Loss of all sounds after Audacity use

[Tomboyo]

Prior to running audacity, I had no issues listening to any form of audio. I intended to record a song on my computer and downloaded Audacity. The first recording I made was too quiet, so I deleted it and increased the Output volume and Input volume (with the input device set to mic). Then I attempted to record the same song on my computer and it would not play. The program itself was running the music, but my computer was not creating any sound that I could hear or that Audacity could record. I have searched for solutions for this problem on the internet and have found many other people with this problem, but no solutions that have worked for me. The Audacity Wiki has an answer for an issue like this, but for a Mac computer. I tried to see if its solution would help my computer, but it did not do anything. I have reinstalled my audio drivers using the install disc that came with my motherboard. My drivers are all fully updated and my computer volume is on. I ran a sound test (from Sounds and Audio Devices Properties>Voice>Test Hardware) and my computer's microphone is recording and my speakers are supposedly working, as the volume spikes on the "playback" bar. However, no sound is issued. I am using A Windows XP 64-bit OS with a motherboard with a built in sound card. The driver is Realtek HD. All of the devices are being reported as working properly. The only sounds I can ever hear are MIDI sequences. For an example, I am using a program called Melody Assistant to write music, and it relates the computer-generated instruments as being "digital" as opposed to "MIDI 1" or "MIDI 2" or "MIDI 3." On the MIDI settings, I can hear the instruments, but on the digital setting, I can no longer hear them. The instruments were originally on digital. Likewise, other programs with MIDI sounds are audible, but sounds that come from videos on youtube or music from online radio or even flash games are inaudible. I was using Audacity 1.2.6 when this started. I have used Audacity in the past and not had this issue, but this was several months ago and I uninstalled it thereafter.

Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. If we can't resolve this, i can do a system restore to about one month ago and it should fix it, but it would obviously be much better to just plain old fix the problem.

Thank you for any help you can offer. If you need more information, I'd be more than happy to offer it.

[kozikowski]

<<<I intended to record a song on my computer and downloaded Audacity.>>>

When I hear that, I picture you sitting down in front of a microphone with your guitar and performing a 3 minute piece for capture into Audacity.

I'm betting what you mean by that is capturing a song off the internet.

Which is it?

Koz

[Tomboyo]

I intended to record a song that i wrote on my computer, not record with a microphone (like the guitar) or off the internet, though it's most similar to the internet.

[Tomboyo]

Rather than wait any longer, I went ahead and pulled a system restore, and that fixed it. Turns out it wasn't as painful as I expected-I had a restore point just a from less than a week before I installed audacity. No missing files, games-and I have sound again.

[kozikowski]

<<<Rather than wait any longer>>>

It's a volunteer forum and it's not unusual for questions to have to ripple around the earth. That takes time. You can help out any time you want by dropping in to help others.

Koz