No sound under limited account

Have you tried re-installing the sound drivers while the second account is set up as an Admin, then switching it back to limited? I had the same problem, but with video drivers, and that is how I fixed it.

I think this problem is related with profile. When you install sound driver, the software doesn't "know" about the other accounts except the one that do the install (similar to me, when I install a game with admin account, other accounts cannot get it to run, it say "find not found"). Try to uninstall and reinstall to see if this help.

I have an older system, but assuming that some of the Windows architecture is the same...

If I had this problem I would look at the Profile files with the idea of copying one of the control files from the one that works to the one that doesn't work.

>>If I had this problem I would look at the Profile files with the idea of copying one of the control files from the one that works to the one that doesn't work.
That's a good idea. But the problem is, it's difficult to select the right file to copy :-)

a.) You could change all accounts to admin rights.
Then reinstall the sounddriver with each account. If needed files are stuck in the profile folder of an account, you would multiply the needed information ...

b.) A better solution would be tolookout for a newer windows 2k, xp compatible sounddriver OR

c.) After a fresh installation, create a new account
let's call it "installer", give him admin rigths.
Now install all programs, sounddrivers etc. with it
If everything is working as requested, logout

Login with the original Administrator account.
Change the rights of the installer account to restricted user

Now delete the old "c:\documents and settings\Default User" profile
And copy the profile "c:\documents and settings\installer"
to c:\documents and settings\Default User"

Now create all wanted accounts. They contain the needed information for each program to run.


If there are still problems take regmon and filemon from sysinternals.com and check for permission denied entries...


Tolomir

If you use Registry Monitor (REGMON) and/or File Monitor (FILEMON), be prepared for a trip through the swamp.  You can spend hours in there, getting mud on your shoes at every step.

Well the idea is to set the filter accordingly...

Apart from that all you have to look at is "not found" and/or "access denied"

Well, I tried a number of these ideas.. ie, re-installing drivers on all profiles, on admin profiles, on normal and changing to admin and re-installing.. nothing worked.. still dont get any sound.. but it still works when I do a run-as the initial admin acount.. I havent looked through the registry yet.. as that's going to be a huge job.. I guess I'll just keep looking til I find something..

Have you checked the obvious stuff?
On the other accounts are you sure the volume isn't set too low etc...

Worth checking init :)

Yeah, I have tried.. funny thing is, windows sounds (ie, startup, shutdown) noises all start and play fine. It's simply anything that uses directsound that doesnt work.

And have you installed directX for these limited accounts too?

If the Registry for Windows XP works the same way as the Registry for Windows 98, it consists of two files...

SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT

However, there is a USER.DAT file for each user PROFILE, so that each user has a personal, tailored environment.  On Windows 98 I recognized that as a royal pain, so my wife and I share one PROFILE.

If I follow correctly what you are doing, you have created another USER profile.  That's fine, but I suspect that you have also created an additional USER.DAT file by default as an additional component in the Registry.

Now, as you set sounds for events from either the HELP menu or the CONTROL PANEL, you will be setting sounds  for the USER that you happen to be working on RIGHT NOW.   If you don't set anything, you won't hear anything.

Setting up a new USER requires tailoring for that USER.  Otherwise, there would be no need for a USER.DAT file as a component of the Registry.  Only the SYSTEM.DAT file would be required.

Um, I dont really follow that, as I know XP is a lot different from 98. Sound works under the profiles.. windows startup sounds, error beeps whatever.. its JUST things, like games, that use directsound drivers that make no sound.. when I RUNAS my initial admin account EVEN under the limited accounts, I get sound from directsound.. so its simply a permission thing.. something somewhere, one of the sound driver files somewhere are not correctly permissioned. That's all I can think of.

have you installed directX (which is required for directsound) under these limited accounts?