On screen display and windows volume control

[geobel]

I've noticed that on screen volume control indicator is only synchronized with volume control buttons but not with volume level per se. That is if I use buttons to change volume onscreen indicator reflects actual volume, but if I use windows volume control onscreen indicator does not appear and does not change. So I can put volume to maximum with windows control whereas onscreen indicator will show just one bar. Same thing when I use volume buttons on external keyboard: volume changes but indicator neither appears nor changes. This only applies to up/down buttons whereas mute is synchronized well with windows control and external keyboard button. Has anybody else noticed this problem?

Gosha

P.S. I have latest onscreen display utility installed

[snife]

this is working as intended - the volume buttons are a physical thing and not really related to windows - i normally just leave the windows volume turned to max and control my volume with the keys only. I have an IBM external keyboard and the volume controls work fine on that only - your keyboard must be altering the software setting

[taphil]

I think it's supposed to be like that. The buttons are more like hardware volume controls (similar to a rotary knob), whereas the volume control in Windows is just the software output level.

[cynic]

Think of the Windows controls as "signal gain" and the IBM hardware keys as "volume"

[Conmee]

Also, when in a Dock II, the volume buttons only control the built-in ThinkPad speakers... have to use the Windows volume applet or the knob on the external speakers to adjust their volume. In fact, plugging in earphones into the ThinkPad while Docked doesn't stop the external speakers from making sound. Have to turn of externals, or plug into the earphone jack on the external speakers. However, the mute button DOES work to mute all sound coming from built-in and external speakers.

Daniel.

[geobel]

Thanks everybody for answering! You were all absolutely right. The odd thing is that user manual on CD that came with my USB keyboard is incorrect/outdated. It says:

"Your keyboard has three volume control buttons that enable you to quickly adjust the volume or mute the sound from your computer system.
When you press one of these buttons, the volume indicator is displayed on the screen for a few seconds etc..."

I then found nearly identical but newer manual on IBM site and it says differently (and correcly):

"Volume up/down controls on a ThinkPad system operate volume at the hardware level. The volume up/down controls on the USB Keyboard operate volume through the Operating System (OS) at the software level. To see how the volume up/down functions operate for the USB Keyboard, open the OS volume control panel and press the up/down controls on the USB keyboard. Because the volume up/down functions on the USB keyboard do not operate the hardware volume layer as the controls do on the ThinkPad, you will not see the on-screen display when you operate volume up/down from the USB keyboard. To optimize volume from the USB keyboard, you may need to adjust the hardware volume on your ThinkPad first and modify further with the OS volume through the USB keyboard volume controls. The mute control on the USB keyboard is able to control at both the hardware level and the software level through the OS. As a result, you will see the on-screen display for Mute when the mute control is pressed on the USB keyboard.


Gosha

[snife]

Also, when in a Dock II, the volume buttons only control the built-in ThinkPad speakers... have to use the Windows volume applet or the knob on the external speakers to adjust their volume. In fact, plugging in earphones into the ThinkPad while Docked doesn't stop the external speakers from making sound. Have to turn of externals, or plug into the earphone jack on the external speakers. However, the mute button DOES work to mute all sound coming from built-in and external speakers.

Daniel.

This is because the port on the dock is line-out and is a static output unaffected by volume settings other than mute - all volume control has to be done via the speakers.