This was an error I found on my computer that I did a search on the web for a quick and easy fix for. I found this forum that had my error and symptoms, but found no one had a solution. The thread was closed because the original poster had not responded to the posts in over a year, even though it sparked a lively discussion with others saying they had same problem (at which Daniweb admins kept scoffing! I say LET THEM POST! Even if they don't have an answer, knowing that others have the same issue and finding out how it was caused in each case can be very good and help toward a solution!). I thought that was @$$ and was what made me join this forum, to give those having this problem the answer they deserved and not the closed thread they got in return. Whataloadacrap.

Background: This error occurs after trying to uninstall the updated (and overrated) C-Media WDM Audio Driver for onboard sound that appears after upgrading to XP SP2 and/or going to WindowsUpdate. Likely the driver didn't work, so you tried uninstalling the driver and were going to put back the old Realtek AC'97 driver, but couldn't get rid of the updated driver.

To fix: Start, Run, type in "regedit" (no quotes), and delete the cmaudio string from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. This makes it so it will not run on startup and try to find the cpl file that was deleted during the uninstall or not installed correctly by the installer in the first place, whichever your case depending on when you started seeing the error. If your sound was working perfectly before this, you are done. To get your sound working again if it isn't, read on -

While still in the registry editor, click on the top computer icon in the Registry Editor to highlight it (so that it will do a complete search of the registry and not just from your present point forward), do a Find (Ctrl+F) and find and delete all KEYS related to cmaudio and C-Media, not just the string entries, but the KEYS, except for that entry in the Run key I mentioned above, just delete the cmaudio string for that one.

Delete the string "CMCPlus" from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Cpls to get rid of the Control Panel icon, and delete the file it points to that resides in C:\Windows\System32.

Download this remove utility from

http://ekiis.com/Freesoft/binary/remove11.zip

and run the file you find in the zip file - it can be ran without extracting it from the zip. Take out the C-Media Audio Driver line.

-- NOTE: This utility is for taking the name out of the Add/Remove Programs section only, and does not remove it from your computer, but it is very useful for issues like this when we are MANUALLY uninstalling a program to take it out of the Programs list and should work in 98/ME/2000/XP.

Delete these files from the C:\Windows\System32 directory (or "System" directory for Win98)

cmirmdrv.exe
cmirmdrv.dll
cmuda.dll

Delete everything you can readily delete in C:\Temp, C:\WINDOWS\prefetch (XP only), C:\WINDOWS\Temp, and C:\Documents and Settings\%YourName%\Local Settings\Temp (2000 and XP only), so that there will not be any files left for it to try to recover the driver from. You will likely have to leave things that start with hsperfdata_ and Perflib_Perfdata_***.dat files if you find them, but should be able to delete most others without changing attributes.

Now open the Device Manager (Right-click "My Computer", hit "Manage", then find Device Manager in the Computer Management console). Right-click the C-Media WDM driver under Sound, video, and game controllers, hit Uninstall. Then right-click the top computer icon listed there with your hostname beside it, hit "Scan for hardware changes". It should install a generic "Multimedia Audio Controller" instead of the "C-Media WDM Audio Driver", though you might see that C-Media Audio for just an instant before it reverts back to a generic driver (if it stays, you'll have to go back through the registry again, delete the system files again, and do a full search of your hard drive for those files so they don't get re-copied again). From here you can download your specific Realtek AC'97 Audio Driver setup.exe file here or use your motherboard's installation CD to re-install and you should have sound again.

Good luck.

Forgot to mention: Must delete cmuda.dll from C:\Windows\System32\drivers as well. And that was supposed to be Cmcpls in the other post for the "Cpls" section, not CMCPlus - wrote that kinda hurridly, but hopefully you all could figure it out.

Side note --- I have found that on a computer with muliple users with this issue that, when they log in, the C-Media driver kicks in again, and this fix won't work on their side of the fence, though your side that you started all this on and fixed will work fine. You would have to try to find out where the cab file or whatever it downloaded into/as and delete that for this to work, as it's obviously still pulling that C-Media driver from SOMEWHERE - I haven't found it yet, as I thought it would have been in one of those Temp locations - always good to delete those out from time to time, anyway. I don't know if I'll waste my time with it or if I will find it, since it's just me and my wife and it's just her side that's messed up now, and she has her own computer and doesn't log into mine very often . Have some other things SP2 messed up that I think I'm gonna just fix with a re-install rather than taking the weeks to find one cab file that has what I'm looking for, but thought I'd pass on the warning to not expect a complete recovery for other users on the computer, unless someone else has a better answer... Best of luck.

Obviously check to see if cmicnfg.cpl is in C:\Windows\System32 and C:\Windows\LastGood, and delete it if it is. I deleted everything in C:\Windows\System32\ReinstallBackups, but to no avail. Sound is still good on my side, though :-) .

FIXED - for both users! But you guys aren't gonna like it 'cause I think I got real lucky.

OK, made sure all files were deleted and registry entries gone, right? Do the Device Manager "Scan for hardware changes", but I had C:\WINDOWS\System32 open at the same time. Saw it putting in those @#$% C-Media files again - cmuda.dll, cmirmdrv.exe, cmirmdrv.dll. Deleted them as soon as they appeared. C-Media could not finish installing. Left me with what I needed, the generic "Multimedia Audio Driver" with an exclamation point that I wanted. Immediately ran setup.exe for Realtek AC'97, rebooted, and works great.

oh yeah thanks for wasting my file, me deleting that important file, and also thanks for leaving the multiple users part LAST

*******

Important files? They get re-installed when you run the Realtek AC'97 Audio installer.

If you can't get it working under the logon user that had it mess up as, you probably don't have the right Realtek installer - there are multiple types even for this same driver - Device Manager won't show you the difference - I also found that out the hard way. You basically should go to your computer manufacturers site & download the sound driver for your model there. Takes the guess work out of it.

As for that "*******" part, if you were so smart, you'd be posting up things to help people as I am trying to do, instead of insulting those that are just trying to help because you didn't read a post thoroughly. Issues like these that are really in-depth and get into the registry and system file structure should never been done whimsically without reading everything in the post first, so your comment that I conveniently left the multiple user part at the end really shows a lack of good common sense, that you're complaining about it. I didn't find out about that part myself until I posted it, where and when I posted it. Be glad I at least thought to add it.

THANK YOU!

Very thorough answer. I did my usual Patch Tuesday updates and when done, NO SOUND!

AARGH.

got it working again by rolling back driver in device manager but this error lingered on every boot up since then.

I'm sure your vigilance has helpa number of people, Thanks.

I'm glad to hear I helped someone out, and for the good comments. I'm just glad, as well, that I was able to get it working again for myself! Of course it's always good to share the wealth. Keep up the good fight. Tom

I have spent 2 days trying to remove this error from my computer. :mad: I have followed all details as above remove all registry files <cmcpls>,<c-media>,<cmaudio> and all system files cmirmdrv,cmuda. Unistalled all software from the add remove program. I have carried out searches on system for any programs left on the system called Realtek,C-audio,c-media,advace 97 and the search comes back all clear. Cleared all temp folders.I restart computer then the error shows up again.
What is causing this nusiance error to come up? PLS HELP!!!!