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PC World recently reinstalled Windows XP on my Toshiba Satellite and they had to install a driver to make the sound work. The sound has been working for the last few days but now it isn’t. I went onto the Toshiba website and tried to download the sound driver but it just says: driver installation failed could not find media device for this driver. I’ve even tried to request hotfix downloads but it only has options for Windows 2000 and so says: setup has detected that the Service Pack version of this system is newer than the update you are applying. Help me to get my sound back please!

High Def Devices

From what you’re telling me, it looks like you need to install the Microsoft Universal Audio Architecture Bus Driver for High Definition Audio Devices package. This link is direct to Microsoft and works with Windows XP and the Service Packs that have probably been installed on your machine. This is a common error message when using high definition audio components.

Before you download this package, make sure you have downloaded and installed the latest Windows Service Pack onto your machine. It sounds like you have because of the error message, but it can’t hurt to be sure. After you have downloaded the UAA and the Service Pack, you may still have problems. If you do, go to the Device Manager and look in System Devices. If you see a device with an ! next to it that is listed as a PCI device you need to update that driver as well. You can either right click on it to update the driver or delete it and reboot.

Device Manager

If downloading that package still hasn’t solved your problem, you can try to find the problem in Device Manager. Go to Device Manager and see if there are errors or conflicts listed. Is there an option for “Sound, Video and Game Cards”? If you can see it there, highlight it and press Delete. This will take it off your system. Shut down the computer and reboot - the computer should detect the sound card and install it. If it doesn’t, you will need to go to the manufacturer’s website and find the correct driver to download. You may need to find the sound card manufacturer, which may not be the same as the computer manufacturer. You can find the manufacturer for the sound card here in Device Manager.

I think that by following the links provided, you will find the downloads you need to get your sound back. If you still have problems, please let us know.

My laptop won’t recognize my movie, picture, and music device. Help?

System Requirements

The first step we need to take is to check the system requirements of the device and make sure that it your laptop is compatible. For example, if you have a Windows XP laptop but the device requires Windows Vista, the device won’t work. Once we’re positive that the system requirements have been met, we’ll move on to troubleshooting the device’s setup.

Plug and Play Devices

Most modern devices are plug and play devices. That is, you plug them into your computer, your computer recognizes the device, and the device plays as expected. This functionality is wonderful as users no longer have to install the software or tweak their system in order for the new device to work. However, not all devices are plug and play devices and even those that are occasionally run into snags.

Plug and play devices are automatically detected by Windows because Windows has the device drivers preinstalled. As new plug and play devices are manufactured, the manufacturer coordinates with Microsoft. Your computer automatically gets the updated device drivers from the Windows Update service. With this in mind, the next step is to update Windows just in case your movie device is relatively new and your system out of date. You can learn more about updating Windows on the Microsoft Update Web site.

Manual Device Driver Updates

Once your operating system is updated, connect the device to the laptop and see if Windows detects it. If so, Windows will load the appropriate device drivers and the device will soon be fully functional. If not, we’ll need to manually install the device drivers.

Did the device come with an installation CD? If it did, use the CD to install the device. If it did not, go to the device manufacturer’s Web site and search for your device in the technical support section. Most manufacturers have a downloads section where you can download specific device drivers for your device and operating system. Follow the directions for downloading and installing the device drivers.
Hardware Errors

A common problem with portable devices such as USB music players and digital cameras is that the hardware itself is bad. If your laptop has several USB ports, try plugging the device into each one as you may have a bad USB port. If none of the ports work, then the cable or the connection on the device’s end may be bad. This happened to me with a Sansa MP3 player. A quick trip to the store to exchange the device solved the problem. One of the pins on the MP3 player’s connector was bent.

I’ve had many problems with an HP PSC 1510 printer. It would not print on the paper, it just runs through. I have uninstalled with help from HP. I think it’s a driver problem. I wish to purchase a new printer. Will it install properly if a driver problem still exists?

This HP printer is a few years old and replacing it is probably a good idea. You can pick up a good all-in-one printer for very little money these days, and if you are having frequent issues with the PSC 1510, then replacement is the best option. Printer drivers are specific to the printer you buy, and having a driver issue with one printer does not have any effect on the new printer. The drivers may install when you hook up the new printer, an installation disc may be provided, or you may need to download the specific drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

HP Drivers

If you still wanted to take another shot at fixing the printer you have, the HP website has very easily accessible drivers for all of their products. Click on the link to find the driver for HP PSC 1510 for Windows XP. You can also find drivers for other operating systems on the site. It sounds like you already removed the driver from your computer, so all you would need to do is download and install the driver that you need and see if that makes a difference.

Cleaning the Rollers

I’m not clear if the paper feed problems are actually a driver problem. Because the printer is a few years old, it may be a mechanical issue where the rollers just need to be cleaned. You can try to clean them yourself by removing the rear access door. Clean the three small rubber rollers with a damp cotton swab. You should also locate the roller that is in the left bottom position of the printer and give that a wipe as well.

Downloading drivers from manufacturer’s websites is free, and getting a new one is easy and might be worth a try. If you do choose to replace the printer, downloading a new driver and installing the software that comes with the machine should have you up and printing in no time.

I am unable to use my CD/DVD drive. Nothing happens when I insert a disk to set up my printer. When I go into the Device Manager, there is a yellow (!) mark by the CD/DVD drive. It says it cannot install the driver because it is corrupt or missing. How can I get this working again so that I can use my CD/DVD drive?

DVD Driver is Missing or Corrupt

The Device Manager is a useful tool when hardware acts up. As you can see, it is telling you that the DVD drive cannot function because its device driver is either missing or corrupt. File corruption and disappearing files happen for a variety of reasons. For example, if your computer crashed or shutdown unexpectedly, that can wipe out files. In addition, installing new software or devices could interfere with other devices, replacing shared files with newer or older versions that may not be compatible with other devices.

Recovering from a DVD Driver is Missing or Corrupt Message

You have a couple of different options that you can try. The first, and easiest, is to do a System Restore. System Restore rolls back the system to an earlier time; it’s like a backup of your operating system. It does not affect your data and you can undo it if you don’t like the results. Go to Start> All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. From there, pick a date from before the DVD problem started and restore your computer to that point in time.

Using Device Manager’s Update Driver Feature

If you do not have a restore point, then go back into Device Manager and double-click your CD/DVD device. Click the Driver tab and then the Update Driver button. Use the Automatic option and see if Windows can find an updated driver online. If so, it will install it automatically and you will need to reboot.

On the Driver tab, you will also see the drive’s manufacturer, model number, and other information. Write this down. If Windows can’t find the driver automatically, you may need to go to the manufacturer’s Web site and search for a driver there.

Uninstall DVD Drive

Before you go to the manufacturer’s Web site, let’s try tricking Windows into reinstalling the drive. While in Device Manager, highlight the DVD drive, right-click it, and choose uninstall. Reboot your computer and Windows will detect the drive and attempt to load device drivers for it. You may need to reboot once it is reinstalled.

Check the Manufacturer’s Web site

If nothing has worked so far, go to the DVD drive’s manufacturer’s Web site and look in the support section for a download area. Search for a driver for your exact model of drive and select the driver that matches your operating system. Download and install according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

I have quite a few drivers that are out of date and I don’t know how to get them updated or were to look.

Out of Date Device Drivers

Devices with out of date device drivers benefit from updated drivers because the updates often repair known bugs as well as add additional features. By updating the device driver, you’ll be able to take advantage of these enhancements and may even notice that your computer runs more smoothly as a result. For example, if your graphics card manufacturer realized after the fact that the graphics card had a major problem with DVD movies and later repaired that bug through a driver update, your out-of-date device will continue having problems whenever you play a DVD movie despite the fact that this problem has been acknowledge and repaired. By updating your device drivers, many computer errors may potentially disappear.

Free Download - Fixes Windows Driver Problems and Errors!

Updating Device Drivers

Windows Update includes device driver updates for a number of common device drivers. If you don’t have Windows Update enabled, consider enabling it so that you get the benefit of automatic updates on a portion of your device drivers.

The Device Manager

Now, let me introduce you to the Device Manager. This is a useful utility built into the Windows operating system. Device Manager is found in the Control Panel, often under the System icon though it depends on your version of Windows and the view you choose. In Windows Vista, you can simply type Device Manager in the Search bar and the icon will appear.

Once launched, Device Manager lists categories of device types. Click the plus sign next to the category that you wish to work with. If a device is malfunctioning, you’ll see a yellow warning icon next to it. Double click the device that you want to update. The Properties box has several tabs, one of which is the Driver tab. Click the Driver tab and jot down the information provided such as: driver provider, driver version, driver date, and digital signer. You may need this information later if you have to manually search for driver updates.

Now, click the Update Driver tab and follow the prompts to automatically search for new device drivers. Pretty easy so far! If updated drivers are found, Windows will install them. Reboot the PC, even if you are not prompted to do so.

Manually Searching for Device Drivers

The automatic update feature doesn’t always find updated drivers. When none are found, check either your computer manufacturer’s Web site or the manufacturer of the device that you want to update for the latest drivers. For example, if you have a Toshiba laptop, head to Toshiba’s Web site, enter your laptop model number, and view the available downloads for your exact computer.

Free Download - Fixes Windows Problems and Errors!

If searching a hardware manufacturer’s Web site for driver updates, make sure to select drivers designed for your exact model of device and your exact operating system. Drivers are written for specific operating systems and are not necessarily interchangeable.

Using Device Driver Updating Software

Since a computer has dozens of devices, manual updates are time consuming. Many users prefer an automated solution. We recommend Driver Detective and Driver Cure. Both of these products are good choices that will find the exact driver for your computer’s hardware and peripheral devices.

Windows could not start: file software39/driver pci is corrupt or missing. It says I should use the boot disk but I don’t have one. What can I do?

This error message most likely means that there is a device driver missing or corrupted. Devices are all the hardware components that your computer uses - some are external and removable, like printers and monitors; others are internal, like sound cards. Device drivers are small software programs that your computer needs in order to properly communicate with and use your devices. According to your error message, there is an issue with one of your drivers.

Since Windows is not starting normally, try booting in Safe Mode. Reboot your PC and press the F8 key. Pick Safe Mode when given a choice and then follow the instructions below.

Run Full System Virus Scans

Before we get to troubleshooting the device driver, I should point out that there are several user reports indicating that this error message might be caused by a virus. At this point, if you can access your computer, you should update your antivirus and malware programs and run full system virus scans as soon as possible.

Using Device Manager to Locate Problem Devices

To troubleshoot the driver, first open Device Manager so that you can locate the problem device. Right click on My Computer, then choose Manage, and then click Device Manager. Look for any yellow ! signs beside listings to find the device problem.

Reinstall the Device Driver

Once you find the problem, you can reinstall the driver to resolve any corruption issues.

1. On the right side of the window, click the + beside the categories to expand them and find the device that isn’t working properly.
2. Right click the device and then click Uninstall.
3. In the confirmation box, click OK
4. Click Yes to restart your computer or reboot manually
5. When your computer restarts it should automatically detect the device and reload the driver

Update the Driver

If this doesn’t do the trick, you might need to update your driver. You can see the name and manufacturer or the device that is giving you problems in Device Manager, then visit the manufacturer’s website and look for downloads and drivers. Find the appropriate one for your device and operating system and follow the instructions for installation.

Registry Edits and Further Assistance

If you are still having problems, you might need to edit a corrupt registry key but - in order to give you directions - I first need to know which device we are dealing with. If you need further help, please write again with as much information as possible about the device that you are troubleshooting as well as your operating system details and we can take it from there. Good luck!