T43 sound gone (most of the time!)

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wttomlinson · #1 Post by **wttomlinson** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:42 am

My T43 (WinXP, SP2, Win updates current) recently went silent. No changes have been knowingly made by me outside Windows Update. It just stopped working.

I cannot hear anything--speakers or headphones--in Win Media Player or Real Player. In IE NPR, CNN, etc audio is not present. Programs act like they are working and show progress bars but no sound present. I called IBM tech support who had me verify the usual handful of places where audio settings reside. No effect. He had me run a full scan in PC Doctor in DOS mode and all came out fine--no hardware problem.

Then last night I came across one of those irritating web pages that plays a .mid file and heard the "tune" just fine. I jumped back to Media Player and pulled up a local midi file but heard nothing, altho the player provides the usual visual indications it is running fine.

Everything in device manager is fine, Windows says the driver is current, no conflicts.

Makes me wonder if there is some obscure software setting that is fouling things up.

The only thing I did just before this was connect to a wireless network at a reputable hotel where we were staying for a few days. Could that have put something in registry to cause this behavior?

Any suggestions or links greatly appreciated.

Tom

davidspalding · #2 Post by **davidspalding** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:37 pm

Among the "usual handful" of places, did they have you run SNDVOL32 to ensure none of the sliders was muted? When you play something in WMPLAYER, is the volume maxed out (hit F10 until the cows come home) and mute is off (F8)?

Open up C:\windows\media\ and play a WAV file in SNDREC32 ... hear anything? (You can run SNDREC32, then just drag 'n drop a WAV file to the application.)

And of course, is your TP volume set at least halfway? (I've noticed that I can make a vewy, vewy qwiet TP by setting its hardware volume 1/3, and then Windows volume (SNDVOL32) low as well.) Hope all this helps, though it may appear redundant.

wttomlinson · #3 Post by **wttomlinson** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:25 pm

David,

The "usual places" started with the volume up button on the keyboard thru the volume control panel on to control panel where I found the SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio and made sure "Use audio features on this device" is checked. I guess everywhere except the place I need to check.

I started SNDREC32 from C:\WINDOWS\System32 and ran a wav file with no sound produced. All sliders for sound are at max, as is the volume up button. This machine displays a speaker & volume symbol overlay on the screen when you use keys and that shows full volume enabled. I believe that because when I go to http://fpsaa.org/main/wday.html the tune wakes the cat up. Right now that is the only thing that works.

This is odd? Where else?

Tom

wttomlinson · #4 Post by **wttomlinson** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:26 pm

David,

The "usual places" started with the volume up button on the keyboard thru the volume control panel on to control panel where I found the SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio and made sure "Use audio features on this device" is checked. I guess everywhere except the place I need to check.

I started SNDREC32 from C:\WINDOWS\System32 and ran a wav file with no sound produced. All sliders for sound are at max, as is the volume up button. This machine displays a speaker & volume symbol overlay on the screen when you use keys and that shows full volume enabled. I believe that because when I go to http://fpsaa.org/main/wday.html the tune wakes the cat up. Right now that is the only thing that works.

This is odd? Where else?

Tom

davidspalding · #5 Post by **davidspalding** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:23 pm

just to eliminate the speakers ... do you get the same results with headphones plugged in?

smugiri · #6 Post by **smugiri** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:34 pm

As an experiment, try holding down the FN key and pressing tapping (not pressing! ) the Delete key to add volume and Insert key to reduce it.

wttomlinson · #7 Post by **wttomlinson** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:53 am

Steve,
This action had no effect--still no sound.
Tom

wttomlinson · #8 Post by **wttomlinson** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:49 pm

Headphones same as speakers--midi sounds and all other file types quiet.

I heard about someone at work said he had same effect after SMS push update over weekend of the MSoft WMF update fix. Any possibility that could be cause to my effect? I'd expect news of that to be all over the place by now.

T

turbolium · #9 Post by **turbolium** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:06 pm

I don’t know if this is relevant but I had this problem on my dell laptop. The earphone jack had a crack and grounded one of the connectors which made my lappy to think that earphones were connected to it, while earphones did not work as well for some strange reason unless I violently jerk the connectors!!!!

Got it fixed taking computer apart and putting some paper in between the connectors (not recommended to do by yourself, but I didn’t have any warranty so I had nothing to lose)))

smugiri · #10 Post by **smugiri** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:18 pm

@wttomlinson
If you are ready to try 'drastic' stuff, one way to eliminate hardware if you have the time is to try out your machines' sound in another OS. The easiest way to do this WITHOUT touching or modifying your Windows and applications install is to download and burn a live linux distro that you can run right from CD e.g dsl found at http://www.[censored].org/ Once you have this, you simply boot from the CD ROM into linux and you can then try playing sounds / music /midi in there and see if this works. If it does, you know that you have a windows problem, if it does not then it may be a hardware problem. If you try this and find that the sound works in linux, turn it all the way up in both the sound applet and in kmix in linux and then go back to Windows and see if its still dead. For some reason, kmix seems to adjust sound at hardware level meaning that settings are maintained when you go back to Windows.

#11 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:02 am

Try these two things.

Run system file checker. Type SFC in the text box in Windows "Help and Support" off of the Start Menu to see how to use system file checker.

Run direct X diagnosis. Type dxdiag in the text box for "Run" off of the "Start Menu", and follow the prompts.

davidspalding · #12 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:03 am

I'm wary of SFC ... I got in trouble playing with it a few weeks ago.

I heartily second the nomination of the DirectX self-test.

I also recall there's a Linux distro that is literally run from a CD ... cant' recall the name, but a Google search ought to turn it up.

#13 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:35 am

davidspalding wrote:I'm wary of SFC ... I got in trouble playing with it a few weeks ago.

aki · #14 Post by **aki** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:28 pm

boys, check the bluetooth is on. if its on when you start the pc, then maybe the sound goes the headset, i got that prob b4

#15 Post by **Kyocera** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:08 pm

davidspalding wrote:
I'm wary of SFC ... I got in trouble playing with it a few weeks ago.

Guru?

wttomlinson · #16 Post by **wttomlinson** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:52 pm

I ran the DirectX diagnostic yesterday.
Sound tab test: no sound
Music tab test:
Microsoft Synthesizer: no sound
SoundMAX digital audio: no sound
Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated]: sounded correct
Microsfot GF Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated]: sounded correct

The sound hardware is functioning some of the time and those times are self-consistent. Just not all the time.

I am tempted to restore system back to Dec 31 or so if possible. A test after the recent set of updates might be interesting.

Tom

#17 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:03 pm

So on the DirectX files page, it showed "No problems found"?

You tried the "More Help" tab which has the "Windows Help's Sound troubleshooter"?

Did you try SFC (system file checker)?

wttomlinson · #18 Post by **wttomlinson** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:30 pm

DirectX files "no problem"

I have gone thru the windows sound troubleshooter so many times I could almost recite it from memory

Have not run SFC--it looks like it replaces files w/out asking, and some comments above make me think it could add more problems

Removing Google Earth had no effect on this problem. Still leaning toward trying the System Restore feature in Win XP Pro.

thinkpadfreak · #19 Post by **thinkpadfreak** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:09 am

I've had this exact same problem with my T40 few months ago. I tried everything without sucess and decided to reinstall XP...and guess what? i have sound again! I guess the driver became buggy and fresh install did the trick.

davidspalding · #20 Post by **davidspalding** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:29 am

I was thinking "hardware," but y'know ... driver corruption would do it. maybe completely remove the drivers, and try a reinstallation forcing it to use new driver files (not just using what's cached away by Windows).

wttomlinson · #21 Post by **wttomlinson** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:47 am

Last weekend I downloaded 3 optional hardware updates at Windows Update, one an unspecificed Thinkpad update. I have my doubts.

Anyway, the second person at IBM "support" I spent over an hour with had me download & install a new sound driver. Maybe that worked, maybe not. We had to download to one mahchine, burn CD, then use that on the subject T43. Where can I find reliable instructions for removing & reinstalling driver?

Thanks, this has got to end soon!

LtTPfan · #22 Post by **LtTPfan** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:37 pm

The best way to uninstall/install a driver is to read the instructions for that particular driver. IBM has "Installation notes" and "readme" files for virtually every driver I've ever downloaded. You can search for the name of the file you downloaded on IBM's site and you should find the download page. On it, you should find the installation notes as well as links to the driver file and the readme file.

Generically though, when I want to make sure a driver is really uninstalled, I go into the Device Manager, right-click on the desired device and select Properties, select the Driver tab then click Driver Details. I then note each file listed in the details along with its location (usually C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers). I'll close that dialog then click Uninstall from the Driver tab. Once it's finished "uninstalling" I don't reboot but instead open My Computer and go to the folder(s) noted for my file(s) location(s) so I can delete the file(s) (or rename them by changing the extention). Then I reboot and let Windows find the new hardware. Since the driver file(s) have been deleted/renamed Windows won't automatically install the same old driver but instead prompt for where to find the driver. I'll choose to NOT automatically find the driver but instead select a driver and will specify the location of the new driver I downloaded.

wttomlinson · #23 Post by **wttomlinson** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:18 pm

We may be past drivers.

I did a restore back to Jan 1 when I think all was well but still no sound.

So 3rd call to IBM and they want me to update BIOS and embedded controller. First install failed, tried again and also error. So cannot update BIOS.

I have number for 2 local carry-in service centers, so I guess that's the next step.

Thanks for all the good ideas, this may well be related to something that can't be fixed in software. Ugh.

Tom

LtTPfan · #24 Post by **LtTPfan** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:24 pm

Bummer, but at least you're covered under warranty.

wttomlinson · #25 Post by **wttomlinson** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:19 pm

This was unexpected.

I went to store to get DVDs to backup as much as I could but once there was unsure DVD-RW or DVD+RW. I called IBM support Sat when their database was down and I was not with the machine--unsatisfactory result. So I called back Sunday morning to ask question and got a really good support guy. We downloaded the embedded controller, BIOS, and sound driver fresh. Install went fine, but no good sound. Then I went and removed the soundcard from Device Mananger and rebooted. Windows found new hardware and somehow got the card working again.

I suspect if I had done that last step (remove from device manager) last week I'd have been fine then. But now my BIOS is current and everything seems to be working OK.

And I still plan to get a set of optical media to back up everything, as well as create the recovery disks. I don't feel fully confident not having a Windows XP Pro CD to reload the OS if the HD goes out.

Tom

LtTPfan · #26 Post by **LtTPfan** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:45 pm

wttomlinson wrote:And I still plan to get a set of optical media to back up everything, as well as create the recovery disks. I don't feel fully confident not having a Windows XP Pro CD to reload the OS if the HD goes out.

Excellent idea. Good to hear you got your sound working!

T43 sound gone (most of the time!)

T43 sound gone (most of the time!)

All still quiet, except one web site

All still quiet, except one web site

FN/INS DEL no effect

Resolution at last

Re: Resolution at last

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