Volume Controls and Speakers

[eTools]

I'm a bit confused with the volume controls on my T43.

- On the laptop pressing the mute button will only mute but not unmute. It mutes the windows volume.
- On my external keyboard the mute button works both ways. Also mutes windows volume.
- The external keyboard controls the volume for the speakers attached to the dock.
- The laptop volume controls change the volume on the front default speakers.

Also the laptop speakers still work when I plug in the externals to the dock.
Is there anyway to change the behavior of these controls? Perhaps have them directly control the windows volume.

Thanks.

[snessiram]

When pressing one of the up/down volume buttons, in my case the volume before I muted it gets restored. There might be a build-in way somewhere but I guesse when using one of those keyboard-layout-editor-tools, you could change the action of the buttons. (like some have done with the thinkvantage/Access ibm button)

I don't know for the dock, but it seems a little bit weird if your laptop speakers would work too when using external boxes... (I don't own one myself, so it might be just totally normal)

[KirstyMcK]

Are you using a port replicator II?

I have to set the volume of my T42 laptop speakers to 1 bar then crank my external speakers up, otherwise sound comes out of the laptop speakers aswell when speakers are hooked up to the port replicator. Its just a wierd glitch, happens on all Port Rep II's I believe.

[eTools]

No, as it says in my signature I have a Mini dock.

Any other ideas anyone?

[KirstyMcK]

Maybe its a problem with all Thinkpad docks, everything you posted here:

- On the laptop pressing the mute button will only mute but not unmute. It mutes the windows volume.
- On my external keyboard the mute button works both ways. Also mutes windows volume.
- The external keyboard controls the volume for the speakers attached to the dock.
- The laptop volume controls change the volume on the front default speakers.

Is identical to how my T42 works with the port replicator II. Does the workaround I posted previously work for you?

Note: Thought a mini-dock was originally the same as a port rep II as a google search for "mini dock" brought up loads of Port Rep II images, but I have since learned that is is different .

[eTools]

Yes, I've resorted to manually turning down the laptop speaker's volume to no bars. But you would think that attaching speakers to the Mini Dock would be the same as attaching them to the laptop directly.

(Plugging them directly into the laptop DOES automatically turn off the ThinkPad speakers.)

I'll have to suck it up I guess. If anyone has a solution please post.

[mikek]

Same for me. Makes having external speakers connected from PRII on my external monitor a bit of a pain.... especially if I put headphones into T42 whilst it's docked.... the output to the external speakers from the back of the PRII is still on - so I've got to manually turn the volume down on the screen.

Less than perfect! But everything else about T42 pretty good!

Regards