External sound cards can vary in size from compact plugs that sit almost flush with the laptop casing (which are more portable and better able to slip into a pocket or the corner of a laptop bag) to cards complete with longer cords for better access, controls, and other features that are easier to use. In order to find out sound card details on Windows, first open the ' Control Panel ' window, which is located in the 'Start' menu. If your computer is configured to display category views, select the 'Sound, sound and audio' icon and click the ' Sound and audio devices ' link.
Connect a cable with a mini-plug from the line out of your sound card (the green port) to the line in (blue port). 2 Select Line In as the recording source. Note that all sounds from your computer will be recorded, including system sounds like beeps, alarms, and alerts. C-Media CMI8738 PCI Audio Device Driver 5.12.1.644 16,105 downloads. Sound Card CMedia. Jan 19th 2017, 11:14 GMT. C-Media CMI C3DX PCI Audio Driver 5.12.1.644 for 2000/XP 2,277 downloads. Sound Card CMedia. Windows XP, Windows 2K. Nov 7th 2016, 08:09 GMT.
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This article helps to fix an issue in which Windows 10 doesn't install specific drivers for USB audio devices on the first connection.
Original product version: Windows 10, version 1703
Original KB number: 4021854
Symptom
When you connect a USB audio device to a Windows 10 Version 1703-based computer the first time, the operating system detects the device but loads the standard USB audio 2.0 driver (usbaudio2.sys) instead of the specific device driver.
Cause
This issue occurs because the USB audio 2.0 driver (usbaudio2.sys) isn't classified as a generic driver in Windows 10 Version 1703. Therefore, the system assumes that a compatible, nongeneric driver is installed for the device even though the driver is generic.
This issue also causes Windows 10 Version 1703 to postpone the search for other compatible drivers through Windows Update that typically occurs immediately after you install a new device.
Resolution
To fix this issue, use one of the following methods.
Access Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver
Method 1
To resolve this issue, install update 4022716.
Method 2
If the device-specific driver is distributed through Windows Update, you can manually update the driver by using Device Manager. For more information about how to do this, see update drivers in Windows 10.
Method 3
If the device is not yet connected, first install the device-specific driver, such as by using the appropriate installer. After the device-specific driver is installed, Windows 10 will select that driver instead of the standard USB audio 2.0 driver when you first connect the device.
Note
See the device manufacturer's user guide for specific instructions about how to install the driver.
Method 4
If the driver isn't distributed through Windows Update, you can manually reinstall the driver. To do this, follow these steps:
Access Sound Cards App
- Install the device-specific driver (see Method 2).
- Open Device Manager.
- Right-click (or tap and hold) the name of the device, and then select Uninstall.
- Restart the computer.
Access Sound Cards Online
When it restarts, Windows will try to reinstall the device by using the device-specific driver.