PC Sound Not Working

Don't Dell usually ship with their own diagnostic stuff loaded ? If not, the user should be able to find it at Dell's web-site. Some of the free utilities such as Iobit Advance System Care might be able to help. Not being silly, but it could be something like a manky cable to the speakers - been there/done that().

Also the sound card may have moved and come out of the slot.

I do not know if this helps, but, I use Go To My PC to access my work computer from home. When I access the work computer, the sound gets muted and I have to turn it back on.

Check your default settings. You may have one application that works from a different audio device than your default, such as iTunes or something like that. You may be able to run an application that works because it is using a different audio device and then when you run another application it won't work because it is not the right audio device for that application. I am tranferring LP records from vinyl to my computer and it uses iTunes but that was not my default device. Once I did that I could play the music on iTunes but my other stuff would not work. At first I thought I had something wrong with my speakers or my sound card or something, but I changed the default device and everything works again.

Jim

Thanks Jim, but the sound either works for everything or doesn't work at all. It is straight from start up that it either works or doesn't.

When the sound isn't working check the icon for sound and see if the sound is muted or is indicating it is working. I found that my old Dell was doing the same thing as it would turn off the sound and save that state when closing the windows. Upon starting again the sound would be muted or off.

No, it's not muted. I check that every time, to try and show the user is a bit of an idiot :D

I disabled the sound via the BIOS and then it showed as disabled in the hardware manager.

Tried patching or bypassing the onboard speaker terminations to an outboard? Is there crud in the headphone jack connector or are any of these connections faulty, past their prime etc.?

No I haven't tried patching, it's not the onboard speaker sound that doesn't work. The headphone jack and plug are clean. I don't think they are faulty, and are both almost new.

Oh okay, The speaker makes sound then what sound feature is giving you trouble? Is it the BIOS post beep you're not now hearing?

I'm quite puzzled....oh is it no sound through headphones?

Sometimes my computer will fudge and I need reset the headphone in the configuration.

It is the external speakers that don't emit sound sometimes, when the pc mucks up.

Check the header connection on the MB...