After you upgrade to Windows Vista, audio playback no longer works on the computer if the SigmaTel HD audio driver is installed

Consider the following scenario:

• You upgrade a computer to Windows Vista.
• The computer uses a SigmaTel HD audio driver.

In this scenario, audio playback no longer works on the computer. Additionally, you receive the following message when you position the pointer over the speaker icon in the notification area:This problem occurs even if all the audio cables are connected correctly, and the sound driver appears to be working correctly in Device Manager.

Note The notification area is located at the far right of the taskbar.

This problem occurs because of the proprietary way in which the SigmaTel unified driver supports custom OEM configurations. Instead of using different .inf files, SigmaTel uses an .ini file-referenced system that does not function correctly when you upgrade the computer to Windows Vista.

To resolve this problem, download the latest SigmaTel HD audio driver from your OEM support Web site, and then install this driver.

For information about your hardware manufacturer, visit the following Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information. The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

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)