No sound in Windows 7

[magtimmag]

Hi
this is my 1st time using a virtual machine. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate yesterday, on a macbook running snowleopard. It says, " No audio output device is installed". I have no clue how to fix this. Everything else is working fine in 7, but the sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated...

[Perryg]

You have to install the driver from realtek.com in Win 7 and then after a reboot tell Win 7 to check for upgrades.

[magtimmag]

Thanks, Perryg. that did it! Appreciate it...

[tonypittman]

Running latext vbox on SnowLeopard. Just got Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit. No audio. Win 7 reports that No Audio Output Device was detected. Went and downloaded win 7 driver from realtek com. When trying to update drivers in the multimedia controller device properties, windows says no drivers found. Is there a different way I should tell windows to check for upgrades?

Wow..the windows ecosystem is so broken. why am i even doing this? - Just an aside. Ignore that outburst.

[Perryg]

I believe the drivers are an installable item. Install them and reboot you should have sound. Then tell windows to check for upgrades.

[ginopunsalan]

I downloaded the currently available Realtek drivers from their website. I assume that a manufacturer posts their latest drivers. Isn't this so? While my MacBook has sound, it is very weak. I wish this can be fixed.

[Sasquatch]

I downloaded the currently available Realtek drivers from their website. I assume that a manufacturer posts their latest drivers. Isn't this so? While my MacBook has sound, it is very weak. I wish this can be fixed.

What do you mean, weak? It's volume is low? Did you check the volume levels on the Guest and Host?

[ginopunsalan]

Volume level sound low. Yes both Host and Guest vol levels are maxed out.

[bobowen]

Can you be more specific about the driver download? I went to the website and do not see anything labeled a "driver", and do not know which piece of software is required.

I am running a Mac Pro w/ OSX 10.6, Virtualbox 3.0.10. Just loaded Windows 7 and the system does not detect any sound devices. I tried the two options in virtualbox for Audio Controller (Soundblaster and ICH AC97), and neither one picks up a device to install in Windows.

Your help is much appreciated.

[Perryg]

Start the Windows 7 guest, then go to realtek.com and download the driver program from there. Here is a link but man is it long. I'll shorten it for you AC97 drivers.
Then run it in Windows 7. Reboot and then be sure to tell Windows to check for updates (force it if it says there are none or the sound could be low). Then reboot again (Hey it's a Windows thing). Then you should have sound.

[bobowen]

Okay - I have attempted to install the driver software twice with the same result.

The driver installation completes and Windows reboots with no problem. Windows still can't find the audio device. After hunting around in Windows for a while, I found the Device Manager, through which I tried to manually install the Realtek audio device. It shows up as an unknown device under the Sound, Video, and Gaming controllers. Then, when I attempt to install the driver software, I get the following:

Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device.
Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it.
The message displays a speaker and "Realtek High Definition Audio".
This device cannot start. (Code 10)

I have installed the 64 bit version of Windows 7, but the driver software says it is 32/64 bit, so that shouldn't be a problem? I have the Audio hardware set in Virtualbox as:

Host Drivewr: CoreAudio
Controller: ICH AC97

Any more ideas I can try? I'll keep hunting around...

I searched Apple forums for information and found that the same problem occurs using Boot Camp, so it appears to be not specifically related to running a VM. The solution is always stated to be driver related, but I can't seem to get my driver installation to stick.

[rkehlor]

I'm having the same issue on Mac OS X 10.6.1. (VB v3.0.8 / .10)

My previous install of Win7 beta had sound working fine (VB v3.0.; I upgraded to a real copy (Home Premium) and installed the 64-bit version, which broke the sound, though everything else was fine -- so, I followed all the instructions in these forums, got the drivers from realtek for the AC97 soundcard (which said explicitly they were for vista/win7). Unzipped the file, and saw there are Vista and Vista64 folders in there, which was a good sign, but running setup.exe launches the installer and ultimately tells me "Only Vista is supported with this release." I tried installing the drivers manually from Device Manage / Update Driver / Browse for drivers, but it can't see any valid drivers. (Also tried mucking about in the setup.ini files to see if there was a way to hack out the OS version check, but didn't see anything obvious.)

I then updated to VB v3.0.10, with the same results.

So, I can't even get to the point of telling Windows to search for an upgrade.

Seems like it's specific to the 64-bit version, that's causing the problems for me and others? Has anyone found a workaround? Loved the comment that this whole ecosystem is still so broken. Makes me smile when I think of the new commercial: "There won't be ANY of the problems of Vista... I promise." Heh. Well it's a fun little experiment.

(Otherwise, very impressed with VirtualBox -- been using it for about a year. Fun to show off to all my PC-centric workmates!)

Rault Kehlor

[Sasquatch]

So using Windows Update didn't help? How strange, but unfortunately, it tends to happen. It is Microsoft we're talking about .
This one didn't work? http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow ... Down=false

[rkehlor]

Thanks Sasquatch -- that's the driver I tried; no go. Windows Update doesn't see any sound card updates, either.

[bobowen]

This one didn't work? http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow ... Down=false

Okay, this driver DID work for me! I have sound now!

The process I followed was to download the zip file first. Then I opened the zip file and searched for the setup application (not straightforward for a guy who hasn't run a Windows machine since 2001!). I ran the setup application, and installed the drivers for the AC'97. There was a warning message from Windows after I rebooted about the installation being successful or not, but upon reboot, I heard the Windows startup sound for the first time. I went in and checked the control panel and the Sound device is installed and working, although I thing the dynamic range is a little compressed as the volume control does not vary the sould level as much as I would expect.

The problem before was that I was retrieving the wrong driver from the Realtek website.

- Now, if I can figure out how to get my numeric keypad on my Apple keyboard to work, as well as the complete feature set of the Mighty Mouse.

Thanks for the help, and pointer to the correct driver for use with VirtualBox!