Onboard sound isn't recognized

[stupid_me_tb]

I have a Dell Dimension 4600 with an onboard creative soundblaster live! 5.1 digital sound card. Sounds and Audio devices in the control panel won't recognize my card and it says that no audio device is connected.

I tried downloading new drivers for the card but it won't let me install them because it says I don't have a soundblaster card...but I have gotten drivers for it before and I confirmed with dell's website with my service tag that this is indeed the sound card that the computer came with.

Anyone have any clue what I can do?

[stupid_me_tb]

Also I forgot to mention that this all occured after installing 2 extra gigs of RAM...

[ReRun]

Does the card show up in the device manager?
If the card came with the Dell and you still have the original driver install cd. Try switching pci slots with it, if you installed the drivers at any point it (should) reinstall) if it doesnt reinstall the driver it had try the restore cd driver first.

[stupid_me_tb]

The card is not in the device manager and I don't have the cds that came with the computer, it is a fairly old machine...would it be safe to assume buying a new cheap sound card would fix my problems?

[ReRun]

I would try drivers first before spending any money, the link below has the audio drivers for the soundblaster that came in the 4600 series.http://support.dell.com/support/down...g=en&TabIndex=

[stupid_me_tb]

Thats the main problem, when I try to install those drivers it tells me that I don't have a soundblaster card so it can't continue installing them...

I know I have a soundblaster card but I can't even install the drivers for it

[ReRun]

you tried all the drivers on that page, it list 3 possible cards for your maching, there is a Soundblaster Audigy, Soundblaster Live 5.1 and a Analog Devices onboard sound driver listed on the page. if you have the Audigy there is a urgent patch and the driver file for it, may try installing the urgent patch before installing the driver???

[stupid_me_tb]

None of them work, also I put in my service tag and it gave me the link to the 5.1 live driver...it didn't work. They all come up with the same message saying that there is no soundblaster card on my system...

[stupid_me_tb]

Thanks for your help...I'm not sure what was wrong but I decided to dismantle the computer and when I put the sound card back in it decided to start working.

Again thank you so much