No sound from speakers after reinstalling Vista

[Robert Johnson]

Davey, I have spoken to two senior technicians this afternoon. One of them got the sound working, using the "wrong" options :

1. He used the black socket instead of the light green socket.

2. He used "5.1 speakers" on Realtek instead of "stereo" speakers, which is what I have.

3. He ticked "Speaker fill" on Realtek.

However, the sound is all mono. There is no stereo effect, and also only half of the audo file is heard. For example, a track that is supposed to have mainly vocals on the right hand side and instruments on the left hand side has only instruments and no vocals out of both the right hand and left hand speakers. So some music that is supposed to have singing doesn't have any.

Numerous technicians have been through all the settings and configuration of Realtek and Windows sound, but it hasn't resolved the problem. So it can not be due to misconfiguration. I have never touched the sound part of the computer, so it can not be due to misuse.

The last senior technician suggested different driver software, which is probably about the third lot of drivers that has been suggested. It still made no difference. The senior technician said that if this doesn't make any difference - and it hasn't - that it is probably a hardware problem with the sound card. I am not a computer engineer, so I have to rely on the opinion of those that are.

I have followed every single instruction by numerous people at MESH and here. They appear to have tried everything reasonably possible. yet the sound is still faulty. Every day I am having to stay in all day waiting for phone calls that often don't come, trying solutions that will "definitely" solve it but do nothing, having to phone MESH repeatedly in order to get it dealt with.

So unless somebody has a good suggestion that hasn't been tried, then it time to come and collect it.

[Robert Johnson]

Davey, a senior technician has just phoned me. He believes that the problems are likely to be due to a hardware problem. He is sending me the labels and forms needed to facilitate a collection.

[Robert Johnson]

EUREKA !!! I fixed it myself.

There was no sound through speakers, and then no stereo sound. A dozen attempts by numerous MESH technicians failed to resolve it.

I downloaded different Realtek drivers from those that were claimed by MESH to be the right ones. I used VISTA_R161 instead of several others that MESH had claimed were correct.

I used the "wrong" plug socket - the black one instead of the green one, which is what MESH claim must be used. It had never previously worked using the green socket. I had always had to use the black socket.

It shows that MESH need to change their instructions, and the available and suggested drivers.

[DJT298]

Hence my comments all along that it was a software (driver) problem not hardware - although as I didn't have your motherboard details I wasn't able to link the correct drivers, and thought that they would be the ones linked by Davey>

I still wonder though if you have the sound correctly set to stereo speakers or that it is defaulted to surround sound as you should be using the green connector. (hence the green coloured connector on the speakers to help with setup).

Good news that you are getting sound though.

[Robert Johnson]

DJT, you were right about it being software.

The sound is set to stereo, as I use two speakers.

When I first got the computer couldn't get it to work unless I "wrongly" used the black socket. I've never got proper sound by any other means.

[Davey W]

Hi Robert Johnson,

I have no idea why your PC alone uses the black socket instead of industry standard green that every other PC uses. Nor why the correct drivers and advice that works with all other customers doesn't work with your PC.

I have a feeling but as has been said the main point is that you have sound.

Davey

[Robert Johnson]

Davey, I knew that the driver had to be Realtek and for Vista. However, one of the senior technicians, who is very familiar with Realtek said that there are different versions of the same drivers, even for Vista.

So maybe there are several types of Realtek Vista drivers aimed more at different sound systems - such as stereo, quadrophonic, 5.1, or 7.1. I am using only stereo speakers. The new driver resolved the problem immediately.