64-bit client refusing to detect any audio devices

[RustyCuyler24]

I'm sick and tired of trying different fixes that sometimes work and sometimes don't.. The bottom line is, sometimes the 64-bit client will detect your audio devices, and sometimes it won't. I understand that it's still in Beta, but this is kinda garbage.... How is it that the 32-bit client can always detect audio devices every single time, and the 64-bit client sometimes can't? I understand that there was a bug with audio that sometimes caused 64-bit to crash, and I can see that fix in action when it tries to crash but the fix saves it from crashing, but I don't understand how it can sometimes simply detect no audio devices, yet you can restart it and it'll magically detect them, and how that has not been fixed yet, nor has any temporary fix been told to the community to avoid this bug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHcXVIQGD38

I've tried deleting and renaming the UserPreferences files, it still sometimes comes up with "None" audio devices. I have to keep closing the process and opening it time and time again until it decides 64-bit wants to detect my audio devices. I want to know why devs aren't addressing this issue.

[EB64]

Only time I've ever had issues with audio not working in-game is if I have a different audio program running(ie: Winamp) when I launch the game.

EDIT:
In your video, it's probably because you're running that Youtube video.
Literally the only time I've experienced this bug is when playing my own music before and during launching the game.

[Master_Yeti]

You could try adjusting the options in the speaker properties. It may help, it may not but you have nothing to lose trying it.

There are 2 options under exclusive mode that may affect how your sound card responds to the game. One to allow applications to take exclusive control of the device and one to give exclusive applications priority.

[Harla]

I'm sick and tired of trying different fixes that sometimes work and sometimes don't.. The bottom line is, sometimes the 64-bit client will detect your audio devices, and sometimes it won't. I understand that it's still in Beta, but this is kinda garbage.... How is it that the 32-bit client can always detect audio devices every single time, and the 64-bit client sometimes can't? I understand that there was a bug with audio that sometimes caused 64-bit to crash, and I can see that fix in action when it tries to crash but the fix saves it from crashing, but I don't understand how it can sometimes simply detect no audio devices, yet you can restart it and it'll magically detect them, and how that has not been fixed yet, nor has any temporary fix been told to the community to avoid this bug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHcXVIQGD38

I've tried deleting and renaming the UserPreferences files, it still sometimes comes up with "None" audio devices. I have to keep closing the process and opening it time and time again until it decides 64-bit wants to detect my audio devices. I want to know why devs aren't addressing this issue.

Hey there Rusty,

Did you know that there is a section on this very forum dedicated to technical support?

Did you know that you can post your technical issue thread there and it stands a very good chance of being responded to?

It was already suggested to you, back Here:

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...ng-to-be-fixed

I still don't see your thread describing this problem you've been having, which seems largely to be a you-specific problem, which few, if anyone else, has been experiencing at all, over there in the Technical Support section of the forum, where it actually stands the best chance of being responded to and a solution found.

I'd strongly suggest you post this issue there.

[MadMax389]

I have the same problem as OP, and I think this forum is appropriate. Sometimes I log into the game and there is no audio device connected, "NONE" is listed as the audio playback device. For me it has nothing to do with playing music in the background. I've tried to recreate the issue, but is seems completely random. To resolve it, you have to exit the game to desktop and restart the game. Once it detects the audio device, then it seems to persist throughout the session. It's annoyance to be sure, but not a game breaker given the advantages of the 64b client. I thought it might be an isolated case before the OP's post. I bet other people have this problem and hopefully SSG is aware.

-Madmax

[cdq1958]

I have seen this, but only if I do a second launch (64 bit) before the first one has cleared its termination sequence. If I wait long enough, the second launch has no issue. That said, SSG needs data to resolve it. Send in those bug reports.

[Silorien]

I took a quick glance at our sound initialization code. We don't have any specific instructions for 64-bit there, so if this really is a problem on our end, it's probably going to be a hard one to figure out, especially if we can't reproduce the problem. It could (unfortunately for us both) be a problem with the OpenAL library, but I'll assume for the moment that the problem is in our side of the code.

[Brethwyn_EU]

I'm having the same sound issues with my 64-bit client.

[Thoroval]

I took a quick glance at our sound initialization code. We don't have any specific instructions for 64-bit there, so if this really is a problem on our end, it's probably going to be a hard one to figure out, especially if we can't reproduce the problem. It could (unfortunately for us both) be a problem with the OpenAL library, but I'll assume for the moment that the problem is in our side of the code.

If you want to attempt to reproduce it (if it's the same issue), try launching/logging-in multiple clients in succession. I have 4 near simultaneous copies of the client open every day (just to log in and get Hobbit presents) and I lose audio on at least one of the clients 1 or 2 times a week.

And yes, no audio detected happened to me when opening multiple 32-bit client copies before (not often), but the failure rate has been much higher since I started using the 64-bit client.

[Gaiandrial]

I have the same issue except I have never had any audio device choices using the 64-bit client other than my native audio, there are no Hardware or Software modes like 32-bit, just my normal Windows modes. It works fine though and I haven't experienced any sound-related crashes since the last update.

My problem is EXTREMELY long loading and closing times for both the character selection screen and when closing the game, 32-bit works in a snap, 64 bit takes 5-10 times longer for certain functions like those. Just sayin'

[Gaiandrial]

I took a quick glance at our sound initialization code. We don't have any specific instructions for 64-bit there, so if this really is a problem on our end, it's probably going to be a hard one to figure out, especially if we can't reproduce the problem. It could (unfortunately for us both) be a problem with the OpenAL library, but I'll assume for the moment that the problem is in our side of the code.

(Knock Knock) LOTRO has had Sound-related issue for YEARS, this isn't something new, just the most recent problem. It has never been solved and I agree it's gonna be hard to troubleshoot as the original programmers are no longer with the company I've been told. I was even once told by tech support that the reason "I" had probs was that my sound device (Sound-Blaster THX-Certified) wasn't compatible and would NOT work in LOTRO. Well, at that point I had already been using it for 2-3 years and I continue to use it to this day with ZERO issues with it outside LOTRO.

Something I HAVE noticed though is that 32-bit mode no longer has both a Hardware AND Software modes in my selction box. 32-bit has "Speaker (Windows native mode)", "Software Speaker (same as last)" and a Software mode for my Monitor. 64 bit only has "Speaker", the native Windows mode and no other choices.

Part os the issue is sloppy coding, like sound routines that don't exit properly or aren't flushed after use. Go to the Skirm camp outside S bree gate, go to Currency npc, listen to the tune, now logout then log back in, now you'll hear TWO songs playing. Do it again. Yes, now there are three, I suspect this goes on ad infinitum. That's just one example, there are LOTS more, already reported but haven't been corrected, some going back over 5 yrs.

I am guessing that if you fix these older problems you'll have a better grasp as to what the probs are with sound in the new 64-bit client ... and it may help to speed up the game as well.

[Narthalion]

I wonder if I'm having the same problem today for the first time. Absolute silence when I play the game on 64. Up till today, never had this problem before.

[AllstarChampion]

My problem is EXTREMELY long loading and closing times for both the character selection screen and when closing the game, 32-bit works in a snap, 64 bit takes 5-10 times longer for certain functions like those. Just sayin'

Same here, to the point that windows 10 gives the notification that lotro is unresponsive.

Also, did the 64 client change in anyway with the last patch? Was stable for weeks and now I cant play the Anvil raid anymore. Keeps silently crashing and even gives windows blue screens. Reinstalled OS, drivers, lotro several times but doesnt seem to work.

[LuckyShot]

I have the same problem as OP, and I think this forum is appropriate. Sometimes I log into the game and there is no audio device connected, "NONE" is listed as the audio playback device. For me it has nothing to do with playing music in the background. I've tried to recreate the issue, but is seems completely random. To resolve it, you have to exit the game to desktop and restart the game. Once it detects the audio device, then it seems to persist throughout the session. It's annoyance to be sure, but not a game breaker given the advantages of the 64b client. I thought it might be an isolated case before the OP's post. I bet other people have this problem and hopefully SSG is aware.

-Madmax

This describes the same issue for me. If I don't hear any sound by the time the character loading screen appears, then I know I need to quit to desktop & relaunch the game.

[LotroVidz]

I took a quick glance at our sound initialization code. We don't have any specific instructions for 64-bit there, so if this really is a problem on our end, it's probably going to be a hard one to figure out, especially if we can't reproduce the problem. It could (unfortunately for us both) be a problem with the OpenAL library, but I'll assume for the moment that the problem is in our side of the code.

Sorry for going off-topic, but are you allowed to answer if you have a pre- Helms Deep code left of the game in case you would ever run a classic client/server? I don't think we never have gotten an explanation to this.

[Seschat]

If you want to attempt to reproduce it (if it's the same issue), try launching/logging-in multiple clients in succession. I have 4 near simultaneous copies of the client open every day (just to log in and get Hobbit presents) and I lose audio on at least one of the clients 1 or 2 times a week.

And yes, no audio detected happened to me when opening multiple 32-bit client copies before (not often), but the failure rate has been much higher since I started using the 64-bit client.

Or just log in and out several times during the course of a day, no signing out or rebooting Windows. That is usually when I encounter the issue.

[Thoroval]

Or just log in and out several times during the course of a day, no signing out or rebooting windows. That is usually when I encounter the issue.

Probably, but I've found that running multiple clients can cause the LOTRO client to fail to detect any audio resources a bit more frequently than just a single client. My suspicion is the LOTRO client doesn't handle detection well if another process (in my case another LOTRO client) is accessing/detecting the audio subsystem of Windows at the same time.

[Mennhabar]

Probably, but I've found that running multiple clients can cause the LOTRO client to fail to detect any audio resources a bit more frequently than just a single client. My suspicion is the LOTRO client doesn't handle detection well if another process (in my case another LOTRO client) is accessing/detecting the audio subsystem of Windows at the same time.

I think you may be right...

While the 64bit client usually works very well for me (with the exception of a bit of floor flickering in some areas, e.g Lorien allegiance hall), I have from time to time some issues with audio:

1) (1-2 times a day) Sudden freezing of the game for 3-4 seconds, followed by a reset of music and other sounds. Slightly annoying but no real damage done.

2) (1-2 times a week) Loss of audio after switching back to Lotro from another application (I play with two screens and on the second one I usually have Firefox or Explorer or another windowed Lotro when dual-boxing).
This is simply resolved by going to Lotro audio options, choosing another output device, then revert back to the usual one.

3) (1-2 time a month) The one discussed in this thread: Lotro totally silent and no audio device listed for output. Only solution: close the client and reopen it...
But, as Thoroval suggests, this always happened to me when I had another program active during lotro startup, possibly using windows audio subsystem. If I leave Lotro in the foreground, this is not happening to me. (At least until now :-) )

[Silorien]

I believe I have a fix for this. The 64-bit OpenAL32.dll we're currently using doesn't perfectly match the library that we're linking against, which is of course going to cause some undefined behavior. This should fix two issues: Duplicate enumerations in the device drop-down box, and game starting without sound. This fix will go out with the next patch, which should be soon™.

[EB64]

Awesome!
I'll definitely test this with my version of the bug and will post results here.

[auximenes]

I believe I have a fix for this. The 64-bit OpenAL32.dll we're currently using doesn't perfectly match the library that we're linking against, which is of course going to cause some undefined behavior. This should fix two issues: Duplicate enumerations in the device drop-down box, and game starting without sound. This fix will go out with the next patch, which should be soon™.

Thanks.

[masumane]

Surprising to see game devs listen to us.

Could you also add the farmer faire Egg Scramble quest to the list? That quest is really badly designed.

[Thoroval]

I believe I have a fix for this. The 64-bit OpenAL32.dll we're currently using doesn't perfectly match the library that we're linking against, which is of course going to cause some undefined behavior. This should fix two issues: Duplicate enumerations in the device drop-down box, and game starting without sound. This fix will go out with the next patch, which should be soon™.

Nice! Since I can regularly reproduce this error, I'm looking forward to trying out the fix.

[Narthalion]

I believe I have a fix for this. The 64-bit OpenAL32.dll we're currently using doesn't perfectly match the library that we're linking against, which is of course going to cause some undefined behavior. This should fix two issues: Duplicate enumerations in the device drop-down box, and game starting without sound. This fix will go out with the next patch, which should be soon™.

Much appreciated! Thanks very much. Had the same problem again today. Very strange...only started for me the last couple of days.

[soltasword]

So I have to add my name to this list. Been using the 64bit since it came out and today was the first day it did not recognize my audio device. Had to restart it twice before I had any sound. Has worked with no issue up until today.