"Sound Recorder cannot record or play back because a sound device is not installed" error message when you try to play a sound (.wav) file in Windows 95

When you try to play a sound (.wav) file, you may receive the following error message:


Related Information:

Music and sound help with Windows 7 (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/music-sound)
No audio in Windows Vista (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/no_sound)
No audio device error message in Windows Vista (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/no_sound)
Sound problems in Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307918)

This problem can occur if the "drivers=MMSYSTEM.DLL" entry is missing from the [boot] section of the System.ini file.

Add the following line to the [boot] section of the System.ini file: If the line is present but has a semicolon (;) at the beginning, remove the semicolon.

Following the instructions in the error message does not eliminate the problem, nor does removing and reinstalling the device in Device Manager. Removing and reinstalling all multimedia components also does not eliminate the error message.

This problem can also cause other symptoms. When you try to adjust the volume using Mixer Control you may receive the following error message: Media Player will run with this problem present, but the only device listed in the Devices menu will be Video For Windows.