Gateway P-173XFX sound device missing

This was a Vista 64 bit machine...Xp pro installed without a hitch from a slip disk I made so it included spk 2. I've tested with two other XP install disks with the same results.

The sound on the laptop works with the pre-installed op-sys sound event scheme, so I know that XP can access some kind of sound device.

But in every other way, XP is complaining that there is no sound device. I change a default sound file with another choice from the media folder and it stops working.

There is a sound driver for XP for this laptop, it won't install past the message "...no sound device..." to attach to.

Youtube refuses to play, no DVD movies play, no playing with sound files...everything stops with the message - no sound device. The control panel applet shows no sound device installed.

Does anyone know what sound hardware is in this laptop? I couldn't find it. I could search the manufacturer site for information if I knew.

Any other suggestions?

Help anyone?

 

Thanks for responding so quickly...

Oh, if it were only so simple. This is the driver that I tried to install, that wouldn't because it couldn't find a 'sound device'
IDT_Audiov5939.zip, Gateway P-173XL FX Notebook [Part #2906085R].

The part # points back to the Gateway site for this notebook, but doesn't access what the part is, that I could determine.

Yes, I've Googled, but to no success.

There is another possibility, there is a Bios 'update' that is version 94.28 that says it supports Vista 32 bit and XP. The BIOS version installed is version 94.29.00.

Can I flash the BIOS backward? I've flashed BIOS before on other machines, but always to a later version. However...

 

Yes, I think I have downloaded all the pertinent drivers, including the chipset. Should I use the older version of the chipset driver package that matches the BIOS release date as close as possible?

I won't get to try this until late tomorrow or until Wednesday at the earliest. So, any advice you're willing to share is most welcome.

Thanks

 

Gateway laptop P-173X FX, Vista 64bit from factory.

Downgrading to XP pro

1. Flashed BIOS to version v.94.28 which supports vista (32-bit) and XP

2. Chipset driver D20126-001-002.exe for vista (32-bit) and XP

Help please* * *

3. IDT sound driver Audiov5939.zip would not install,

Audio Device on High Definition Audio Bus' is missing.

I've tried sp31994.exe, sp332828.exe, sp33442.exe, sp34200.exe

Thanks

 

I know this is obvious, but...

Have you checked device manager to see if windows installed some other driver? If it has, here is an idea to try:

1.) Extract the driver from the EXE using 7-zip.
2.) Use device manager to manualy install/upgrade the driver.

If that does not help, you might give the realtek HD audio codec a chance; I have installed it on boards that do not have a realtek HD audio device a few times.

Also check out your bios settings & make sure everything is correct now that you have re-flashed it.

 

Laptop P-173X FX sound device missing after downgrading to XP pro sp2 from Vista problem solved by TinMan. I would never have come to this particular series of steps and drivers by myself. Here's the address and a quote from his introduction, and all the laptops it will work on.

http://neonpulse.net/2008/03/06/windows-xp-on-the-gateway-p-6831fx/

“This guide covers how to install Windows XP on the Gateway P-6831FX, it also works for many other laptops in the Gateway FX series.

M-6843, Notebook, P-170L, P-170X, P-171S, P-171S FX, P-171X, P-171X FX, P-171XL FX, P-172S FX, P-172X, P-172XL FX, P-173X FX, P-173XL FX, P-6301, P-6302, P-6311, P-6312, P-6313, P-6313h, P-6317, P-6801FX, P-6801m FX, P-6822, P-6825, P-6828h, P-6829h, P-6831FX, P-6832, P-6836, P-6860FX, P-6861j FX, P-7811 FX, P-7812j FX.”


Thanks to all.