Member Avatar for NotThereAnymore

Hi, I'm DaMoogle and I'm here with an odd problem. Today, Windows Update got some updates for Excel 2003, IE7, and Outlook. I've tried to download them multiple times, but they will not install properly. In fact, when I clicked install, the yellow icon disappeared from the taskbar (i.e it did not hide itself), but the computer appeared normal until I clicked on volume control. Then, I got a message saying "There are no active mixer devices available." I got this message in the past, so I simply restarted the computer. Everything worked fine, but somehow Windows XP forgot that I already tried to install the updates. So I tried two more times, but on the third time something really weird happened. I went through the usual steps(install, wait, check volume control), but this time I was on Youtube while using Firefox. I wanted to adjust the volume settings, so I went to Volume Control and got the "no active mixer devices" message, yet my laptop volume settings worked (i.e the external volume buttons on the keyboard) and I still got sound from the sound card. This has never happened to me before. So, how can I install the updates without messing up Volume Control?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by bluepeas510

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Short summary and a focused troubleshooting plan based on the thread: the "There are no active mixer devices available" message usually means Windows no longer has a usable audio mixer because the audio driver was removed/corrupted or the Windows Audio service (the mixer host) is not running. That matches many Windows XP-era reports of the same symptom and explains why keyboard volume buttons or the physical speaker still work while the Volume Control UI shows the error. (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical, non-destructive sequence to try (quickest first):

  • Verify the Windows Audio service is running and set to Automatic; a stopped service can produce the exact error.
  • Check Device Manager for the audio device and any yellow exclamation marks; if the device is missing or shows errors, the mixer will not appear.
  • If the problem began after Windows Update, undo that change (System Restore or uninstall the update) and then reinstall a known-good audio driver. If Roll Back fixes sound (as reported by others in this thread) it confirms a bad driver update.
  • Prefer the laptop/OEM (Gateway) audio package rather than the generic Microsoft/Windows Update driver — OEM packages are tuned for the hardware and often resolve mixer/ID issues. (learn.microsoft.com)

If Windows keeps reinstalling the problematic driver, stop the automatic replacement: switch Automatic Updates to manual while you test, or use Microsoft's "Show or hide updates" troubleshooting tool to block a specific driver update so you can install the OEM driver and verify stability first. Keep a backup of the working driver and create a restore point before applying updates. If a fast temporary fix is needed, a cheap USB audio adapter will restore output while troubleshooting. (woshub.com)

Notes tied to this thread: was right to suggest reinstalling drivers; ’s rollback trick often helps but can revert after reboot if Windows re-applies an update; ’s idea of toggling update behavior is a good mitigation while you install the OEM driver. Use the Gateway support pages for your exact model to download the correct audio package. (gatewayusa.zendesk.com)

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for Nick Evan

So, how can I install the updates without messing up Volume Control?

Try reinstalling the soundcarddrivers after you've done the windowsupdates.

Edited by Nick Evan because: n/a
Member Avatar for NotThereAnymore

Try reinstalling the soundcarddrivers after you've done the windowsupdates.

So if I have a Gatway laptop, how can I reinstall the drivers?

Edited by Nick Evan because: n/a
Member Avatar for dcc

Thanks to M$ and their releasing IE7 with all of its bugs people are having problems similar to yours. One work around that seems to have worked for others is to switch the updates from automatic to manual, reboot and download updates, change back to automatic update and reboot.

Member Avatar for bluepeas510

thank God I seen your post b/c I've been having the same exact problems which the tech from my anti virus vender couldn't even figure out. I've tried EVERYTHING &
now I cant even take the MS update for my Real AC' 97 Audio driver. Seems alot of ppl r having the same problems.
How I got mines to work temporarily till MS gets a fix is "roll back my driver to last working state", which is another way to also reinstall drivers. This is for Windows XP

How to Roll Back to the Previous Version of a Device Driver

Device Driver Roll Back reinstalls the driver you were using previously and restores any driver settings that were changed when you added the new driver. Note that you cannot restore printer drivers with Device Driver Roll Back. To roll back a device driver to a previous version: 1. Log on to the computer by using an account with administrative privileges.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Under Pick a category, click Performance and Maintenance.
4. Under or pick a Control Panel icon, click System.
5. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
6. In the device list, expand the device type branch that you want to work with. For example, Display adapters.
7. Right-click the device that you want to work with, and then click Properties.
8. On the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver. Click Yes when you receive the following message:
Are you sure you would like to roll back to the previous driver?
9. The previous device driver is restored. Click Close.
10. Quit Device Manager, and then click OK.

Member Avatar for bluepeas510

...oops forgot to mention that it works till I reboot, then the stupid problem comes back. I use it to hear my music. Hopefully MS comes out w/ a fix but the tech gave me a num to 'supposedly' free help from MS tech (the first call) 1-800-936-5700 and 1-800-642-7676

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