System sound OK but no others

I use many apps that use sounds: Quicken etc. I get the systems sounds when I boot, and system error sounds but no others. No CDs, no sounds that are derived from my sound wave files.

The XP sounds are OK therefore my speakers are all OK. I checked to see if mute was selected for anything.

I think my sound card is on the motherboard.

If that is the problem, if I want to install a PCI sound card, will my system automatically disable the former sound drivers. That would be last resort since I would rather use the sound adapter and ddrivers that came with my system.

 

tenbob,

It sounds like you're getting beeps from the motherboard speaker, not from the sound card. However,

that seems contradictory. What XP sounds do you hear?

Has the sound card ever worked? What computer are you discussing? How old?

The simplest test for a sound card is to go to control panel, sound, and click on a sound that has a speaker icon next to it. Watch the play icon on the lower right and if it remains greyed out that means your sound card is not properly installed and you need to install the drivers for it that came with it or the computer.

 

Yes, the sounds used to be fine. I have applied many different wave files to different actions in various apps.

As for the control panel/sound suggestion. When I click on anyof them I get the default sound and the message that "Windows cannot play that sound. The sound card may be in use "

 

Suggest you look at sound in device manager to see if all's well there, and also check modem for the same. BTW, you haven't installed a modem recently? Modem sound chips sometimes use the same drivers and/or IRQs.

Also check the cables to the speakers.

Let us know what you find, please.

Check your bios for an item that disables the onboard sound, and if present there's no problem installing a pci card.