Hey Dungeon Keeper 2 works just fine, no crashing yet. There is just one small issue but it's enough to really deter me from playing the game. All the sound works fine except for when the imps are digging the ground. I don't hear the little pick axes nor do I hear the explosions I really liked those sounds and the game feels kinda barren without them. I did hear the sound just a COUPLE times in 15 minutes of play but most of the time they are silent.

Anyone run into this issue and a fix? (have deleted reinstalled and messed with sound options, as well as trying the hardware fix but it can't seem to patch says it doesn't work with installed version)

Having the same issue at the moment. What is funny is I played the gog version years ago and had no issues, but now I have this weird silence issue that springs up often in the way you describe.

--Edit--

I'm losing my brains.

They're talking about DK2, not DK1.

Let's try that again shall we? :-)
Sound issues are common with Dungeon Keeper 2 when played on modern hardware. I suggest you try these popular fixes.
It involves updating the QMIXER.DLL and SFMAN32.DLL files in your GOG Games\Dungeon Keeper 2 folder.

QSound 3D Audio Mixer (see which one works best for you):

QMIXER v5
Darky's QMIXER v4

SoundFont Master Manager (might not be necessary):

SFMAN32 v4

The QMIXER v5 update comes highly recommended, and is even included with Wyrmcast's excellent General Improvement Mod.

Backup your original QMIXER.DLL and SFMAN32.DLL files just in-case.

Let me know if this helps.

Thank you for helping. As of now, no. Updating those files didn't make any difference. It still feels odd when you hear some of the sounds some of the times.

Been using an older laptop to play games like this, wish I had the CD version because I figure that would be solid.

specs just in case

Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3
Intel Pentium M 750
Dothan 90nm Technology
2.00GB Single-Channel DDR2 @ 266MHz
Audio
SigmaTel C-Major Audio
Graphics
128MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X600 (Dell)

To explain, I tried using both v5 and Darky's Qmixer separately. I loaded a save where I would expect a lot of imp mining to occur and if no change then I started a new game in order to see if it was the save. Same result occurred. Then I ran the game with the original Qmixer and switched out the SFMAN32 file. Still no difference in sound.

I then turned off hardware acceleration in Dxdiag. This created more problems with stuttering intro, to scratchy sounds. Even with this new problem, the old problem was still present. So I turned acceleration back on.

I then updated to Version 1.8 that I found on the following website
http://dungeon-keeper.net/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=79&func=select&id=50

The sound problem still persisted sadly enough. I uninstalled and re installed a fresh version from gog.
I'll try and see if I can do anything else to get to working later.

I feel like i'm sounding silly, but it was the atmosphere from all the sounds that made me love this game. The imps constantly mining, the training room always full of noise and so on. Combat was always full of all the heroes shouts and exchange of combat blows. Currently, combat is sadly silent with some random bleeps of noise here and there. This is why I hope to fix this.

No I completely understand what you mean. Atmosphere is crucial in a game like this. Also, do not use the 1.8 update as it causes more problems.

Before trying the below suggestion, I would create a backup of your current Dungeon Keeper 2 installation by copying it to another folder. This allows you to revert back to normal if it doesn't help.

Go ahead and download the General Improvement Mod I mentioned. The missing sounds could be a side-effect from your SigmaTel C-Major Audio, my old laptop had the same on-board sound and it caused numerous problems with games. It could also be an unfortunate side effect from GOG's version that I haven't noticed before.

GOG uses the 1.7 update, and it isn't without its own problems. The AI is totally broken, and so is the multiplayer.

The only important step prior to installing the GIM mod, is to delete the Data/editor/maps/ folder. After installing the GIM mod, make a seperate shortcut to DKII.EXE file and launch it with that. You should notice that it says 1.5 at the bottom left of the title screen.

Using DKII.EXE may require you to disable hardware acceleration and launch with -softwarefilter specified on the shortcut.
Refer to this thread for a brief explanation of the different versions.
Let me know if you have any problems and I'll try to assist.

Applied the GIM mod. Running 1.5 without doing any adjusting to the shortcut. Game runs normal and fine like before. But, I still have the same vacant sound problem. What I do now is I start a game, wait for 4 imps to spawn, then click a area for them to dig away. I hear one random sound effect and then a period of silence.

Thank you for all your help by the way. I really do appreciate it.

Have you tried looking for newer SigmaTel C-Major Audio drivers? (SigmaTel is the old name, they have since rebranded as IDT) I know Dell aren't known for updating their XP drivers for older laptops, but check to see what they have first anyways. Years ago when I had a Dell laptop I didn't bother using their proprietary drivers, but instead obtained newer ones from LaptopVideo2Go. It might be more headache than its worth, but maybe you can check it out.

I'll give it a shot when i get the chance. I'll keep you posted. thank you again.

Has anyone solved this issue? I recently bought the game in a sale and I've encountered exactly the same problem. Most of the sounds and music seem to work, but certain sounds have gone bye-bye, like the mining sounds and the narrator saying 'it is payday'.