Windows XP guest sound distortion (workstation 17.X)

[0XIDE]

Hi everyone!

I recently tried to install a guest Windows XP and no matter what I do, no matter what version I use, I always get the same sound distortion problem. The sound driver is installed by VMTools. The sound is distorted, even the logon sound.

I tried every solution I found in other discussions and none of them worked. I tried to install another driver "EnsoniqAutioPCIES1371XPDriver.exe" from  Ensoniq Corporation Ensoniq AudioPCI ES1371 Free Driver Download for Windows XP - EnsoniqAudioPCIES1..., I tried to install "vmaudiofixtray", I tried to the timer period to a lower value (GitHub - temerkhanov/SetTimerService: SetTimerService is a tiny Windows NT4/2000/XP compatible servi...), and lastly but not least, I changed the HDD configuration from IDE to SCSI. NONE OF THOSE WORKED.

Could you please help me with some ideas?

Thanks

[linex000]

hello, did you solve it? I have the same problem, I have windows 11 and Vmware 17x and nothing works, the funny thing is that win95,winNT,winVista,win7 if the sound works

[RDFlores1]

Hello @0XIDE :

I also ran into this problem on a Windows XP MCE installation on Workstation 17.x and performed all the steps you did to no avail.  Nothing worked, including VMAudioFixTray, SetTimerService, or changing the Hardware Compatibility level to a lower level. 

However, I did run into a thread that indicated someone was able to get it to work on Workstation 15.5 or older.  I tried a new installation of XP on my other Workstation 15.5.7 machine, and after utilizing SetTimerService, the sound distortion was no longer there.  This corrected the problem.

For the purpose of testing, I took a snapshot of the working virtual machine and then copied it into the Workstation 17.x host, and the problem resurfaced.  That is, a perfectly working VM XP installation on Workstation 15.5.7 with no sound distortion, stopped working when run on a Workstation 17.x host.

[RDFlores1]

Found the Fix.  You have to disable Virtualization-Based Security.  This works without having to use any other tools or services such as VMAudioFix Tray or SetTimerService.

https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-11-disable-vbs/

[systmcrsh]

i disabled vbs (windows 11) and the problem still persists with windows server 2003 on workstation 17.

i uninstalled 17 and installed 15.5.7 (my 17 license works with 15) and that corrected the audio problem <- vbs still disabled, but no vmaudiofixtray or settimerservice.

[nerdygothguy420]

I too am having this issue. SCSI disk did not fix it,  vmaudiofixtray did not fix it, and removing hypervisor did not fix it. Did you or anyone discover a fix?

[Nextor666]

HI, I don't know why, but you can try install VirtualBox and run any OS (or nothing just running) and keep it minimized this fix the audio on virtual machines XP , Win 98 , 95  etc. 

Nextor666

[SMB99thx]

I've set the global timer into 1 with regedit and the sound is fixed. However, I faced another problem, and it is about random audio disconnects I have consistently, which has no fix. I wonder when they will come back and fix this.