Solution for sound problem after patch

[DrewMatrix]

It doesn't seem to be a codec problem, at least not in my house.

I installed the game and upgraded to patch 1.20 (not 1.21 yet) on my wife's machine. The sound is perfect (actually that's the first time I ever heard what it is supposed to sound like.) But on my machine I get "R2D2 noises" (beeps and boops and whistles) mixed in with the sound. I had a couple of CTDs yesterday on my machine, none today in about 10 Combat Animations with various configurations. The CTDs have been rare/intermittent with me (but the sound has never been normal sounding)

My wife and I both have exactly the same codecs:

imaadp32.acm
msadp32.acm
msg711.acm
msgsm32.acm
tssoft32.acm
msg723.acm
Windows Media Audio
Sipro Lab Telecom Audio Codec
Indeo (r) audio software
Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec (She has no trouble with this active. I have trouble with it active and with it disabled)
Microsoft PCM Converter

So I don't think for me it is a codec problem. Obviously it may well be that those who have audio problems are not having problems for the same reasons.

As far as I am concerned, the audio problem is a very minor affair. Even were I to have perfect audio I would play almost all the time with the audio off.

[Erik Rutins]

Beezle,

I assume you've also gone through the other steps - driver and directX update, sound acceleration slider?

Regards,

- Erik

[guke]

ORIGINAL: Beezle

It doesn't seem to be a codec problem, at least not in my house.

You're right, at least in my case it wasn't an actual codec but an
audio filter (as I wrote a few posts back). The filter does not show
up in the codec list, in fact it doesn't seem to show up anywhere.
In order to get rid of it I renamed the file. Later I found a tool
(http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/audio/dxman.htm)
that can be used to uninstall/deactivate DirectX parts even when
they don't show up anywhere in the control panel.

I found this out by trial and error. I took the nimo codec pack and
repeatedly installed and uninstalled it with different options. This
way I could narrow it down the audio filter.

The purpose of the filter seems to be to extract the AC3 audio stream
from DVD mpeg data.

If you want to see if you have that filter installed, you need to look
for the file or use the dxman tool. In dxman the filter shows up as
"AC3 Prologic Decoder" and the file is \windows\system32\ac3audio.ax

regards,
Gunnar

[PeckingFury]

Maybe matrix will just start making console games, imagine WiTp on an Xbox....excuse me while I puke. I am just glad they have remained true to the pc users which is knowingly a nightmare to have work arounds because of the vast configurations and hardware out there.

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: PeckingFury

Maybe matrix will just start making console games, imagine WiTp on an Xbox....excuse me while I puke. I am just glad they have remained true to the pc users which is knowingly a nightmare to have work arounds because of the vast configurations and hardware out there.

[:D]When i go to sleep at night i have a big smile on my face because i am proud, God has given me the intellect to play Witp "well" and jump through all the necessary hoops required to enjoy this incredible hobby: PC wargaming[8D].

[Cmdrcain]

ORIGINAL: Laurent_LAVAIL

ORIGINAL: Nomad

So you installed a buggy codex and that is Matrixs fault? [:-] [X(]

LOOOOOOOOOOL

WitP is a buggy game. Not my codecs.[>:]
Bugs are in all Matrix games... everys games, program work fine on my PC.[:'(]

Sorry guys, I like that game, but....... I can't play.[:(]

I'm using XP with no custom etc codecs, if one uses an non-standard codec, why should it then be any game makers fault when I'd think most would program the game to work with microsofts STANDARD codecs?

Any time someone installs something other then the standard they risk something like this occuring.

Get real, blaming Matrix if you have codecs not standard is silly.

[&o][&o]

[Cmdrcain]

ORIGINAL: BlackVoid

Erik is right, first try the driver/DirectX update, if the problem still persists and you are not a computer expert, better wait for an official Matrix solution.

My solution is probably good, if all else fails, however it IS RISKY. You should only try removing any codecs if you know what you are doing and do not mind that after that:
1. you may not be able to play some (or any) movies
2. you may hurt your system and may have to reinstall it.

I was pretty concerned that I have to reinstall (worth to do to play WITP), but got lucky.

Shortly: Try it only at your own risk!

As for codecs, a good place to start would be: http://www.divx-digest.com/
I recommend not to install any pack, instead try to find the codecs you really need and install them one by one. This way you will know what you have on your system and can easily change or remove it if needed.

It is a pain to get all the ones you need, but at least you do not bog down your computer with 100s of useless codecs in a pack. Also, it is best if you consult some experts on a forum (eg:http://www.divx-digest.com) about what to install. (Try to find some threads about it before posting.)

Just a question on re-installing..

Wouldn't it be simplier to use XP's Restore function?

Before I do any install's I create a restore point, if the install messes up something I can restore usually to the point before installed
and so Roll back my system to a working point.

Critical updates, any game installs, any such changes prompts me to create a restore point before doing them...

So am I thinking wrong in that a restore point would be better to have then to go through a re-install of the O/S etc?

Of course Pre- XP doesn't support restore (Me does but I don't think it is as good as in XP)

[donkuchi19]

I went through my codecs file and have the same ones as Beezle above.

I also searched my Windows/System32 file for an A3C or AC3 file and there are none. I still have CTD with sound.

Something else is still causing them besides these codecs and sound cards.

[robuk23]

Problem solved on my PC, thanks partly to the link to the dxman tool that guke posted, to show the ac3 codec / filters i had installed.

I had a third party divx-ac3 codec installed called mpgaudio.ax

ran the following command:

regsvr32 /u mpgaudio.ax

this removed it from the registry. Now i can play WITP with the original sounds as they were intended. No CTD or sound garbling so far!

Thanks again [:)]

[Wilhammer]

Having encountered the need to use a tool like 'System Restore' many times, I have yet to have it solve much - usually a need for a system retore is locked up in restore points, and you have just restored it to an earlier phase of 'soon to be broken'.

Back up and complete rebuild is about the only firm way to get it right, and System Restore is unreliable and often dangerous - I've seen it corrupt profiles, for example.

Tonight, I will try these suggestions Oleg and Black Void have earned Gold Stars for their efforts - thanks, guys.