Gateway 450rog Audio problem

deadburdock on Aug 27, 2008

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Hey there everyone. I recently was given an older (2003) Gateway laptop computer, model 450ROG.

Now, I am no stranger to reformatting the hard drives, installing a fresh OS, and getting the drivers and hardware up and running. I have built manycomputers and have reformatted many different types of computer s.

I have a fresh install of Windows XP Profesional on the computer. I have the all of the drivers working except for the modem (which i wont install cause who uses a modem these days?) and the audio driver.

Now all the info I can find says that this laptop contains a Sigmatel® Soft Audio AC97 rev 2.3 codec (STAC9752). I have tried downloading the audio driver that is listed for this model laptop on the Gateway site. The new hardware wizard starts to install the drivers for the audio and the blue screen of death flashes real quick and the computer reboots, once windows is logged on, the hardware wizard tries again to install the audio and the entire process repeats.

I have tried downloading the AC97 drivers straight from the Realtek site as well as older versions that I have found. The only way the computer will work is to boot in safe mode and disable the Realtek ACA97 audio and restart. The computer seems to run fine with the audio disabled.

Anyone have any ideas?

Apr 11, 2009

- Gateway is having issues with the sound drivers. I too have an issue where the sound plays but then goes to mute after a few seconds. It seems the sound level settings do not get saved or the system things that I am touching the sound touchpad at the top of the laptop when I am not.

I contacted Gateway and they told me I would have to ship the machine to them. UGH.
- Guest

Sep 18, 2008

- Amazing how your description matches mine. I have also reinstalled the laptop to all but sound. The same BSoD and rebooting. On the BSoD I did get to see it had to do with portcls.sys. There is a lot of info on the internet about that, but none helps. I have installed different versions of drivers for the AC97, with the same result BSoD. I just gave up. Hopefully Gateway will solve this driver issue or somebody passes by that has a solution.- djwave28

Solution #1

posted on Nov 17, 2008

frcs68

Rank: Wiz
Rating: 82%, 845 votes

as with all BSOD's it can be many things causing the problem, with this particular one i'd first try swopping the ram, if you have two sticks take one out then swop them over to attempt to find a faulty stick.

if that makes no difference then reseat all componants in the machine. try reinstalling IDE controlllers, channels and HDD drives (drivers), failing that i'd fdisk, format and reinstall windows.

this BSOD is generally caused by either a faulty memory module or faulty hard disk controller driver. remember a faulty memory module could be system RAM, video RAM or even CPU L1/L2 RAM.
if any of the memories stick is at fault, there will be a different error, when the memories sticks change slot.

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