Home
What's New?
WMP11 Codecs
Upgrading WMP10
Install WMP11
What is an Error Message
History of WMP
WMP11 Downloads
Top Five WMP11 Tips
Microsoft Silverlight
WMP Error List
Windows Media Centre
Playing MOV Files

[?] Subscribe For The Latest Site Updates

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

KB236396:Windows Media Player Cannot Play Back the Audio Stream

KB236396

MAIN PROBLEM

When you try to play a video file which requires an audio stream to accompany it, you may recieve these error messages.

'Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available (Error=40258).-or-Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding (Error= 80040256)'

CAUSE OF PROBLEM

Your PC's sound card isn't working, or there is no sound card in the computer.

Another program may be using the sound card, this will mean it is not available for Windows Media Player to use to do the audio stream

The setting of the hardware acceleration is too high.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

NO SOUND CARD IN YOUR COMPUTER

If you do not have a sound card installed, get one and put it in and install.

SOUND CARD IS NOT WORKING

Test your sound card in another program which produces sounds and test an audio stream, go to the driver section and check that all the drivers for your sound card are installed, also make sure to check for updated drivers for your sound card.




Return from KB236396 Windows Media Player Cannot Play Back the Audio Stream to Homepage


footer for KB236396 page