I need computer help. Can you tell me what I am looking for on my computer? Details inside.
Asked by
rojo (
24179
)
February 28th, 2013
Last weekend, in an effort to free up some disk space I removed several files. I used the “Add/Remove Programs” file on the control panel screen. Evidently one of them that I removed is the one that allowed sound to come out of my computer and attached speakers.
Can I go back and find the removed files? Where do I look? Are they in the trashcan or something? What am I looking for exactly or what will it be called? I am still using Windows XP if that helps.
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9 Answers
Look in your recyle bin (or trash bin) and see if the files are still there. If you haven’t cleared that since you removed the files, they should be there. From there, you should be able to restore the one you removed by accident. Can’t help with what it will be called, though. :(
Try a system restore and choose a restore point right before you did your add/remove programs.
I have Windows XP and I think the audio program is called Sound Blaster Audigy.
Go back to “Add/Remove Programs” and look for the options to restore Windows components.
If you need more detailed help, it would help to know exactly which version of Windows you’re using.
Go to your manufacturer’s web site and see if your computer is still listed in the support section. Usually called “Downloads / Drivers” or something similar.
Download the driver for your computer and operating system and install it.
You need to identify your sound card, and find a driver for it that works on your version of Windows. You can usually download these once you know what sound card you have.
I doubt if you removed drivers via the “Add / Remove Programs” choices. That part of Control Panel removes applications, not drivers. So you may have removed an application for playback of video and/or audio. There are lots of audio / video players available for free on the Internet; you can take your pick and load any number of them.
@CWOTUS is right. It’s highly unlikely you’ve uninstalled drivers via the control panel – something I’ve never been able to do since XP, couldn’t do it on 7 and ain’t doin’ it on 8 either. My mind doesn’t allow me to recall beyond the point of XP in reverse order, but I do distinctly recall using Windows 3.0 which is going back a lot
If you know your sound card’s manufacturer you should be able to locate the software via a manufacturer’s support site. But it helps to know the exact model of soundcard your system is using, you’ll find it in Device Manager in the Control Panel.
What’s commonly called “drivers” today includes the actual device driver plus a bunch of supporting applications. Removing the applications via add/remove will get rid of the drivers.
But whatever.
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