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I have just put a new screen on my computer and now I have no sound. The sound used to come from the hard drive. Help?

Check your Monitor and PC Connection

While the sound on your computer is generated from the hard drive, the sound itself might now need to route differently through the new monitor in order to work properly if the monitor includes built in speakers. If this is the case, there will be an input port on the back of the monitor that you will connect to the green sound port on the back of your PC tower. You should be able to consult the monitor user manual for specific details about where to find the port. It might be difficult to see at first, but it should be there.

Troubleshoot with External Speakers

The other possibility is that your old monitor had built in speakers, providing your sound, and that the new one doesn’t. This isn’t very likely, since most new monitors include speakers, but it is possible that you are missing an amplifier or some other component that the system needs. The best way to troubleshoot this is by connecting a pair of external speakers to the green sound port on the back of your PC tower. You can buy speakers inexpensively at any computer or electronic store.

Troubleshoot your Drivers

Another possibility, if all the speaker connections are properly set up, is that the installation of the new monitor messed with some drivers for either your old monitor or another component of your system. You can troubleshoot your drivers in Device Manager.

1. Click My Computer, then Properties
2. Choose Device Manager
3. Scroll through and click the + signs to expand the sections
4. Look for any yellow or red ? or ! symbols - these imply a problem with a device or a driver
5. If there are any, click them for more information - you can then visit the website of the manufacturer of the device and look for recent driver releases on the downloads page
6. You can choose to remove the drivers, if there are issues, and then reinstall them
7. You might also consider removing the monitor, making sure that any drivers from the old monitor are gone, and then you can reinstall the new monitor, and the new drivers.

I hope this helps, if you are still stuck, write us again, and let us know what you’ve been able to try and we can go from there. Good luck!

I have been able to listen to audio on my PC while online. Now I have NO sounds at all other than the Windows Media Player. It plays normally. I get NO sounds at all from the Internet or Windows Sounds. I have checked the sound card and all sound files. Everything is running normally. What now?

Since Windows Media Player works, it sounds as though the sound card itself is working just fine so let’s look at a few other possibilities.

Windows Sound Schemes

The Windows sounds like the chimes and beeps that we hear as we go about our computing business are most likely related to the Windows Sound Schemes settings on your computer. If this setting has been changed to “no sounds,” then you won’t hear the chirps and chimes of various events. This is easy to change. Go to Control Panel > Sound. Click on the Sounds tab. Check the Sound Settings list. Is it set to No Sounds? If so, change it to Windows Default.

Speaker Settings

While you’re in the Control Panel’s Sound center, click the Playback tab and highlight your speakers. Are the speakers enabled? Now click Levels. Are the levels not muted? Click the Advanced tab and click Test. Can you hear any sounds? Go back to the General tab and click Properties next to the Controller Information. Does the status indicate that the device is working properly?

Windows Mixer

Have you checked the Windows Mixer? When you double-click the sound icon in the System Tray, a single volume control slider bar appears. However, if you click the Mixer link, a set of volume controls with multiple slider bars appears. Is the volume bar for Internet Explorer set to mute or set exceptionally low? If so, that could be the problem. Adjust the volume and see if that works.

Internet Explorer and Add-ons

Since you mentioned that sound works with Windows Media Player, but not when you listening to audio online, let’s look at the Web browser. Web browsers need add-ons such as QuickTime or RealPlayer in order to process the audio found online. If these have been disabled or removed or if you are using Internet Explorer in “no add-ons” mode, then the sound on various websites won’t play. First, make sure that you are in the standard version of Internet Explorer, not Internet Explorer No Add-ons.

Next, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons. Click “All Add-ons” in the Show drop down box. Scroll through the list and look for sound-related add-ons such as QuickTime, iTunes, RealPlayer, and so on. Re-enable any that are disabled and see if this solves the problem. Because many of these are ActiveX controls, if your browser’s security settings are too high, it could be blocking them from running. If you’ve recently changed your browser’s security settings and think this could be part of the problem, try a lower setting as an experiment. Here’s some information about ActiveX settings in Internet Explorer that may be helpful.

Hopefully one of these solutions will be the one that works for you.

I have no volume on my PC.

Since I am not sure if you have no sound or if the volume icon is missing, I am going to provide you with several options for resolving sound problems. Hopefully, once you follow the suggestions, your problem with sound will be resolved.

Troubleshooting Sound Problems

Problems with the sound on a computer can have a variety of reasons behind them. Take the time to check each of the following suggestions:

• Look at the cables or cords for any of the sound devices that you have for the PC. Make sure that they are securely plugged into the PC.
• Check that the cables are plugged into the proper ports. Typically, the ports are identified by a small icon or they are color coded.
• If it is a specific device such as a set of computer speakers that is giving you trouble, borrow an alternate set and see if the problem persists.
• Check the documentation for each of the sound devices that you have installed and make sure that it is compatible with your computer’s operating system.
• Check the volume control on the monitor, laptop, speakers, headphones, etc, to make sure that it has been turned on.

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Checking the Volume Setting

One of the first strategies that you should try is to look at the volume setting to determine where it is set at. To open the volume control, follow these steps:

• Click on “Start.”
• Click on “All Programs.”
• Click on “Accessories.”
• Click on “Entertainment.”
• Click on “Volume Control.”
• Adjust the setting if it is set on “Mute.”

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Muted Devices

If you have accidentally or even purposefully muted one of the sound devices on your PC, it could be responsible for muting the sound for all of your devices.

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Audio Performance Settings

In order to check the audio performance settings, you need to open the volume icon in your systems tray. Follow these steps:

• Right-click on the volume icon that is located in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
• Click to select “Adjust Audio Properties.”
• Click to select “Hardware” and go through the list of devices, checking each one. If you notice that a problem is listed, follow the suggestions to correct it.
• Once you have checked each device, select “Performance” in the section labeled “sound playback- advanced.” Either make your own adjustments to the settings or select “Restore defaults.”

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Missing Sound/Volume Icon

If you want to replace a missing volume icon in the systems tray, follow these directions:

• Navigate to “Start.”
• Select “Control Panel.”
• Select “Sound and Audio Devices.” Click on “Volume” if it isn’t the section that you arrive in.
• Click on the small box in front of “Place volume icon in the taskbar.”
• Select “Apply.” The volume icon should now show in the systems tray.

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Diagnostic Section

Most sound cards today provide a handy diagnostic section that you can use to troubleshoot problems with sound. Run the diagnostic for your sound card to see if any advice pops up that you can try. You can also visit the website for the manufacturer of your sound card and look for an online diagnostic tool.

Troubleshooting Missing Volume on PC: Windows Vista OS

Computers that use Windows Vista have been noted to experience sound issues if they are also using Adobe Flash Player. If you fall into this category, try uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Flash Player.

Scan your PC and update your audio device drivers automatically!

While deleting is great for removing unwanted programs and files, it really stinks when a device or hardware file is accidentally deleted. First thing to understand is there is a difference between removing something from the Desktop or Toolbar, and removing it from the computer entirely.

Let’s start by figuring out if you deleted the audio controller completely from the computer, or simply misplaced the shortcut or icon you are accustomed to using for access. If you simply deleted a shortcut off the Desktop, chances are it is still sitting in your Recycle Bin. Open your Recycle Bin and right click to “Restore” the program, file, or shortcut you didn’t want to accidentally delete.

If you actually succeeded in removing the controller from the task bar, we need to make sure it isn’t completely gone from the computer. Sign into Windows with an account that has full administration rights. If there is only one user account on your system, don’t worry about that step. Next, open Control Panel from the Start menu. I prefer the classic view because it shows more options.

Open Sounds and Audio Devices, and click on the Hardware tab at the top. Is your audio controller listed? In this case, you didn’t delete the audio controller, you simply disabled it somehow. Select the audio controller with the problem, and click Troubleshoot. At this point, a solution may be dependent upon your specific type of audio controller, and assistance is best found at the device manufacturer’s website or in any manuals you have for the device. Read the options in the Troubleshoot tab, and see if there are any common sense errors that stick out, such as a check mark next to ‘Disable this device.’

If the audio controller is not listed in the Hardware tab under Sounds and Audio Devices, return back to the main Control Panel screen. Our next step is to reinstall the hardware device driver. A driver is simply the file(s) that allow the operating system to talk to the physical device in your computer case. Windows’ hardware wizard is pretty adept at finding hardware and installing the proper device driver.

To access the wizard for reinstalling a device driver, select Add Hardware from the Control Panel. The system should automatically detect you have an audio controller device plugged into your CPU that lacks installation. If you have any recovery disk software from the company you purchased the computer from, you might need this software to reinstall the device driver.

If Windows recognizes the audio controller is there, but can’t install a driver and you don’t have a disk, the next place to look is the Internet. Use a major search engine to search for “(your device name) drivers for Windows XP (or the version you run).” Try to use the official manufacturer website for device drivers whenever possible, though older models may no longer be available and require you to use a third-party source. If you elect to use a device driver from a third-party, never allow the device driver to install itself without first a virus scan.

Once you have located the device driver for the audio controller, go back to the Control Panel and Add Hardware. Select the option allowing you to provide your own software, and follow the appropriate steps to reinstall the driver. In many cases, if you simply restart the computer, Windows will give a yellow bubble in the right corner of the screen alerting you it has detected hardware not installed. Simply click the bubble to allow Windows to automatically reinstall the device driver.