How to Repair an Audio Card Driver in Windows XP

Audio cards are comprised of circuit boards and connections.

Your audio card, or sound card, is a board of circuits and connections which regulates audio on your personal computer, including listening to MP3 media and chatting on a microphone through instant messenger. Audio card hardware uses what is called a "driver" to communicate and integrate with operating systems. Drivers undergo regular updates to stay compatible with newer technologies, similar to how your overall Windows XP operating system updates. At times, however, these audio card driver updates can have adverse effects and Windows XP has a feature called "Roll Back Driver" to help make repairs.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Windows XP

Instructions

1. Bring up the "Start Menu" by clicking the "Start" button. Click on the "Control Panel" and select "Sounds and Audio Devices."

2. In the "Sounds and Audio Devices" properties window, ensure the first tab, "Volume," is selected. Take note of the audio card name labeled to the right of the icon resembling a "speaker." For example, "Realtek High Definition Audio" is a type of audio card and manufacturer.

3. Click the "Hardware" tab in the "Sounds and Audio Devices" properties windows. In the list of "Devices" find the name of the audio card noted previously. Highlight the name and click on the "Properties" button below, bringing up a second window labeled with the audio card's name; for example, "Realtek High Definition Audio Properties."

4. Click the "Driver" tab in the audio card's properties window. Click on "Roll Back Driver" to revert back to the previously installed driver. The instructions that follow are intuitive. Read each confirmation message and await a final message verifying the roll back was successful.

Tips & Warnings

• Try switching Control Panel to "Classic View" instead of "Category View" if you are having trouble finding "Sounds and Audio Devices."

• "Uninstall" is another option available in the audio card "Properties," in addition to "Roll Back Driver." Ensure you have a backup copy of the original driver or know how to download it, before uninstalling.

References

• Webopedia: What is Sound Card?
• Webopedia: What is Driver?
• Microsoft: How to Roll Back a Device Driver

Resources

• Microsoft: Using Control Panel in Windows Classic View
• Realtek