Just wondering whether anyone had found a workaround for Conexant drivers yet? [Windows Update]

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From: PA Bear [MS MVP] on 12 Apr 2010 13:35

myfathersson wrote:
>>>>> Is there a newer version of the Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 driver
>>>>> which works yet? (II am using XP home). Sound worked until I installed
>>>>> some Windows Update a year or more ago.
>>
>>>>> I have a dreaded Gateway MX6025 and after a certain time every
>>>>> WindowsUpdate which I checked reports as a side effect that 'this
>>>>> update will screw up Conexant drivers and your sound wont work' After
>>>>> that every update I have tried to the Conexant or AC97 driver has
>>>>> failed to cure this WindowsUpdate issue.
>>
>>>>> Gateway is disinterested in assisting with a driver which a Windows
>>>>> Update has screwed up: Does anyone know if Microsoft has any
>>>>> workaround yet please?
>>
>>>> Roll back the driver. Then get any /needed/ driver updates only from
>>>> the
>>>> device or computer manufacturers' download page, NOT Windows Update.
>>
>>> Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 IS the driver on the manufacturer's site
>>> which is screwed up by the WU
>>
>> Then roll back the driver and don't install the updated version again.
>
> I kinda know not to install a driver which doesnt work or which causes
> an exclamation mark in Device Manager. Trouble is that there is
> nothing to roll back to: This is the 2006 driver which came with the
> original software. Gateway has the updated one to make users feel they
> are doing somehthing but apparently they wont believe that the new
> driver wont work and if you insist on telling them, they just refer
> you to Conexant BECAUSE THEY KNOW that Conexant doesnt have any
> customer support. The original driver was a Conexant one called an
> AC97 which is screwed up by some Microsoft security update. This is
> why Gateway wont help. WU screwed up the sound. Apparently it WAS
> possible to get sound to work with some driver or other but even that
> one was screwed up by the next Security update which also said 'there
> is a problem with this update and Conexant sound drivers'

I expect you should be able to extract the original driver version from one
of the Gateway disks that came with the computer when you bought it.

PS: Is WinXP SP3 installed? What anti-virus application or security suite
is installed and is your subscription current? Has a(another) Norton or
McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e.g., a free-trial
version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?

From: myfathersson on 12 Apr 2010 22:10

On Apr 12, 8:07 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]" <ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
wrote:
> PA Bear,
>
> I believe the OP is saying that the original driver no longer works, apparently
> as a side-effect of a (non-driver) update to Windows XP.
>
> myfathersson: do you know which update causes the problem? It's a bit difficult
> to advise without more information about the issue.
>
> Harry.
>
> On 2010-04-13 5:35 a.m., PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>
>
>
> > myfathersson wrote:
> >>>>>> Is there a newer version of the Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 driver
> >>>>>> which works yet? (II am using XP home). Sound worked until I
> >>>>>> installed
> >>>>>> some Windows Update a year or more ago.
>
> >>>>>> I have a dreaded Gateway MX6025 and after a certain time every
> >>>>>> WindowsUpdate which I checked reports as a side effect that 'this
> >>>>>> update will screw up Conexant drivers and your sound wont work' After
> >>>>>> that every update I have tried to the Conexant or AC97 driver has
> >>>>>> failed to cure this WindowsUpdate issue.
>
> >>>>>> Gateway is disinterested in assisting with a driver which a Windows
> >>>>>> Update has screwed up: Does anyone know if Microsoft has any
> >>>>>> workaround yet please?
>
> >>>>> Roll back the driver. Then get any /needed/ driver updates only
> >>>>> from the
> >>>>> device or computer manufacturers' download page, NOT Windows Update..
>
> >>>> Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 IS the driver on the manufacturer's site
> >>>> which is screwed up by the WU
>
> >>> Then roll back the driver and don't install the updated version again..
>
> >> I kinda know not to install a driver which doesnt work or which causes
> >> an exclamation mark in Device Manager. Trouble is that there is
> >> nothing to roll back to: This is the 2006 driver which came with the
> >> original software. Gateway has the updated one to make users feel they
> >> are doing somehthing but apparently they wont believe that the new
> >> driver wont work and if you insist on telling them, they just refer
> >> you to Conexant BECAUSE THEY KNOW that Conexant doesnt have any
> >> customer support. The original driver was a Conexant one called an
> >> AC97 which is screwed up by some Microsoft security update. This is
> >> why Gateway wont help. WU screwed up the sound. Apparently it WAS
> >> possible to get sound to work with some driver or other but even that
> >> one was screwed up by the next Security update which also said 'there
> >> is a problem with this update and Conexant sound drivers'
>
> > I expect you should be able to extract the original driver version from
> > one of the Gateway disks that came with the computer when you bought it..
>
> > PS: Is WinXP SP3 installed? What anti-virus application or security
> > suite is installed and is your subscription current? Has a(another)
> > Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e.g.,
> > a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?
>
> --
> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com

Thanks Harry but you have correctly identified this problem and this
happened over a year ago, possibly two: (some Inernet reports say that
this problem goes back at least to May 2007!) At that time I checked
and found that after sound went out, every subsequent KB update had a
problem with Conexant drivers. I have reinstalled the OS a few times
since this happened and cant now identify which ones they were. And I
have a suspicion that a lot of those updates were rolled up in SP3? In
any event perhaps I am not checking properly but I cant google
"Microsoft update" and "CONEXANT" to see which ones they were.

From: myfathersson on 13 Apr 2010 10:52

On Apr 12, 10:44 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]" <ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
wrote:
> On 2010-04-13 2:10 p.m., myfathersson wrote:
>
> > Thanks Harry but you have correctly identified this problem and this
> > happened over a year ago, possibly two: (some Inernet reports say that
> > this problem goes back at least to May 2007!) At that time I checked
> > and found that after sound went out, every subsequent KB update had a
> > problem with Conexant drivers.
>
> I don't think I understand what you mean by this. Do you mean that an warning
> or error message appears every time you install updates?
>
> > I have reinstalled the OS a few times
> > since this happened and cant now identify which ones they were. And I
> > have a suspicion that a lot of those updates were rolled up in SP3?
>
> I believe there was an update that was included in SP3 which changed the way
> that certain types of audio device were handled by Windows. If this is the
> issue, you may find that sound works if you remove the manufacturer device
> driver altogether and allow Windows to use the default drivers instead. Failing
> that, only a corrected device driver can solve the problem.
>
> Harry.
>
>
>
> > On Apr 12, 8:07 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]"<ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
> > wrote:
> >> PA Bear,
>
> >> I believe the OP is saying that the original driver no longer works, apparently
> >> as a side-effect of a (non-driver) update to Windows XP.
>
> >> myfathersson: do you know which update causes the problem? It's a bit difficult
> >> to advise without more information about the issue.
>
> >> Harry.
>
> >> On 2010-04-13 5:35 a.m., PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>
> >>> myfathersson wrote:
> >>>>>>>> Is there a newer version of the Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 driver
> >>>>>>>> which works yet? (II am using XP home). Sound worked until I
> >>>>>>>> installed
> >>>>>>>> some Windows Update a year or more ago.
>
> >>>>>>>> I have a dreaded Gateway MX6025 and after a certain time every
> >>>>>>>> WindowsUpdate which I checked reports as a side effect that 'this
> >>>>>>>> update will screw up Conexant drivers and your sound wont work' After
> >>>>>>>> that every update I have tried to the Conexant or AC97 driver has
> >>>>>>>> failed to cure this WindowsUpdate issue.
>
> >>>>>>>> Gateway is disinterested in assisting with a driver which a Windows
> >>>>>>>> Update has screwed up: Does anyone know if Microsoft has any
> >>>>>>>> workaround yet please?
>
> >>>>>>> Roll back the driver. Then get any /needed/ driver updates only
> >>>>>>> from the
> >>>>>>> device or computer manufacturers' download page, NOT Windows Update.
>
> >>>>>> Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 IS the driver on the manufacturer's site
> >>>>>> which is screwed up by the WU
>
> >>>>> Then roll back the driver and don't install the updated version again.
>
> >>>> I kinda know not to install a driver which doesnt work or which causes
> >>>> an exclamation mark in Device Manager. Trouble is that there is
> >>>> nothing to roll back to: This is the 2006 driver which came with the
> >>>> original software. Gateway has the updated one to make users feel they
> >>>> are doing somehthing but apparently they wont believe that the new
> >>>> driver wont work and if you insist on telling them, they just refer
> >>>> you to Conexant BECAUSE THEY KNOW that Conexant doesnt have any
> >>>> customer support. The original driver was a Conexant one called an
> >>>> AC97 which is screwed up by some Microsoft security update. This is
> >>>> why Gateway wont help. WU screwed up the sound. Apparently it WAS
> >>>> possible to get sound to work with some driver or other but even that
> >>>> one was screwed up by the next Security update which also said 'there
> >>>> is a problem with this update and Conexant sound drivers'
>
> >>> I expect you should be able to extract the original driver version from
> >>> one of the Gateway disks that came with the computer when you bought it.
>
> >>> PS: Is WinXP SP3 installed? What anti-virus application or security
> >>> suite is installed and is your subscription current? Has a(another)
> >>> Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e.g..,
> >>> a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?
>
> >> --
> >> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com
>
> > Thanks Harry but you have correctly identified this problem and this
> > happened over a year ago, possibly two: (some Inernet reports say that
> > this problem goes back at least to May 2007!) At that time I checked
> > and found that after sound went out, every subsequent KB update had a
> > problem with Conexant drivers. I have reinstalled the OS a few times
> > since this happened and cant now identify which ones they were. And I
> > have a suspicion that a lot of those updates were rolled up in SP3? In
> > any event perhaps I am not checking properly but I cant google
> > "Microsoft update" and "CONEXANT" to see which ones they were.
>
> --
> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com

Thanks again Harry. There are a plethora of Gateway MX6025 owners
reporting on the Internet generally who have no sound on their
computers. The only workaround I ever found was to install Linux! It
was when I looked into the side effects of installing certain KBs that
I saw the message 'this will have an effect on Conexant sound drivers'

You used to be able to install some new Conexant driver manually (i,e,
not automatically) but eventually even that failed when an even newere
WU nixed it. NO ONE ever mentioned letting Windows generic drivers
handle the sound. I wonder if this is possible as Conexant wont write
new drivers which work (curiously there ARE newer Vista drivers which
Conexant bothered to write but they dont work to get sound to work in
XP either!).

I dont hold out much hope but how do I completely uninstall the
Conexant drivers and switch over to the windows generic drivers
please? (I know how to do this with my WiFi utility)

From: myfathersson on 13 Apr 2010 10:52

From: myfathersson on 15 Apr 2010 10:26

On Apr 13, 6:18 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]" <ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
wrote:
> Using the Device Manager there is an option to uninstall a device. This may
> work, if you uninstall the device then reboot the computer, although it is more
> likely it will automatically reinstall the bad drivers. Unfortunately I don't
> know of any good way to remove bad drivers from the driver cache, other than
> reinstalling the OS.
>
> Device Manager may allow you to select an alternative driver for the audio card.
> See if it presents you with any useful options.
>
> Since this isn't really a problem with Windows Update, you may be able to get
> better advice from the windowsxp.hardware group.
>
> Harry.
>
> On 2010-04-14 2:52 a.m., myfathersson wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Apr 12, 10:44 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]"<ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
> > wrote:
> >> On 2010-04-13 2:10 p.m., myfathersson wrote:
>
> >> > Thanks Harry but you have correctly identified this problem and this
> >> > happened over a year ago, possibly two: (some Inernet reports say that
> >> > this problem goes back at least to May 2007!) At that time I checked
> >> > and found that after sound went out, every subsequent KB update had a
> >> > problem with Conexant drivers.
>
> >> I don't think I understand what you mean by this. Do you mean that an warning
> >> or error message appears every time you install updates?
>
> >> > I have reinstalled the OS a few times
> >> > since this happened and cant now identify which ones they were. And I
> >> > have a suspicion that a lot of those updates were rolled up in SP3?
>
> >> I believe there was an update that was included in SP3 which changed the way
> >> that certain types of audio device were handled by Windows. If this is the
> >> issue, you may find that sound works if you remove the manufacturer device
> >> driver altogether and allow Windows to use the default drivers instead.. Failing
> >> that, only a corrected device driver can solve the problem.
>
> >> Harry.
>
> >>> On Apr 12, 8:07 pm, "Harry Johnston [MVP]"<ha...(a)scms.waikato.ac.nz>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>> PA Bear,
>
> >>>> I believe the OP is saying that the original driver no longer works, apparently
> >>>> as a side-effect of a (non-driver) update to Windows XP.
>
> >>>> myfathersson: do you know which update causes the problem? It's a bit difficult
> >>>> to advise without more information about the issue.
>
> >>>> Harry.
>
> >>>> On 2010-04-13 5:35 a.m., PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>
> >>>>> myfathersson wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>> Is there a newer version of the Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 driver
> >>>>>>>>>> which works yet? (II am using XP home). Sound worked until I
> >>>>>>>>>> installed
> >>>>>>>>>> some Windows Update a year or more ago.
>
> >>>>>>>>>> I have a dreaded Gateway MX6025 and after a certain time every
> >>>>>>>>>> WindowsUpdate which I checked reports as a side effect that 'this
> >>>>>>>>>> update will screw up Conexant drivers and your sound wont work' After
> >>>>>>>>>> that every update I have tried to the Conexant or AC97 driver has
> >>>>>>>>>> failed to cure this WindowsUpdate issue.
>
> >>>>>>>>>> Gateway is disinterested in assisting with a driver which a Windows
> >>>>>>>>>> Update has screwed up: Does anyone know if Microsoft has any
> >>>>>>>>>> workaround yet please?
>
> >>>>>>>>> Roll back the driver. Then get any /needed/ driver updates only
> >>>>>>>>> from the
> >>>>>>>>> device or computer manufacturers' download page, NOT Windows Update.
>
> >>>>>>>> Conexant_Audio_6.14.10.0565 IS the driver on the manufacturer's site
> >>>>>>>> which is screwed up by the WU
>
> >>>>>>> Then roll back the driver and don't install the updated version again.
>
> >>>>>> I kinda know not to install a driver which doesnt work or which causes
> >>>>>> an exclamation mark in Device Manager. Trouble is that there is
> >>>>>> nothing to roll back to: This is the 2006 driver which came with the
> >>>>>> original software. Gateway has the updated one to make users feel they
> >>>>>> are doing somehthing but apparently they wont believe that the new
> >>>>>> driver wont work and if you insist on telling them, they just refer
> >>>>>> you to Conexant BECAUSE THEY KNOW that Conexant doesnt have any
> >>>>>> customer support. The original driver was a Conexant one called an
> >>>>>> AC97 which is screwed up by some Microsoft security update. This is
> >>>>>> why Gateway wont help. WU screwed up the sound. Apparently it WAS
> >>>>>> possible to get sound to work with some driver or other but even that
> >>>>>> one was screwed up by the next Security update which also said 'there
> >>>>>> is a problem with this update and Conexant sound drivers'
>
> >>>>> I expect you should be able to extract the original driver version from
> >>>>> one of the Gateway disks that came with the computer when you bought it.
>
> >>>>> PS: Is WinXP SP3 installed? What anti-virus application or security
> >>>>> suite is installed and is your subscription current? Has a(another)
> >>>>> Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e..g.,
> >>>>> a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?
>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com
>
> >>> Thanks Harry but you have correctly identified this problem and this
> >>> happened over a year ago, possibly two: (some Inernet reports say that
> >>> this problem goes back at least to May 2007!) At that time I checked
> >>> and found that after sound went out, every subsequent KB update had a
> >>> problem with Conexant drivers. I have reinstalled the OS a few times
> >>> since this happened and cant now identify which ones they were. And I
> >>> have a suspicion that a lot of those updates were rolled up in SP3? In
> >>> any event perhaps I am not checking properly but I cant google
> >>> "Microsoft update" and "CONEXANT" to see which ones they were.
>
> >> --
> >> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com
>
> > Thanks again Harry. There are a plethora of Gateway MX6025 owners
> > reporting on the Internet generally who have no sound on their
> > computers. The only workaround I ever found was to install Linux! It
> > was when I looked into the side effects of installing certain KBs that
> > I saw the message 'this will have an effect on Conexant sound drivers'
>
> > You used to be able to install some new Conexant driver manually (i,e,
> > not automatically) but eventually even that failed when an even newere
> > WU nixed it. NO ONE ever mentioned letting Windows generic drivers
> > handle the sound. I wonder if this is possible as Conexant wont write
> > new drivers which work (curiously there ARE newer Vista drivers which
> > Conexant bothered to write but they dont work to get sound to work in
> > XP either!).
>
> > I dont hold out much hope but how do I completely uninstall the
> > Conexant drivers and switch over to the windows generic drivers
> > please? (I know how to do this with my WiFi utility)
>
> --
> Harry Johnstonhttp://harryjohnston.wordpress.com

No,I think all MX6025 users have tried that dozens of times. On reboot
the OS predictably cant find drivers for the device and makes do with
an exclamation mark instead. The plain fact is that the WUs were
incompatible with the Conexant driver and rendered it non-
functional. It seems the WU presented too-complex problems for the
company to write new drivers.

No one knows how to fix it. I just wondered whether MS had come up
with anything yet as their update originally caused the problems

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