Computer Question: Sound Problem

Subject: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 02:26 PM

I don't know what happened but my computer has gone silent. It will play sound associated with a website and CDs but not the system sounds or any sound associated with the games. It will not play MP3 files either.

Any clues gang?

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 02:50 PM

Sounds like your Wav sound is turned down or muted. If you are on a WIndows PC, open volume control and check the settings there.

Jon

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 03:14 PM

Thanks Jon, but I already tried that. This seems to go deeper than such a minor adjustment. I have exhausted my limited knowledge. I have checked that setting as well as the sound/volume settings for all of the programs on this machine. They are all on and say they are working.

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Frug
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 03:36 PM

Had this problem too. Solved it by re-installing sound card software. This was easy as mine was plug and play. Try it.

Frank

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 03:54 PM


The next place I'd look would be:

Start - Settings - ControlPanel
Go to System
Select DeviceManager
Look in "Sound Video and Game Controllers"

Make sure you have everything working there.

Occasionally, the PNP routines, that are supposed to find all your devices and install them when you reboot, will take a wild trip and fail to load - or will misidentify a piece of hardware, like a soundcard. (If you haven't done it recently, sometimes a shutdown and restart works wonders. A full shutdown sometimes does a more thorough job of renegotiation the PNP than a "restart computer" too.)

Next go back to Control Panel and look at "Multimedia" and make sure that you have the right equipment (mainly drivers) selected.

Most of the things you can change are on "rolldowns" that will show what the machine thinks is available. Make a note of what is set, so you can go back, and then try changing ONE THING AT A TIME. If there is no improvement, reset the thing you changed BEFORE you change something else.

It sounds like your audio driver has been switched to an MP3 or WAV only. Normal setting (depending on equipment) for the audio tab in multimedia is "use any available," but this can get changed inadvertently, or may be set differently if you have a good (or add-on) sound card. Of course, everything depends on the things unique to your system.

John

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 04:16 PM

I fixed it!!! Wooohooo!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 04:20 PM


How?!!!!

(In case mine craps out tomorrow.)

John

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: wildlone
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 04:29 PM

I somtimes get the problem that JohnInKansas said about failure to load, normally a restart works.
dave

Subject: RE: Computer Question: Sound Problem
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 04:33 PM

Hmmm! I didn't type that last message. It must have been my kid. A wise acre if ever there was one.

We went to download.com and downloaded a new sound driver. After installation we had sound!

Thanks for all your help.

Brett (really!)