Knowledge Base

DreamWorks: Troubleshooting DirectX issues on ESS Sound Cards

PSS ID Number: 166715

Article Last Modified on 10/6/2003

The information in this article applies to:

This article was previously published under Q166715

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to start one of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, you may experience any of the following symptoms:

  • You may not hear any sounds.

  • Your computer may stop responding (hang).

  • You may receive the following error message:

    Error Initializing Direct Sound

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the sound card installed in you computer is based on an ESS chip set. On certain computers, you must configure additional settings for an ESS-based sound card.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods.

Install the Latest Version of the Compaq Sound Drivers

If an ESS ES1888-based sound card is installed in your Compaq computer, download and install the latest version of the ESS ES1888 sound drivers for DirectX 5.0 from the following Compaq Web site:

http://www.compaq.com

These updated drivers are designed for the following Compaq computer models:

3020 4122 4172 4460 4712 4764 4782 6708
3060 4160 4180 4704 4714 4770 4784 8714
4104 4164 4402 4706 4716 4774 4786 8716
4112 4170 4406 4710 4760 4780 6704 8770

Select Game Compatible Preferred Audio Device

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Multimedia.
  3. On the Audio tab, in the Preferred Device (Playback) box, click Game Compatible.
  4. Click to select the Use Preferred Devices Only check box.
  5. Click OK.
  6. If the issue continues to occur, repeat these steps to click ESS in the Preferred Device (Playback) box.
If the issue continues to occur, contact your hardware manufacturer for additional troubleshooting assistance, and to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound drivers for your sound card.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

158120 DreamWorks: No Sound With ESS Sound Card

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

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