No sound from speakers after reinstalling Vista

[Robert Johnson]

Davey, I've tested the sound using : the RealTek HD Audio Manager, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer.

[DJT298]

Right click the speaker icon again and choose the option for playback devices. In the new window highlight speakers and click the properties box. Select the levels tab and check to ensure the play control setting slider is moved to the far right and that it doesn't have a disabled sign showing (red circle with a line through it).

Close down that box and go back to the Sound Window (the one with speakers and green tick). Highlight speakers again and click on configure. From the new window select the speaker system that best suits your setup (from your earlier posts I assume this is stereo). Click Test and you should hear sound from each speaker in turn. Click next and continue through the wizard until the end.

[Robert Johnson]

DJT, I have followed your instructions precisely, bu there is no change.

[Robert Johnson]

On the invoice I see a "5.1 High definition 6 channel Audio Codec (on board)". Given that the computer had been formatted in order to get it to work, does this audio codec also have to be downloaded and installed in order to get the sound working ?

Realtek is being used as the sound software. Can any other sound software be used such as Soundblaster, or does software have to match the motherboard ?

Can the sound hardware be readily replaced ?

[DJT298]

I will try to answer your questions in the order you have provided them.

"5.1 High definition 6 channel Audio Codec (on board)". This is a generic description for the sound processing device included in your computer. You basically have three options for providing sound on a computer, these include:

On-board - The sound processing chips are fited to the motherboard of the computer and shares the power and memory with the motherboard.

Add in sound card - Installed seperately into the computer, normally using a PCI slot. The card has it's own sound processing chips and memory and are generally more powerful as a result.

External Sound Card - Useful if you have limited space inside you computer they are normally connected via USB.

Realtek is the make of sound chip installed on your motherboard, it is not a make of software. Basically, your computer is made up of several components from different manufacturers that all have to be able to "talk" to each other for the computer to function properly. They do this by having a piece of software (drivers).

Onboard sound hardware is not easily replaced but you can use one of the options listed above if you wanted to change from on-board sound. Older computers this would have been recommended but modern on-board sound is very good and no difference would really be noticable unless you were an enthusiast.

To be honest, as your sound worked fine until you re-installed Vista I would be surprised if the hardware was faulty and the problem is much more likely to be software or configuration related. It may be that somehow when you have tried to update the drivers they have become corrupted.

I recommend you try again to install the drivers and configure the sound settings. Firstly though remove all traces of the old drivers by clicking the Start Orb then Computer then the tab at the top of the page titled "Uninstall or Change a Program". Look down the list and remove any sound drivers. Re-start the computer and then check Device Manager. If all the drivers have been properly uninstalled you should have either sound or unknown devices showing in device manager with an exclamation mark.

Now re-install the sound drivers from the link Davey has previously provided and after they have installed and you have re-started the computer check the configuration as per my earlier instructions.

[Robert Johnson]

DJT, I tried : Start orb > Computer > Uninstall or change a program > I deleted Realtek > then restarted.

When I restarted, "High definition audio device" immediately installed automatically.

When I checked Device Manager under "Sound, video and game controllers" there was no exclamation mark or "unknown devices". All that was listed was "High definition audio device" without any exclamation marks.

There is still no sound from the speakers.

[DJT298]

I'll be honest, without being sat in front of the PC I think we have hit a stage when I am unable to offer any more advice. I still stand by my previous comment that the problem is software related rather than faulty hardware and feel confident I could sort it if I could access your computer, but it is probably best for Mesh to sort this now. Unfortunately that means you will have to return it to them and you may be charged, especially if you re-installed Vista without Mesh' advice (Davey should be able to confirm).

Alternatively you could take it to a local PC shop/repairer and ask they take a look.

If I was local to you I would be happy to take a look for you.

[Robert Johnson]

DJT, you are virtually in the same road as me. However, unfortunately that road is the M4 ! You are at one end of it in Newport, South Wales and I am at the other end in West London !

It doesn't appear to be the speakers, connections, software, settings or hardware. So I am baffled myself, because there don't appear to be any other options.

I had to reinstall Vista because advice I was given on the phone by Mesh support regarding occasional blue screens brought the computer to a complete and irresolvable halt. The computer wouldn't even start after following their instructions, which they asserted would completely rid the blue screens. Three technicians were unable to resolve the problems that caused, but I managed to correct them myself.

I am reluctant to return the computer to Mesh because nothing was resolved by phone concerning the blue screens, and all reasonable possibilities here seem to have been exhausted.

I originally had problems with there being no sound, but resolved that problem by using the wrong plug socket at the back - the black one instead. I have no idea why that odd solution worked, but unfortunately, it doesn't work now.

Is there a possibility that the replacing the sound card would resolve the issue - not to get better sound, because the sound was already very good - but to get around possible software and settings problems.

The odd thing is that right now I am listening to music through the same speakers using my iPod rather than the PC, yet all I had to do was plug it in to the iPod. If only the PC problem was as a simple as that.

[Robert Johnson]

Numerous phone calls to Technical Support haven't doone any good.

Each time they claimed this will "definitely" solve the problem, yet what they suggested didn't make any difference.

Claims of they will collect the computer came to nothing.

Claims that a senior technician will phone me have not been acted on.

I wonder if an immediate Court application for damages will do the trick.

[Davey W]

Hi Robert Johnson,

No collection has been agreed or arranged as of yet. As far as I can see you have discussed various possible solutions with support which, as you say, did not resolve the problem.

We can certainly arrange to have your system returned for an examination if you wish but you do need to bear in mind that only hardware fault would be covered by the warranty. If the problem is down to mis-configuration or misuse by yourself, it would not be covered and you would be liable for carriage and labour costs. This is actually why you have been given different things to try, in an attempt to avoid this being an issue.

I can see that you currently have a call open with our second line support team to contact you regarding this problem. I would suggest that you await that call in this instance as if the system needs to come back arrangements can be made during that call.

And as for the last line of your last post, please keep such queries to yourself, I'm not so sure you'd like the answer.

Davey