h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A few weeks ago i told a repair guy that the p.c. kept crashing -but only when online - also I was having notoriously bad log-in probs on a weekly basis. Hence, multifarious names, not done on purpose..as some posters suggest..

Anyway, I got it back, it didn't crash..but the soundcard didn't work because it was -to quote message - 'being used by something else i.e.winamp'.

So now i have a P.C. that stays connected but without sound. Has he used the soundcard to bump up the dial connection??

Yrs..sick of computers..greg, - if you can solve this you are a bloody genius!

First thought, if winamp is indeed using you soundcard, you must stop it. Press Ctrl/Alt/Delete all together, you should then get a window that tells you what is running: if winamp is there, select it, then 'end task'. Tell me what happens.

Yep, I like JR's suggestion. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, you might even completely uninstall 'WinAmp', if it's misbehaving. After all, it's free and you can download and reinstall it any time you like. Your soundcard should have nothing to do with your dial up connection.

If that doesn't work, try deleting your soundcard settings in 'Control Panel/System' and then rebooting and letting Windows autodetect it. I take it your soundcard is properly seated in its slot? Things can work loose or be knocked loose during other work!

Hi J.R., No winamp isn't listed..the list reads..Atdialler 1...OSA..Systray and 'RNA App'.

The RNA App would seem to be that culprit as i get the message ''soundcard' is being used by another application'

To answer the Doc, the soundcard works on some websites and not on others..also it works online using windowplayer but not Realplayer.

When I got the P.C. back it made such a row when making a connection that I had to turn the speakers down then I noticed he had installed a 'Sound support for modem audio'...have no idea what the benefit of that is.

btw. Spoke to soon, had to login again with new name today!

I suspect you have several problem: shut down RNA to start with, unless you are using it. The following places have some advice on controlling sound:
http://www.worldstart.com/cthtml/10-01-2003.htm

http://www.worldstart.com/archives/computer-tips/2003/08-01-2003.htm