After installing this game on a new machine (Windows 7 64 bit) I can no longer hear footstep sounds. I can hear it very rarely once or twice when outside. The option is enabled in Controls.

Is there any way to fix this without installing Grayface patch (or is there an option to install only this component of the patch?)

Thanks.

i discovered that the sounds are actually there, but extremely low. If I put the speaker to the max and disable music I can hear them. Of course the rest of the sounds are unbearably loud then.

Don't know if this is related to the fact that when I load the game sometimes the music is much louder for a split second.

The Control Panel has a "Walksound" box. Don't know if it will help the problem.

Bob

Yes, that's already enabled.

I'm guessing you've already checked this, but did you compare the Sound volume slider versus the Music volume slider?

Also, what material are you walking across? Maybe certain materials are just really soft (been awhile, so I don't remember the details on this).

Yes.
The problem is walking sounds share the same slider as normal sounds. If I set it high enough (relative to music) for footsteps to be heard, all the other sounds are way too loud. Any material.

A bridge gives the most audible sounds, snow is probably lowest. But all of them are too low.

They all used to be loud enough on my old machine which I used just a week ago.

Sometimes, the step sounds become loud enough for just a split second. Appears to happen at random times.

It's not such a huge issue, so don't spend too much time looking for a solution.

I don't recall ever having this issue myself, so I'm not sure where to start; you've probably already tried any solution I might suggest. Speaking of which: have you tried the uninstall/reinstall tactic? The only other thing that comes to mind is contacting support.

Aside: Are you planning to go back and try the other path (light/dark) now? I don't remember which one you took previously.

Found a solution:

If I change the speaker configuration in Windows to 2 speakers instead of 5.1, the footsteps sounds play correctly. Just finishing Light. I think I'll finish the game this month (though who knows how much work I'll have). I think I'll try the other path. But probably I'll just go quickly over the Dark quests (i.e. I won't be replaying the whole game and doing all the dungeons).

If you have that pre-choice save, then it should be pretty straightforward. Some of the quests are similar in function, but the feel of them is different (ex. Proving Grounds versus Breeding Grounds).

I actually do have 5 speakers hence the setting.

Maybe it was simple a case that my center speaker was unplugged... I unplugged and replugged all of them and now the sound play on all settings, even 5.1. I still think it's lower than it was on my older machine, but maybe I'm imagining things.

Did your old system use the same speakers? Could just be that the overall sound level for footsteps is lower in 5.1 than it is in stereo. I'm also not an expert on the 5.1 support in MM7. It may be better to run it in stereo anyway if it's not optimized for 5.1 systems.

Yes speakers were same in the old PC.
What could have happened is that on my old PC I remember setting the music slider to lower. So maybe the footsteps seemed louder there because they were louder in relation to music.

I would run it in stereo, but at the moment it's really not such a big issue. I'd rather have lower sound footsteps that having to remember to switch my sound setting every time I start MM7 and switch back to 5.1 when I play a recent game or watch a movie.

Totally understandable! Anyway, I'm glad you fixed the initial problem.

OK, I discovered the reason behind this is that some sounds (including footsteps) only play through the center speaker.