Troubleshooting sound problems

"I'm not getting any sound," is a very common problem I hear. While there are a few technical issues that can prevent the sound from working on your computer, typically the problem is one of three things:

1. The speakers aren't plugged in - either to the electricity or to the correct jack on the back of the computer. There are at least 3 jacks where you can plug the speakers in, but only one of them will allow you to hear sound.

2. The volume isn't turned up or on. There are a number of places you need to check for this problem.

First, check to see if the speakers have a volume control, often a friend or family member will turn the speakers all the way down or off.

Second, check under START->CONTROL PANEL->SOUNDS AND DEVICES. Make sure that the mute box isn't checked and that the volume is turned all the way up. Click on the advanced button and make sure that NONE of the mute boxes are checked.

Third, click on the Audio tab in this same area and try different devices for the Sound playback, if available. Often only one device is offered.

3. (this one only applies to a few people) some computers come with non-amplified speakers. If you are trying to use speakers from an old computer, it could be that the speakers are not amplified. If there is no way to plug the speakers into the electricity and computer then you may need a new pair of speakers. Non-amplified speakers only work with amplified sound cards which most sound cards are not.

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