alt-Del
tries it allowed me to start in SAFE mode.
I went into Device Manager and removed Realtek AC97 device and restarted.
Again it would ask me if want to install PCI Multimedia Audio Device.
I said Cancel. It installed the drivers from Windows/temporary directory
an how, but the computer started to work fine until I rebooted again.
Then the whole cycle would be repeated.

This creates a lot of aggravation. Is it possible to solve this problem or
is there a way that I can permanently disable this device using BIOS or
any thing else?
Any help will be highly appreciated.

gulabg

 

Hello gulabg and wlcome to the Board

Try the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

If PCI Multimedia Audio Device install is on the list that the utility presents, then make sure you highlight that line only for removal.

Regards - Charles

 

I would probably guess that the AC97 drivers are the wrong ones or the Emachine uses a modified version.

You could look through the CMOS/BIOS settings. Start tapping the Del key when you see the first startup screen (after the keyboard LED comes on or flashes). There may be a setting to disable the onboard audio, but you may need to search through the sub-menus. Edit: if you change the setting you will need to "save" as you exit.

If you have the drivers CD that came with the computer, the correct audio drivers should be on that.

Have you tried the website?
http://www.emachines.com/support/product_support.html
Edit: A good site:
http://www.emachine-upgraders.info/dir1/support/driver_downloads.shtml
(homepage)http://www.emachine-upgraders.info/

If all else fails, try disabling the hardware in Windows. It is at the bottom of the box where you "removed" the drivers in Device Manager.

Matt
Another edit: In Safe Mode -> Device Manager, uninstall/remove everything listed under the Sound, Video and Game Controllers heading if you are trying to install a different set of drivers

 

I should lay off the Edit button, I might break it .

Check through the files that were put into the Windows\Temp folder if there is a Setup or Install executable (.exe), double-click it. Also check for a "readme" text or doc file for instructions.

Matt

 

Many thanks to every one, who responded to my earlier post.

I did go to windows Installer clean utility, but I could not find any thing that
would help me uninstall th Multimedia device. It has similiar function as
Add/remove option in Control panel.

I contacted emachines thru their CHAT support. One tech support told me to
uninstall Realtek by using Device manager. Get new drivers from their web site
and install those drivers. The drivers that site provided were Soundmax drivers.
I expanded them and inserted them in Windows/temprorary folder and removed
Realtek drivers from the same folder.

When rebooted, again it said " Found Realtek AC97 Audio device " and then
"Installing the device" came on. So Realtek device was installed again.

This time I believe that it found Realtek drivers in Windows\inf directory.

When I contacted emachines, I got another tech support person.
He informed me that emachines sound card, which is integrated into the
motherboard can only use XP operating system and as I was using 98SE,
it was incompatible. If I wanted a sound card with windows 98SE, I would
have to get another card. Even thogh I explained to him that I had been
using windows 98SE on this computer for at least 2 years, it did not seem
to matter to him.

It was time to disable the sound board. He told me to go into BIOS and
go into advanced>peripherals>Audio device and disable it. I did that.
Now the computer starts without finding any Audio device.

Again, many thanks to all you guys/girls for volunteering your services and
helping out many computer challenged persons like myself. I wish that I
was as smart and be able to join in your endeavor.

Best regards,
Gulab

P.S.: It still intrigues me how 1. A sound card would only work with XP
operating system? 2. How did the computer go from " Finding PCI multimedia
Audio" to "Finding Realtek AC97 audio "?
Does any one have an answer to this?

 

Sounds very similar to StanP's situation. You may want to try the drivers he suggests
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=56932
if you would like to try getting it going.

I suggest going into Safe Mode, remove any listings for audio hardware in Add/Remove Programs (there will be a listing for AC97 if you ran the driver installation program), otherwise go to Device Manager and remove everything under the Sound, Video and Game Controllers heading as I said before. When you boot back into Windows and the hardware wizard runs, click Cancel. When you get to the desktop, run the installation program for those drivers that you downloaded.

1. It depends on whether the manufacturer makes/supplies drivers for a particular operating system.
2. You gave Windows the .inf file (driver setup information) for the AC97 drivers and it thinks it is a very close match. The hardware sounds like a close derivative of the AC97 audio system. Why the drivers don't work?...probably because a file is the wrong version (that's why you need to try and remove all the old driver files completely before trying to install new ones).

Matt

 

Thanks Matt,

I do not the audio and video portion of the computer any how. My computer is used only for business, so I am not missing anything by removing the audio device thru BIOS. Otherwise I may try to find Soundmax drivers for 98SE operating system and try to install them.

Again many thanks for your help.

Best regards,
Gulab Gidwani