Doesn't work in latest VMWare Workstation Player 16

[MrPepka]

Unfortunately, your fix is completely down. The program starts, but despite its presence in the system, the sound is still distorted. I have Windows XP Professional SP3 PL and used version 1.2 of your program. What to do?

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

When you play a MP3 file using Windows Media Player in Windows XP, is the sound still distorted?

[MrPepka]

Yes, the sound is also distorted then

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

Could you try below steps in your Windows XP:

1. Kill VMAudioBack process (if it's already running).
2. Go to the folder of VMAudioBack, find the file "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD", rename it to "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD".
3. Double-click VMAudioBack to run it, then check if the sound is still distorted.

[MrPepka]

Earlier I changed the name of this file but still the sound is distorted even as your program is running in the background

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I can reproduce your issue in VMware Workstation 16.2.0 but not in 16.1.2. Could you verify whether your WinXP sound is good in VMware Workstation 16.1.2?

[nguyenthienminh]

I also got the problem. I checked it and I happened to use 16.2.0. Thanks!

[TP555]

Hi

For me works that fine with Vmware Player 16.2.1 build-18811642 ! (Host OS: Windows 8.1)

I have Windows XP SP3 with the SB 128PCI Drivers from Vogons http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=370&menustate=0

After install that Driver and run VMAudioback , no Sound Problems anymore.

ok , i had never this Crackling Sound , i had more Cut or too Fast Sound , when the Sound Quick Repeat ! Like the XP Volume Panel , and Click on the Volume. !

May it works better with the latest VmWare Player or the SB128 PCI Drivers. !

[MrPepka]

OK, it's been a few months since my submission, it's time for a small update: Well, the update is that I still have distorted audio (despite the SB PCI 128 driver and this fix), but I discovered something strange. Namely, the sound is only distorted in the system. After starting any game in full screen, the sound is OK, but the sound in the system is distorted, no matter if it's the system sound, the sound from a movie played on YT in the browser or something else Anyone have any idea?

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I'm still waiting your response on this.

Could you verify whether your WinXP sound is good in VMware Workstation 16.1.2?

Please provide below test result for your XP SP3 guest.

1. Workstation 16.1.2 a) Native (without VMAudioBack) b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD"

2. Workstation 16.2.3 a) Native (without VMAudioBack) b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD"

Also, what host OS are you using? Windows 10 version 21H2?

[MrPepka]

I have Windows 10 21H2. Audio on XP works on older versions of VMWare, but I would prefer it to run on the latest version of VMWare ;)

[Raymai97]

I have Windows 10 21H2. Audio on XP works on older versions of VMWare, but I would prefer it to run on the latest version of VMWare ;)

Your response is too general. Do you mean:

Workstation 16.1.2 a) Native (without VMAudioBack) = Bad b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" = OK c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD" = OK

Workstation 16.2.3 a) Native (without VMAudioBack) = Bad b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" = Bad c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD" = Bad

If any of these "Bad" are different in any way, please do state.

[MrPepka]

Yes, in the older version of VMWare VMAudioBack correctly restores sound in XP, no matter if with SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD or with SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD

[MrPepka]

OK so VMWare got it updated today and found the sound in XP broken on both VMWare versions (16.1.2 and 16.2.3). No matter if I set SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD or SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,

I clean-installed my Win10 and install VMware Workstation 16.2.3 straight after installed essential drivers, and I do not hit any sound issue in Windows 2000/XP guest OS without running VMAudioBack. I think that after 16.2, there are some internal changes that affect this issue. It seems to me that:

• If your guest OS sound is fine after idle for 30 sec, you would not have issue whatsoever.
• If your guest OS sound is distorted right from the beginning, you would still have issue even when you play sound with Windows Media Player.

Not really sure what's going on here.

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

When your XP guest OS sound is distorted again, could you run "dxdiag" in XP guest OS and check again the sound?

[MrPepka]

Same. Well, I will have to get over this sound somehow :(

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I started to suspect maybe your XP guest is messed up somehow... In earlier post, I noticed you mentioned about SB PCI 128. Did you changed something at your side before? FYI, I'm using the default sound driver:

Could you create new VM, perform a clean installation of Windows XP SP3 Pro? Let's say the sound is still distorted, try grab a copy of Windows ME ISO, create a new VM of it, finish the installation until it reaches the Desktop. Then let WinME run in background, and check the sound of your newly-created XP SP3. I know this sounds a bit bizarre, but this was the alternative I used to use back then.

[mina354]

I have the same issue. I tried everything to make it work, but it always fails. The sound driver is left default. It doesn't work in Windows 2000 either. I use VMware Workstation 16.2.3 here.

[matti157]

Same issue for me, fresh install of XP Mediacenter

[hifinerd]

Same, running an install of XP Pro upgraded from 2000.

[nguyenthienminh]

Same with XP x64 right now.

[Annunaki]

Not working here host win 11 and vmw 16 player guest win 2k server.

[Smart123s]

Same here, but issue disappears if I disable Hyper-V / Virtual Machine Platform on host.

[Annunaki]

I gave up with running vmware on my AMD Ryzen system as I didn't have just audio issues but also gfx issues too the performance was shocking. I'm now using vmware with my Intel i7 system with no issues and great performance and don't even need any 3rd party software.

[Smart123s]

I've had the same issues with a Ryzen 5 5500U and an Intel i5 4440.

[nguyenthienminh]

Same here, but issue disappears if I disable Hyper-V / Virtual Machine Platform on host.

Interesting... I tried disabling both of them, but that doesn't help with the sound issues. Plus, Virtual Machine Platform is required for some Windows features, so I'm not risking it either.

[mina354]

The only workaround to keep the sound working in VMware VM is opening a VirtualBox VM running in the background. Otherwise, the sound would distort automatically and immediately.

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for not updating for a while on this issue. I was not able to reproduce this issue anymore. I can only say that, since VMware Workstation 16.2, things started to get unpredictable somehow.

For those who are having issue, could you try to install Windows ME on your VMware Workstation? Try to see what happen if Windows ME is running in background while your Windows 2000/XP is running. Would it help resolving the sound issue?

PS: While Windows ME could be terrible on some physical PC, it is one of the rare OS that runs very well on VMware Workstation right after clean installation, with display driver and sound driver working just fine out-of-the-box. Also it's abandonware and easy to find ISO online.

[Smart123s]

I've started a win95 vm (which on it's own has the same sound problems), then statred xp (while 95 was still running), but the issue persisted.

[Raymai97]

@Smart123s Could you share your "Windows Features" list? This is mine.