No Sound - Realtek HD Audio

My last resort though perhaps it should have been the first but I have been all over the web looking for a solution to this problem, the problem being no sound. Where here I am the speaker icon displaying a red cross and when I try to troubleshoot the issue the troubleshooter tells me no speakers or headphones are connected and that is the end of that but still no sound.

Now it is I have had this machine two months now and there was sound briefly but it was erratic and then I used Windows Media player for the first time and the sound failed. Then a Windows update brought the sound back but I would lose it within five minutes of turning the machine on and now, no sound at all, it doesn't even start with sound just silence.

The machine I got pre owned with no discs, as all my funds would allow where I understand it had Vista Home Basic originally installed, but now has Win 7 Professional. It's a satisfactory machine and Win 7 I like but the sound issue is a bit of, well, a lot of a problem and so may I ask for guidance on how to repair this issue ?

The chipset utility doesn't want to do it's job where I have checked chrome is up to date also Java is up to date and I have even tried the direct X download in IE, nothing works, so really I have no idea what software my computer needs, so I am again stuck.

But why is Win 7 so difficult, it's starting to remind me of the Vista I used to have before I migrated to Mac of which I had for five years without any issues whatsoever before it was stolen, forcing me back to windows via XP before the Mobo failed two months after MS stopped supporting it and now this Win 7 and it's problems- sorry for the gripe but I am fed up

Grrrr said:

The machine I got pre owned with no discs, as all my funds would allow where I understand it had Vista Home Basic originally installed, but now has Win 7 Professional.

How did you install Win7 Pro? Did you buy a licensed retail copy?

The problems with the USB controller definitely points to the fact that you didn't run the Intel Chipset Driver Installer Utility right after you freshly installed Win7. So the advice above to run it now is definitely a reasonable suggestion.

As far as the speakers go, if you don't have driver support for USB then you're not going to be able to see any USB-connected devices. I don't understand how your speakers are "USB powered"?? What does that mean? Speakers normally plug into the wall for power.

Also, powered speakers would normally be fed by having a 3.5mm stereo mini-plug cable that connects to the line-out (lime green jack) of the sound card. The presence of this cable connection is sensed by the sound card. If you don't have one of those cables connecting to the lime green jack on the PC, you're going to get "speakers not plugged in" from the Realtek software. Do you have such a cable connected from speakers to the sound card lime-green jack?

Grrrr said:

The chipset utility doesn't want to do it's job

What does this mean?

Do you get an error message? Does it run?

dsperber said:

Grrrr said:

The machine I got pre owned with no discs, as all my funds would allow where I understand it had Vista Home Basic originally installed, but now has Win 7 Professional.

How did you install Win7 Pro? Did you buy a licensed retail copy?

The machine I have, a HP Pavillion G3001 uk came with Win 7 pro already installed and I have checked, it is genuine.

The problems with the USB controller definitely points to the fact that you didn't run the Intel Chipset Driver Installer Utility right after you freshly installed Win7. So the advice above to run it now is definitely a reasonable suggestion.

I agree except the utility doesn't work where I get an error box with suggestions of which I do and still it doesn't work and just to make sure I ran all my security software and redid the weekly maintenance again just in case there was a bug on the system of which there wasn't according to and still I get the same report
[QUOTE]

As far as the speakers go, if you don't have driver support for USB then you're not going to be able to see any USB-connected devices. I don't understand how your speakers are "USB powered"?? What does that mean? Speakers normally plug into the wall for power.
[ /QUOTE]

Okay perhaps my terminology was wrong but my speakers are ''Gigabyte Bus powered speaker system'' Model No.GP-S4600 of which was plugged into a powered hub and the 3.5mm jack plug, plugged into the lime green audio input on the back of the computer but plugging direct into the USB port on the back of the PC made no difference and besides the speakers worked before plugged into the hub. Incidentally my keyboard, mouse and DSLR download use USB and they are still working, but the speakers are not being detected, neither are headphones.

Also, powered speakers would normally be fed by having a 3.5mm stereo mini-plug cable that connects to the line-out (lime green jack) of the sound card. The presence of this cable connection is sensed by the sound card. If you don't have one of those cables connecting to the lime green jack on the PC, you're going to get "speakers not plugged in" from the Realtek software. Do you have such a cable connected from speakers to the sound card lime-green jack?

The speakers are not being sensed, yet the speakers display the power on light and something else, I do get some noise from the speakers given they are turned up loud, anything else I do like clicking on new tabs, downloading stuff etc, there is noise from the speakers, crackles, pops, whirrs, gnnngs that sort of stuff.

And if it is any use to diagnosing this problem, everything appeared to be fine with sound until I first activated Windows Media Player after which the erratic sound function started, ending up with what I have now no sound. Also WMP there is no sound in that either perhaps not surprisingly but there wasn't before I got the speakers not connected icon

Now it was that I had left this problem for a while as I was running Linux Mint Cinnamon 17 Petra from a live CD where I had system sound which sufficed for my needs but now I can't even do that as the live CD doesn't want load any more- suspect problems with DVD drive given the error code of which was fine before I tried to back up my system to a number of DVD's for Win 7 to not work in that respect despite the option being given. The idea being back the system up prior to loading Linux for dual boot purposes.

Grrrr said:

The speakers are not being sensed, yet the speakers display the power on light and something else, I do get some noise from the speakers given they are turned up loud, anything else I do like clicking on new tabs, downloading stuff etc, there is noise from the speakers, crackles, pops, whirrs, gnnngs that sort of stuff.

Don't know what to suggest, or how much time to spend on the problem. These 1W USB-powered speakers cost $10, so you might consider just forgetting about these and finding another inexpensive pair that simply plugs into the wall and has the 3.5mm cable plug into the lime-green PC line-out audio jack, and move on.

Searching on the GP-S4600 shows some "drivers"?? Hard to believe (possibly trolling from some driver-download sites), but maybe this is actually seen as a USB device and actually does need Windows drivers. If they're not installed, perhaps that's the problem. Don't know.

Or, if you right-click on the speaker icon in System Tray, and select "playback devices", is "speakers" shown? Or does some other device currently have the green check for "default"?

I'm still bothered by your USB device host controller driver issue, that does seem related.

Can't imagine why running Windows Media Player would kill the sound on your system.

I'm out of ideas I'm afraid.

Thanks .

I got the Intel update utility to work.................Java issues

But anyway, the only thing Intel will provide for is the Intel chipset INF where what was suggested is I need driver number 9.4.0.1017, where the download centre list three pieces of software for that number but two items directly and I am unsure which one I need.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...ord=9.4.0.1017

The rest of the stuff namely the Realtek audio I will have to go to Realtek for an update for that, ALC888 I know.

And speakers, I will be looking for new ones tomorrow just in case.

And right clicking the speaker icon reveals headphones and speaker icons saying Realtek HD Audio, not plugged in, no other devices showing.