Computer has no sound

Jet

After playing the radio and CD's quite happily yesterday, my computer seems to have lost the sound today.

I've checked the speakers are connected properly - they seem fine.

There is no sound at all not even when I start the computer.

I'm running ME on a custom made computer, so don't really have a clue where to start. Could the sound card be broken, and if so, how do I find out?

albertross_2

Is it muted, is the volume up? Have you tried plugging a set of headphones or another speaker in, to see if it is the speakers or the PC.

Try running dxdiag.

Jet

I've just run dxdiag and got this message for sound

DirectSound test results: Failure at step 3 (DirectSoundCreate): HRESULT = 0x80004005 (Generic failure)

What does that mean?

But... i tested the sound card under the music tab and music came out of the speakers, so that must be good news.

What could be wrong then?

shutton54321

im thinking that this could either be the sound card that is knackered or there is a system file that has been affected!

happyhero

Maybe I have it wrong but sometimes when I run certain applications ie I have a TV card on my PC and watch TV occasionally on the PC, this sometimes decides to mute certain parts of the sound card. I then have to find the speaker in the system tray bottom right and double click on it. It opens a window with all the different volume settings, ie main volume, wave etc. Check the sliders are up on each one and check the mute box is not ticked at the bottom of each slider or it will not work.

The application that causes this may sometimes do this to your sound on closing the program. This could have happened when you closed your computer down yesterday.

Hope this helps.

albertross_2

Try system restore:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/systemrestore.asp

If that doesn't work, try patching at https://www.windowsupdate.com

scap that, (but do the update), just noticed that sound is coming out.. It sounds like you have muted one of your audio devices in the mixer, double click the volume speaker icon, and make sure none are muted.

Jet

Thanks for the help so far. I've updated windows.

I can't find where I turn up the volume. I don't seem to have a speaker icon in the taskbar. Where else can I find it? Remember I'm running ME not XP

albertross_2

Lack of a speaker icon usually indicates no (or faulty) soundcard, or a problem with the driver.

Any sound stuff in control panel?

Have a look in control panel, devices, anything with question/exclamation marks next to it?

Jet

What's a pci communication device?

There's a question mark next to that?

albertross_2

network card? Or could be related to your sound problem. Is the soundcard listed and working in device manager? You could try deleting it, and then clicking refresh.

have you just built this PC? If so, you need to find the drivers for all the hardware and install it.

Jet

It's working!

I've just restarted after updating windows and it seems to be working fine now.

Fingers crossed it will stay that way.

I'll let you know if it all goes pair shaped again.

Thanks for all your help.