HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

[trodas]

I need sound driver, working, for HP Vectra VL 6, series 8 machine anjd Windows 2000. My friend want it for his little daughter, however she insist on the sound working. Things work rather well in Win98se, but Win98se is not working well anyway. Useless system, so to be able to run more recent/decent programs, a Win 2000 has to be used. SP4. Luckily they detect everything right away, including onboard Matrox graphic card and NIC. Unlike the Win98se the USB ports can be used now, etc.

Everything works, except for the damn sound.

HP on their site looks like to offer drivers for much OS types, however when you check these links more closely, well... usually only diagnostic utilities are offered for Win2k or XP systems:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...&lang=en&cc=us

Or for O/S2 Warp - there is a sound driver for it!
(sound driver is available too for Win3.11, Win95, WinNT3.51, WinNT4.0 and strangely NOT for Win98...!)

But since it worked with Win98se, then I hope that there are some different drivers somewhere that WILL work with the sound too, under Win2k. Anyone got a experience with this machine?

Any help, please?



I know it is a lousy PII 350Mhz thing, but... it works
Except for movie playback. The onboard graphic (or it is just a driver limitation?!) did not have PIP, and much less a YUV one, so all has to be converted by CPU and it did not make it... I wonder if a Matrox driver could fix that...

Anyway, there are some pins descriptions from manual, eg. how to reset bios password for the HP Vectra VL 6, series 8:

[jpdoe]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

what chip is providing the audio?

[Gianni]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Hi Trodas

when I need a driver and I can't find it on official site I go to Driverguide and most of the time I found what I need.

You must register and some driver are available only for "premium user" but I think you can try it.

Ciao
Gianni

[Gianni]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Have you read this one?

Unfortunately there's no feedback on the test with NT driver.

Gianni

[sofTest]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

I think you are out of luck on this one. The sound chip is ISA-based AZ1008 (Aztech), and I can't find any newer drivers than what you have found yourself. There seem to be Linux support on this chip, if you want to go there. Otherwise pick up a cheap (used) Soundblaster compatible PCI card.

[arneson]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

I've got a sound chip driver issue on a Twinhead computer that was not going to work no matter what.
I solved this problem with a tiny cheap USB sound device, worked great.

[Scenic]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

i've got an older version of this pc (socket7 for Pentium1)
i ended up popping an old Soundblaster16 in there..

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Found in Readme for other drivers for that from HP

From NT driver file
Windows NT 4.0 16-bit Audio Driver for AZT2320 card
Release Ver 4.55

From W3.11 driver file
HP MM Pro 16V-A PnP Sound Card Version 1.00 (Windows 3.11 Only)

From w95 driver file
HP MM Pro 16V-A PnP Sound Card Version 2.02

~~~~

Driver should be in W2k but you must manually select it because card is not Plug and Play.

.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

MM Pro 16V-A is an Aztech sound card with AZT2320 sound chip.

.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Opps: Wrong abou Plug-n-PRAY

http://tekgems.com/Products/et-4889-snd-5064-2620.htm
This says everything through XP has drivers.

.

[Newbie2]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

If that sound isn't working no matter what you do then just get a cheap PCI sound card.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

In W2k the INF file is: wdma_azt.inf

[sofTest]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Well, according to this pdf-document, the PC originally came equipped with a Soundblaster Pro (Aztech) compatible sound card. That class of sound cards not even Creative cared to create drivers for from Win2k onward. Off course, the card could have been replace at some point, so to really know one have to look at the card, or maybe run Aida16 from the Ultimate Boot CD.

[Wizard]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

If this audio stuff is onboard the mainboard, my advice is get another pc. PII 350 will not get anywhere these days. Website simply jam, too many games need more than that.

And avoid creative as well.

I had PII 350 as main pc nearly 10 years ago so I know the limitations.

And a month ago, I had to lend my dell D600 to boss to finish one operation on website because the "capable" PC choked on the website he was using in specific area. (PIII 866, Matrox G400 video card blah blah, plenty of ram).

Try Atom motherboard or one of good build yourself computer (near low end) but use slowest C2D series like E2200 cpu, all on one board (microatx, and a basic PCI-E video card, I got a sapphire HD3650 512mb video card wiht some goodies for canadian $65.
2GB crucial went for 35 bucks, yes two sticks.

Shop right and you will have good pc built up with XP.

Cheers, Wizard

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

sofTest, you are sadly mistaken.

Soundblasters work fine in XP.
XP has legacy drivers right in XP.
Same with W2k.
I have a W2k machine and the Aztech driver is right there.

And yes: It's an Aztech "Soundblaster Pro compatible" sound card.
What was the point in repeating that?
MOST sound cards were "Soundblaster compatible" back then.

The fact that HP didn't driver support older systems for newer OS's is typical of every major company and it has little (okay, NOTHING) to do with whether or not compatible drivers exist for the chip.

.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

trodas,
INF has a control flag that excludes it from the "Add New Hardware" list.
You will have to manually install INF as I said before.

On my machine:
DriverVer =11/18/1999,5.00.2184.1
>> 5.00.2184.1 << Is Win2k (NT5.00) build 2184.1

.

[sofTest]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

sofTest, you are sadly mistaken.

Soundblasters work fine in XP.
XP has legacy drivers right in XP.
Same with W2k.

The oldest Soundblaster drivers those have, are Soundblaster (Pro) 16. Soundblaster Pro predates that card. And, yes I've checked both OS' today.

I have a W2k machine and the Aztech driver is right there.

Yes, you have the driver for the AZT2320 you are talking about, but there are older Aztech cards, including AZT1008 (8-bit) also used by HP. From MM PRO16V-A, I would say that AZT2320 is probably a Pro 16 compatible. Why are you assuming that the AZT2320 is the only card sold with this model? Google vectra + AZT1008 if you like. And for all we know, someone can have replaced the original card with a 3rd-party card. Until trodas can check this out, we're both assuming here.

And yes: It's an Aztech "Soundblaster Pro compatible" sound card.
What was the point in repeating that?
MOST sound cards were "Soundblaster compatible" back then.

Well, there is Soundblaster, and there is Soundblaster. Soundblaster Pro is 8-bit and the AZT2320 is 16-bit, so clearly they are not the same class of cards. If the AZT2320 is Soundblaster compatible, it must be with the Soundblaster (Pro) 16.

The fact that HP didn't driver support older systems for newer OS's is typical of every major company and it has little (okay, NOTHING) to do with whether or not compatible drivers exist for the chip.
.

Where have I implied that? The only thing I've said, is that I've not found a Win2k driver for the Soundblaster Pro (8-bit) class cards.

PCBONEZ, you should try some Omega-3 for the temper...

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

I'm not mad.
I'm just talking to someone that doesn't know what they are talking about.

Here's a few lines right out of the INF file:
~~~~~~~~~

[AztechLabs]
%AZT3328_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT3328, PCI\VEN_122D&DEV_50DC&SUBSYS_0001122D
%AZT3328_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT3328, PCI\VEN_122D&DEV_80DA&SUBSYS_0001122D
%AZT3328_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT3328, PCI\VEN_122D&DEV_50DC
%AZT3328_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT3328, PCI\VEN_102D&DEV_50DC
%*AZT2316_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2316, *AZT2316
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT0001
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1001
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1002
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1003
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1004
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1005
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1006
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1007
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1008
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1011
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1012
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1013
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1017
%*AZT2320_AUDIO.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AZT2320, *AZT1019

~~~~~~~~~

The driver supports the AZT1008 chip and many others.

.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

Just because you can't get an old sound card working in XP or W2k doesn't mean trodas can't.
I know trodas from this and other forums.
If the card works in the first place he'll get it going.
.

[trodas]

Re: HP Vectra VL 6, series 8, sound card driver

jpdoe - no idea, but the unpacked HP Vectra VL 6 series 8 driver for NT4 is there: http://rapidshare.com/files/14558877...VL_6_sound.zip
And to me it looks like "AZT1008 PnP SOUND DEVICE" and "Pro16V-A Audio INF file", but check for yourself.

Gianni - I downloaded like 10 drivers from there already, lol, feeling kinda nervous to try them... we see. I got backup by Drive Image, I feel it will be need
I tried the NT 4.0 driver too, not only the NT 3.51, but no luck. The machine refuse to install it...

sofTest - I dubt they want to buy another card, when everything worked before w/o it.

PCBONEZ - not sure about the chip, because look what it says:

Windows NT 4.0 16-bit Audio Driver for AZT2320 card
Release Ver 4.55
Part 1: New features
====================
1. Support Plug and Play installation

In W2k the INF file is: wdma_azt.inf

- you think this file will do? http://www.infdump.com/download-inf-.../download.html

sofTest - as I tried to explain above, there is a little inerest of investing anything into this PC.Any because things works before winh Win98se, well... they will NOT want to hear abou new card. Just a driver...

Wizard - dunno, mybe this is even a expansion card? Regardless, they do NOT want invest any more money, much less another PC. This one have to do.

PCBONEZ -

INF has a control flag that excludes it from the "Add New Hardware" list.

That is interesting. Why it is excluded from the new HW list anyway?
I try the manual, when I got a chance...