Sound Output

[captcadaver]

Hi,

I'm a college student with a desktop computer. Whenever I come home, I leave my speakers at school.

I used to have Windows Vista. When I'd come home, I could listen to music without headphones or speakers. In other words, sound would come from my sound card.

I now have Windows 7, which will only play sound when I have headphones or speakers. How can I enable Windows to let sound play from my sound card when I don't have any other means of output?

 

[fireberd]

Normally, desktops do not have speakers. If yours does, it's not the usual configuration on a desktop. Best to checkwith HP to see what you need to do, as you may need some special HP audio software to get it to work.

I've worked on several HP desktops and none of them had internal speakers.

 

[captcadaver]

I saw nothing on the HP website for sound drivers.

My Device Manager says that I have a "High Definition Audio Device". I think that means I need the stickied Realtek HD audio drivers (http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-audio/3756-latest-realtek-hd-audio-driver-version.html). How can I confirm this?

 

[captcadaver]

I'm still looking to figure out why on-board sound would just *work* in Vista but not Windows 7. What information would be useful to figuring this out?

My speakers (Creative Inspire T3100) won't output any sound without headphones, so this is becoming quite an annoyance.

 

[bobkn]

HP doesn't list any drivers for Win7 for your onboard sound.

There are Vista drivers:

HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC -  ADI High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver for Microsoft Windows Vista - HP Business Support Center

They may work under Win7.

According to its specs:

HP Compaq dc7800 Convertible Minitower PC (RU017UT) specifications - HP Small & Medium Business products

your sound chip is an ADI 1884, not a Realtek product. Unfortunately, ADI doesn't make drivers available for direct download. They'll refer you back to HP.

Be careful if you search the Web for drivers. There are dubious sites (like bioticaindia) that position themselves to pop up at the top of searches, even though they appear to be scams.

 

[Aphelion]

I'm still looking to figure out why on-board sound would just *work* in Vista but not Windows 7. What information would be useful to figuring this out?

My speakers (Creative Inspire T3100) won't output any sound without headphones, so this is becoming quite an annoyance.

Right click on the Microsoft speaker icon in the task bar, select "Playback Devices"

What do you have listed there? What is set as the default device? (green check mark).

The light green jack in the back of the computer is the speaker jack.

Ap

 

[captcadaver]

bobkn: I love you. I now have on-board sound!

Ap:
Speakers
SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio (this is what I just installed)
Default Device

The sound visualization is active and moving, but I don't get any sound. :/

 

[Aphelion]

bobkn: I love you. I now have on-board sound!

Ap:

The sound visualization is active and moving, but I don't get any sound. :/

That means the drivers are working but one of the default Microsoft settings (usually enhancements) is not letting sound through.

Looks like the Vista drivers have you up and running.

Ap

 

[captcadaver]

Ap, is this the enhancement option that you're referring to? I've tried disabling it, but it doesn't solve my problem.

What are some other keywords that I can research to try and fix my speakers? Right now, I feel like I'm screwed...

 

[bobkn]

What have you tried?

I'd go to the Sound control panel, and make sure that the desired output device is enabled. Select it, and hit the Configure button. Run the test.

(My desktop PC has no internal speakers, so my only choices are my external ones, and the sound card's digital interface.)

 

[captcadaver]

I tried what you suggested, but it didn't solve my problem.

I have Creative Inspire T3100 speakers. I can only get sound through my headphones.

One of my electrical engineer friends told me to try to kill some Windows option called Digital Line Detect:

"So you might be able to do something about this. If you have some feature/setting/Windows-7-option about Digital Line Detection enabled, try to disable it. What's probably happened is that the headphones were damaged and ran a bit too much current through the socket, changing the impedance of the socket, and making it "seem" to the computer as if something was plugged in. With Digital Line Detection turned off, you can probably specify speaker or headphone output respectively."

My Google searches haven't given me any hits relating digital line detection to sound.

He also thought that I was talking about on-board sound, not my Creative Inspire T3100 speakers. After I told him that the issue is with my speakers, he believes that this is a physical problem.

What other things should I explore?

 

[Aphelion]

Ap, is this the enhancement option that you're referring to? I've tried disabling it, but it doesn't solve my problem.

What are some other keywords that I can research to try and fix my speakers? Right now, I feel like I'm screwed...

Here's what my playback devices look like. Green checkmark is default device.



Notice when the speakers device is selected both the properties and configure buttons become active.

Under Configure set to stereo? I've never heard of a desktop with internal speakers so I don't know if I can help you there. Speakers have to be somewhere? Your soundcard is only electrronics it has to output sound to a speaker of some kind and i've never really heard of a desktop with speakers... Older desktops used to have a single 2" mono speaker for beeps & boops... I guess it's possible that was supported in a previous operating system but I don't think Win-7 supports that.

Under the properties button is enhancements... if you've disabled it (and rebboted) and still get no sound you might want to enable it again.

See if the levels tab has a control that gives you sound, while playing an mp3 unmute devices and raise the level, you might get lucky.

Did your monitor by any chance have have speakers?

Ap

 

[captcadaver]

I'm on fall break now, so I really want to figure this out...

Ap, is this the enhancement option that you're referring to? I've tried disabling it, but it doesn't solve my problem.

What are some other keywords that I can research to try and fix my speakers? Right now, I feel like I'm screwed...

Here's what my playback devices look like. Green checkmark is default device.

View attachment 87252

Notice when the speakers device is selected both the properties and configure buttons become active.

Yeah, my properties and configure buttons are both active.

Under Configure set to stereo? I've never heard of a desktop with internal speakers so I don't know if I can help you there. Speakers have to be somewhere? Your soundcard is only electrronics it has to output sound to a speaker of some kind and i've never really heard of a desktop with speakers... Older desktops used to have a single 2" mono speaker for beeps & boops... I guess it's possible that was supported in a previous operating system but I don't think Win-7 supports that.

Configure is already set to stereo.

Under the properties button is enhancements... if you've disabled it (and rebboted) and still get no sound you might want to enable it again.

Done. My speakers still don't work.

See if the levels tab has a control that gives you sound, while playing an mp3 unmute devices and raise the level, you might get lucky.

I've been playing with these bars, but nothing happens.

Did your monitor by any chance have have speakers?

Ap

Nope.

Thanks so much for helping me try and figure this out. I'm desperate to solve this, so please let me know if you have more ideas!

Maybe I should just go buy new speakers. :/