Windows XP Home SP3 Sound Problem

I have WMP 11 and it has all of a sudden stopped working. When I open a music file MP3 WMP 11 opens and it says it is missing a Codec file and can go to web help and when I get there it says there is nothing to download. I re-installed WMP 11 and still get the same result. I have also discovered that my Windows sounds are not playing. I went to the sounds in Control Panel and when I highlight a windows sound the small arrow is not highlighted to test the sound. I checked my speakers and they do work. So far only in ITUNES
I do have ITUNES and that works fine. I also have Pinnacle Studio and opened up a movie I captured and played it and the sound works there. I also went to YouTube and played a file but there is no sound there.
Any idea what is wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Go here and download the Codec pack.

http://www.free-codecs.com/K_lite_co...k_download.htm

I donwloaded K-Lite Codec 4.8.5 Full and installed. It did not change anything. All is the same as it was. The items that were playing still do, however the issue is not resolved.
I now have a program called Media Player Classic on my desktop after installing K-lite. My MP3's do play on that. Is there something in this program I need to change so that all works?
Thanks for your help

Note: I have Realtec AC97 Audio. While poking around I see it is not digitally signed, if that helps

Also in device manager if I double click Audio Codecs it says location unknown.

I had a similar problem once and the Codec pack did it for me--sorry it didn't work for you.
I don't kow what else to tell you to do--but--there are a lot of extremely knowledgeable people here so I'm sure someone will solve this for you.

Good luck

Hopefully someone else will reply with a solution. I have tried everything I know of.
Please Help!!
Thanks

So let me see if I can help, so far the only program that your not getting audio from is your Windows Media Player 11 right? And your system is a Windows XP 32bit or 64bit? Home or Professional? There is no "!" listed in your hardware profile is there?

Windows XP Home SP3 32 Bit. I am not getting sound in WMP 11, also no systems sounds (when windows starts or shutsdown). If I go to youtube and play something there is no sound. I do have sound when I open ITUNES and I also get sound if I play a movie I did in Pinnacle Studio.

I went to the sounds in Control Panel and when I highlight a windows sound the small arrow is not highlighted to test the sound. I checked my speakers and they do work.

I have been doing some reading online and came accross this.
regsvr32.exe l3codeca.acm. I did a search for this and I cannot find it. Although I do not think this would solve everything. Does that mean anything.

I still think it's the sound card drivers. Instead of just reinstalling them from your CD go into device mgr and uninstall the sound card. Then reboot and let windows install the drivers for you.. you may then need to stick the CD into the drive for Windows to find it... but there are probably default windows drivers that will work too.

Your sound card will likely show up as Soundmax integrated digital audio in device mgr.

I have done that already and installed from the CD. Still no cure yet.

typically when things start going strange with system sounds (test button greyed out) it's got something to do with the sound card or its drivers.

I'm not sure what else to suggest unless maybe you can borrow a pci sound card to see if that works.

I do not have a seperate sound card, it is through the motherboard. Maybe someone else has some ideas. You never know.

I do not have another card to try. I tried to do a system restore and that did not work. There must be some type of file that is missing. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated.