No sound from internal laptop speaker

[stick1977]

Hi all,

I've got a client laptop, a real beast, Dell Inspiron 9400 the thing is huge. I've heard it beep a couple times but no other sounds at all. Looked like a basic driver or CODEC issue at first. Device manager was complaining of missing drivers so I updated and installed SigmaTel High Def audio CODEC. Once there were no exclamation points in DM I figured I was good to go but there was still no sound to my surprise. I've messed with the settings, made sure mute wasn't the problem, etc. Software and settings seem solid.

It's only the internal speaker that isn't working, if I plug in headphones or external speakers I've got sound. I've checked out Dell.com for a manual of this laptop and found the manual but no explanation of where the speakers are or how to access them. I don't want to just unscrew every screw on the back of the laptop.

Does this sound like a hardware issue? Anyone ever had success with this type of problem?

 

['putertutor]

Try it with a linux boot. If still no sound then its very likely a hardware issue. If there is sound, then you've got a driver/software issue. What you might do then is malware scan followed by a clean unistall and reinstall of the drivers or audio software

 

[stick1977]

Boot to Linux, great idea. Why didn't I think of that? I dunno but I'll do that and repost. thanks.

 

[smashedbotatos]

Boot to Linux, great idea. Why didn't I think of that? I dunno but I'll do that and repost. thanks.

Just make sure that the sound hardware is supported in the Linux you are booting. Most of them are, but check anyway. Also turn up the volume.

 

['putertutor]

Oh man, I don't know about anyone else, but forgetting to check something like the volume setting is something I would do. Then only after about 3 days of head pounding and cursing would some smart ass (probably my wife) make some passing comment like "is the volume turned up?" Which is about the time I decide to go on a bender and forget the whole shebang. Which of course lets me go through it all again the next time.

 

[Vyper28]

Oh man, I don't know about anyone else, but forgetting to check something like the volume setting is something I would do. Then only after about 3 days of head pounding and cursing would some smart ass (probably my wife) make some passing comment like "is the volume turned up?" Which is about the time I decide to go on a bender and forget the whole shebang. Which of course lets me go through it all again the next time.

I had a computer stuck "Identifying network" and no internet just the other day. Unrelated to the problem it had come in for, so I was really peeved that it surfaced here. After 3 hours of netsh winsock reset, sfc scans, AFD.sys replacement, everything I could think of... I realized one of the other techs had cleaned behind my bench and the cat5 cable was disconnected from my switch... *headbang*

 

[Rosco]

Oh man, I don't know about anyone else, but forgetting to check something like the volume setting is something I would do. Then only after about 3 days of head pounding and cursing would some smart ass (probably my wife) make some passing comment like "is the volume turned up?" Which is about the time I decide to go on a bender and forget the whole shebang. Which of course lets me go through it all again the next time.

I had something like this. There is a construction company i work for that uses high end design software. It needs a key fob to work. I forget this and ended up installing and reinstall the software like 5 times before i realize that was the problem. doh'

 

[Rosco]

I had a computer stuck "Identifying network" and no internet just the other day. Unrelated to the problem it had come in for, so I was really peeved that it surfaced here. After 3 hours of netsh winsock reset, sfc scans, AFD.sys replacement, everything I could think of... I realized one of the other techs had cleaned behind my bench and the cat5 cable was disconnected from my switch... *headbang*

lol this has made my day!

 

[stick1977]

Try it with a linux boot. If still no sound then its very likely a hardware issue. If there is sound, then you've got a driver/software issue. What you might do then is malware scan followed by a clean unistall and reinstall of the drivers or audio software

i booted to Ubuntu and still no sound so most likely a hardware issue. I found a speaker assembly for this model laptop and ordered, also found guide on how to perform the surgery. All the info is out there, i guess the trick is knowing how to find it (which I'm not too good at yet). Took me a while to find the guide and part. Thanks also for your help with the testing idea. Knowing that it was a hardware issue made it easier to find the part, ya know?

 

[NYJimbo]

When I read this I thought it was the Dell 9100. Actually the 9400 is a very easy tear down, its one of the big chassis Inspirons like the 1501, E1705 and 6000. If this was the 9100 I would not take the job. I hate that f-cking machine if one ever walks in here again I will push the customer out into traffic.

 

[Altster]

......if one ever walks in here again I will push the customer out into traffic.

...and their little dog too!

 

[stick1977]

When I read this I thought it was the Dell 9100. Actually the 9400 is a very easy tear down, its one of the big chassis Inspirons like the 1501, E1705 and 6000. If this was the 9100 I would not take the job. I hate that f-cking machine if one ever walks in here again I will push the customer out into traffic.

LOL. I'll keep that in mind. And update: my hardware replacement didn't fix the issue, my and a co-worker then spent 3 hours working on the problem and still no sound except we found one thing: when we boot to diagnostics, stereo sounds works from both speakers but mono sound works from neither, whatever that means. Still can't get any sound from within Windows. I've got an inquiry in to my Dell rep.

 

[ell]

I just got in a Toshiba A105-S1712 that has win 7 installed (system came with vista) no sound, even from the newest Knoppix. Updated the bios too and drivers, the volume moves up and down and shows sound activity spikes, but nothing, even with headphones. Anybody fix sound issues on one of these? Can't find a service manual.

 

[stick1977]

ell, you can try booting to Linux OS and see if you have sound in that environment. May help you determine if it's a Windows issue or hardware problem.

 

[ell]

ell, you can try booting to Linux OS and see if you have sound in that environment. May help you determine if it's a Windows issue or hardware problem.

I already did that as I mentioned, thanks anyways

 

[brandonkick]

Why piggy back onto an 8 month old thread for a laptop that's completely different then the one your having problems with?