Pooter halp plz kthx

[Serpentine]

Hullo! It's me again! Remember me? The one with the computer issues. Yeah. :smallsigh:
This time my sound's died. It went mid-game, when I lugged all my computer stuff bar my speakers over to Goff's parents' place for a couple of days. I used his headphones instead, and then while we were playing Warcraft the sound just cut off. Upon returning home I plugged in my speakers, and again, nothin'.
So far as I know I hadn't installed any new drivers. I found a CD that came with the computer that has a couple of audio drivers on it, so I tried installing those (although neither of them shared a name with the one already in place, but I can't find one that does), but still, nada.
Help? I misses my soundses. :smallfrown:

[Rawhide]

Do you have a brand name PC? If so, what's the make and model? If not, what is the make and model of the soundcard you have?

What operating system do you have?

What programs have you installed/uninstalled lately?

Find those out, go to their website then download and install the latest, most up to date, drivers.

http://www.funnycatpix.com/_pics/tech_support_cat.jpg

[Dispozition]

Are you using on board sound (from your motherboard) or a sound card?

EDIT: Ignore me, listen to the smart guy above me...

[Serpentine]

Do you have a brand name PC? If so, what's the make and model? If not, what is the make and model of the soundcard you have?Nope. SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio? Nothing about the version, though.


What operating system do you have? Windows XP Home Edition.


What programs have you installed/uninstalled lately?Only Firefox, which has caused havoc with my Explorer :smallannoyed:


Find those out, go to their website then download and install the latest, most up to date, drivers.They don't seem to have their own website, but I'm trying to download one anyway. Guess we'll see... Thanks guys.

[Rawhide]

Sounds like an onboard soundcard, what's the make and model of the motherboard?

Find that out and go to their website.

[Serpentine]

Asus M2N, or possibly Asus M2N DH (found the User Guide). I'll try to find the site...
edit: according to said User Guide, there's something like 8 websites :smalleek:

[Skippy]

Try Everest, (http://majorgeeks.com/download4181.html) a program for diagnosing your system. It can give you the model of your Mother Board, as well as the model of your Sound Card.

[Serpentine]

The sound driver I downloaded and attempted to install came up with this:
"Driver not found! Reboot your system, and run this setup again"
>.<

Trying Everest.

edit: What is it, exactly, that Everest is supposed to do?:smallconfused:

[Skippy]

There is an option in Everest that allows you to check your system. It gives you a summary on all the Hardware installed in your PC, and all the drivers you need to keep it running as it should.

[Rawhide]

M2N Drivers
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=M2N

[Serpentine]

Alright, I downloaded one of those ones. After it finally downloaded WinZip came up, but I've run out of that so I had to search for the file to open it with 7-zip. The files that I found, though ("SoundMax" "Last Modified this week"), didn't need to be unzipped. It came up with a setup wizard thingy, with a sound test. It remained silent for the test. :smallsigh:

[Serpentine]

Alright, I have a specific question because this is really bugging me. My sound was working absolutely fine. Why would it cut off in the middle of the game when I hadn't touched or changed anything for at least days, much less when I was occupied by a damn game?!

[Kaelaroth]

I am by no means a computer wizard. Actually, I generally try and keep away from the things.

Oh god! I'm on one now! What'll I do? Panic! Run!!!

Might it just have broken? Have you tried going to a computer repair shop? Or fetching a corporeal computer-literate friend?

[Rawhide]

Alright, I have a specific question because this is really bugging me. My sound was working absolutely fine. Why would it cut off in the middle of the game when I hadn't touched or changed anything for at least days, much less when I was occupied by a damn game?!

What game was it?


I am by no means a computer wizard. Actually, I generally try and keep away from the things.

Oh god! I'm on one now! What'll I do? Panic! Run!!!

Might it just have broken? Have you tried going to a computer repair shop? Or fetching a corporeal computer-literate friend?

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/hax.jpg

[Serpentine]

Warcraft 3, LAN gaming, DOTA Allstars. Egads!

[Skippy]

DotA is the most awesome game EVA!!

I have had problems with the soundcard and that game, too...

[MCerberus]

My suggestion is to check the wires connecting the speakers. You said you lugged them around places maybe something bad happened.

Specifically, check to see if where the wire meets to speaker is loose. If it is you may have a loose connection that will occasionally turn off/on. Many people who have killed headsets notice these symptoms before they die completely.

The good news is that if my theory is correct you can fix your speakers with a mini-screwdriver and scotch tape.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Serp, the title of this post invokes violent tendencies in me...

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6853/textmessagingftlavatarqh9.jpg

[FireSpark]

Whilst I'm not exactly a computer guru, I have been told that I am quite the competent trouble-shooter.

And while MCerberus suggests this:

My suggestion is to check the wires connecting the speakers. You said you lugged them around places maybe something bad happened.

Specifically, check to see if where the wire meets to speaker is loose. If it is you may have a loose connection that will occasionally turn off/on. Many people who have killed headsets notice these symptoms before they die completely.

The good news is that if my theory is correct you can fix your speakers with a mini-screwdriver and scotch tape.

...your initial post suggests that since you didn't take your speakers, the likelhood is low. However, if your headset and home speakers plug into the same jack, then perhaps you should begin your investigation with this common element.

[MountainKing]

I would personally be lead to believe that it's a symptom of jack failure, and if you've got onboard sound then it's not really something you can fix without being a wizard with a soldering iron. Have you tried just wiggling the connector gently in the jack while listening carefully to see if the speakers (I'd use the headset myself, since it puts the sound right next to your ears) produce any feedback noise/static? If it does, that would pretty much lay it out as a failure of the jack.

[RTGoodman]

I had the exact same sort of problem this past Spring (I wasn't playing Warcraft though). The only thing that I could figure out was that some file or something got corrupted by the Symantec Antivirus update I'd downloaded just a little before (since, at my university, you're not allowed to get online without the most up-to-date Symantec virus definitions, the latest version of Cisco Clean Access Agent, and any updates Microsoft releases for Windows :smallannoyed: ).

[Pyro]

Serp, the title of this post invokes violent tendencies in me...

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6853/textmessagingftlavatarqh9.jpg

That comic makes me happy on the inside.:smalltongue:

[Serpentine]

I forgot, I tried the headphones in both the back jack and the front. I think it had issues with the back one, but it worked in the front until it died completely. I tried the speakers in the front again just now, but it still didn't work.

VT:

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/hay-be-nice-emokitteh-is-sensitive.jpg

[preserver3]

I forgot, I tried the headphones in both the back jack and the front. I think it had issues with the back one, but it worked in the front until it died completely. I tried the speakers in the front again just now, but it still didn't work.


Let's work through this step by step.

1. Right click on the start button and select "Explore" to bring up Windows Explorer
2. Right click on "My computer" and select "Manage" to bring up the computer Management interface. (You may close Explorer at this time)
3. Click on the tree option of Device manager and use the + symbol next to "Sound, video and game controllers"

Is anything a yellow question mark? If a question mark is present or an exclamation mark, this will require more feedback.

Is your sound card options listed?

If the sound card isn't listed this is probably one of three problems:
1. Your Sound Card has been turned off at the Bios. To fix reboot your machine, enter the bios and re-enable the sound device.
2. Your on board sound Card has burned something out; most likely culprit is a capacitor. To fix this you'll have to buy a new sound card or replace the mother board.
3. You have plugged in a USB device that is improperly shorting the USB port and address used on your motherboard, and since sound devices often share space and port addressing with these ubiquitous creatures, your sound card is unable to load a device driver because it is being interrupted.

If your card is listed
move on to step 4.

4. look at the small Windows Icons in the bottom right hand of your screen. Look for one that looks like a small speaker, with two "sound lines" coming away from it. Right click it and select "Open Volume Control"

5. The window that opens will have a series of check boxes that say "Mute" or "Mute All".
Un-check all of them.
Test your audio in both the front and back. If it still won't play go to Options-> Properties and make sure all items are checked on the Playback option list and try again to make sure all items are not muted.

Please return with any findings.
Thanks.

[Serpentine]

Thanks Preserver, but:
I've forgotten how to get into the Device Manager (your instructions don't work on this computer) but I looked yesterday. There were no yellow exclamation marks. There were sound card options listed, I assume they're mine. Nothing was muted, Playback was all ticked except for Microphone.
That's... all I've got. *sigh* I don't want to take it to Computer Nerds again, they're expensive :smallfrown: I'll have to call the people who built it, and hope I don't have to send it all the damn way to Sydney to get it fixed.

[preserver3]

Thanks Preserver, but:
I've forgotten how to get into the Device Manager (your instructions don't work on this computer) but I looked yesterday. There were no yellow exclamation marks. There were sound card options listed, I assume they're mine. Nothing was muted, Playback was all ticked except for Microphone.
That's... all I've got. *sigh* I don't want to take it to Computer Nerds again, they're expensive :smallfrown: I'll have to call the people who built it, and hope I don't have to send it all the damn way to Sydney to get it fixed.



Right click on "My computer" and select "Properties," then select the "Hardware" tab then the "Device Manager" button

Can you tell me if it's there? The Sound Device I mean?
Can you try your USB devices in different USB ports, like say the ones up front?

[Serpentine]

Sound, video and game controllers.
- Audio Codecs
- Legacy Audio Drivers
- Legacy Video Capture Devices
- Media Control Devices
- SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio
- Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
- Video Codecs
The speakers aren't USB (I think?), but I've already tried it in different ports. My internet and thumb drive, which are USB, are working fine.

[preserver3]

The speakers aren't USB (I think?), but I've already tried it in different ports. My internet and thumb drive, which are USB, are working fine.

Sorry, I need to clarify myself here. Can you try rebooting your machine with all unnecessary USB devices un-plugged? No external hard drives, no thumb drives.
If you have a USB Keyboard and/or mouse, put them in USB ports other than the ones you've normally tried them in. I think Windows may have installed a driver for a USB audio device, you do not in fact have.

[MountainKing]

Sorry, I need to clarify myself here. Can you try rebooting your machine with all unnecessary USB devices un-plugged? No external hard drives, no thumb drives.
If you have a USB Keyboard and/or mouse, put them in USB ports other than the ones you've normally tried them in. I think Windows may have installed a driver for a USB audio device, you do not in fact have.

Oh snap, the lad may be on to something. Do you let Windows run Automatic Updates or anything of that sort?

[Serpentine]

What exactly should I be looking for? Should I leave my speakers in and see if they work with all that stuff unplugged?

[preserver3]

What exactly should I be looking for? Should I leave my speakers in and see if they work with all that stuff unplugged?

Exactly, I'm really hoping this works, because the likely alternative is that something more permanent has been done to the hardware on board your machine.

[Rawhide]

About what time was it when the sound stopped?

[preserver3]

About what time was it when the sound stopped?

If you're thinking that it's the recent update, I think she's in Australia and I think she's technically on a different update schedule. I don't know if "time of day" will definitively determine if this is her problem, unless that time matches the time when a patch was applied.

[Serpentine]

He's in Australia with me, anyway :smalltongue: I tried taking everything out and restarting, but still no sound :smallfrown:
Why would the time matter? :smallconfused: I wasn't connected to the internet, anyway... But it was sometime between, say, 8pm and midnightish.

[Rawhide]

If you're thinking that it's the recent update, I think she's in Australia and I think she's technically on a different update schedule. I don't know if "time of day" will definitively determine if this is her problem, unless that time matches the time when a patch was applied.

Automatic updates happen at a time you specify, by default this is 3am. It happens at that time, in your local time, regardless of what country you are in.



He's in Australia with me, anyway :smalltongue: I tried taking everything out and restarting, but still no sound :smallfrown:
Why would the time matter? :smallconfused: I wasn't connected to the internet, anyway... But it was sometime between, say, 8pm and midnightish.

You weren't connected to a network that was connected to the internet by a router?

[preserver3]

Automatic updates happen at a time you specify, by default this is 3am. It happens at that time, in your local time, regardless of what country you are in.

Correct and conceded but,
Most computers bought here in the States have a default timezone setting of Pacific/US
Additionally there's a tab under Date and Time Properties called Internet Time

When we were trying to avoid updates including stealth updates (http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Microsoft-stealth-Windows-update-damages-trust/0,130061733,339282078,00.htm) to test machines and tried to move windows update times to 3:00 PM EST, our time for observation, we found some machines would actually start their updates at 6:00 PM because their default settings were to Pacific time, and the time display, set by the user at time of install was useless for predicting when an Update would occur.

[MountainKing]

Correct and conceded but,
Most computers bought here in the States have a default timezone setting of Pacific/US

Is that why I never have to change mine from Easter Standard to... well, Eastern Standard? :p

[Serpentine]

You weren't connected to a network that was connected to the internet by a router?
Nope. 'Twere but our four humble workstations connected at the hub. No internut involved.