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No sound at all!
Topic Started: Nov 25 2007, 12:58 PM (191 Views)
Timetrvlr
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Maybe I did it myself during a cleanup frenzy, I deleted programs that I didn't recognize.

Anyway, no sound no how, not with earphones or speakers. I don't know how to get it back. Any suggestions? Keep your instructions really simple, I'm not very good at this.

Thanks! ;wave2;
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campy
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Timetrvlr
Nov 24 2007, 07:58 PM
Maybe I did it myself during a cleanup frenzy, I deleted programs that I didn't recognize.

Anyway, no sound no how, not with earphones or speakers. I don't know how to get it back. Any suggestions? Keep your instructions really simple, I'm not very good at this.

Thanks! ;wave2;

Lets start with the basics first.

Check to see if there is power going to your speakers first.

I am assuming you are using Windows XP.

Click on Start.
Click on Settings
Click on Control Panel
Double Click on Sounds and Audio Devices.
At the Sounds and Audio Device Properties.
Check Device Volume.
Make sure the Mute button is not checked and the place Volume Icon on the taskbar is checked.

Click on O.K.
Click on X on the top right of the Control Panel to close it.

Then on the Taskbar at the bottom of your screen on the right hand side, there should be a little speaker icon.

Double click on that little speaker icon.

You should get to volume control

Make sure no Mute Buttons are checked.

Click on the X on the top right to close the volume control

Then click on start, turn off computer, and restart.

That should reboot your computer and the windows sound at boot up should signify if you have sound.

It's unlikely that you deleted any system programs that would have affected your computer if you are not getting any error messages at reboot.

You could always go back to a system restore to a point where your computer was working prior to your clean up.

I am not familiar with that and perhaps someone else can help you out on it.







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Delphi51
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Also try putting a headphone or earphone in the audio jack in place of the speakers. That will immediately tell you if the problem is with the speakers or the computer. Sometimes the problem is that the speakers are plugged into the wrong jack. Normally it is the green jack, but I've seen quite a few computers that had the colors mixed up. No harm in trying the headphone in the other jacks.

I like to try start-control panel-sounds&audio devices. On the sounds tab, you can choose one of the Windows sounds and play it as a test. This should be independent of the program you use to play music, so again you can narrow down the source of the problem.
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VickiNC
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Delphi51
Nov 25 2007, 01:31 AM
...

I like to try start-control panel-sounds&audio devices. On the sounds tab, you can choose one of the Windows sounds and play it as a test. This should be independent of the program you use to play music, so again you can narrow down the source of the problem.

Great instructions, campy, and super idea, Delphi. I wouldn't ever have thought of that, and it's a simple, easy test. I'm filing both away in my 'puter' help section. Hope they help you, Time.
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campy
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It seems to me that the problem arose with the deletion of programs.

It may have been that one of these programs start up at boot time and has been deleted so it's no longer there.

Usually problems arise when you install a new program and sometimes when you delete programs.

In the good old days we used to keep a diary and record every move made because there was no "restore" other than a complete backup.
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Timetrvlr
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Thanks for the good and complete instructions Campy! This is what I found:

Sounds and Audio Device Properties
No Audio Devices installed

So I followed Delphi's advice and plugged in a set of working earphones in the earphone jack---same readout. I suspect that I may have a hardware problem.

Thanks for the help!

:thump:
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Delphi51
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It is possible that the driver for the sound device is not installed. The easiest way to check that out would be to use Windows XP Restore feature to go back to a time when it worked and see if it still does.

Take a look at this another way. In Start-Control Panel, open "system". Click the "hardware" tab, then the "device manager" button. Look for a sound controller. If it is there, click the + sign in the box to open the list and then doubleclick the basic sound device - mine is called "Soundmax integrated digital audio". There should be some indication of whether the device is working, but again it could be not working because there is no driver installed or it may have lost its IRQ number or something like that. Let us know what you find!

It should be possible to install the drivers again. On the driver tab, try clicking "rollback to previous driver". "Update driver" should give you a chance to reload the driver from a CD that came with your computer or a file that you can find on the manufacturer's website. Of course you need to know the name of the sound card, or the name and model of the motherboard if it is an "integrated" on on-board card in order to download the driver.
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campy
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Timetrvlr
Nov 26 2007, 11:57 PM
Thanks for the good and complete instructions Campy! This is what I found:

Sounds and Audio Device Properties
  No Audio Devices installed

So I followed Delphi's advice and plugged in a set of working earphones in the earphone jack---same readout. I suspect that I may have a hardware problem.

Thanks for the help!

    :thump:

Here is another kick at the cat so to speak.


To troubleshoot your sound device

1.


Make sure that a sound device is installed on your computer; if not, just install one. In most cases, Windows will automatically detect the new hardware and install the necessary software drivers. If Windows does not automatically install the software drivers, run the Add Hardware Wizard to install them yourself (in Control Panel, open Add Hardware).

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...dvice/0087.mspx
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Deleted User
Deleted User

Had a similar problem a few months ago, I just reintalled and it has been working fine since. I found the problem as Campy described.
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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
I also had such a problem long ago. The problem was a sound card that had loosened.

If the Device Manages shows no audio card then turn off your computer at the surge protector, open the computer and pull the card and reboot (careful to ground yourself to metal.) Shut down again and reinstall the card TIGHTLY. Windows should find the card and install the proper drivers.

(While in there you might want to blow out any dust pussies that you see.)
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campy
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Trotsky
Nov 28 2007, 09:57 AM
I also had such a problem long ago. The problem was a sound card that had loosened.

If the Device Manages shows no audio card then turn off your computer at the surge protector, open the computer and pull the card and reboot (careful to ground yourself to metal.) Shut down again and reinstall the card TIGHTLY. Windows should find the card and install the proper drivers.

(While in there you might want to blow out any dust pussies that you see.)

Yeah that's right.

The sound card doesn't leave the computer does it?

It's either faulty or loose or needs reinstalling.

If it's faulty just buy a new one.

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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
Personally, I would take the card out and reboot and then put it back and reboot so that it approximates a complete reinstall.

Perhaps just a pull out and push back will suffice for a loose card...the old drivers would remain in place.
IF you lost or mangled the driver software the best bet is card removal, reboot, reinstall, reboot. Then the right drivers will be put in intact.

If the card is blown, replacement is cheap.
Try www.tigerdirect.com.
But cards don't blow very often...if EVER!
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Delphi51
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Reditall posted this link over on 50Plus. It looks like the last word on fixing sound issues:

http://www.5starsupport.com/faq/sound.htm#1-6
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Timetrvlr
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Thanks everyone! I tried all of your suggestions and the answer was System Restore. I restored all of the software that I deleted last month and now I have sound again.

Again, thank you all for your efforts! :thump: :120103_emA32_prv:
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wildie
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I've said it before and I'll say it again! I LOVE system restore. For once MS did something for their customers and not for Bill Gates.
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