O.T. No sound

[Robert in CA]

I have a Dell XPS 8500, with Windows 7
Professional, SP1,with Spywareblaster,
Malwarebytes, Avast , Windows Defender
and Windows firewall.

Seagate Desktop HDD ST2000DM001 2TB 64MB
Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
Ram 12.0 GB
System type : 64-bit operating system

I also have

I have a Dell Optiplex 780 Tower, with
Windows 7 Professional,SP1, with Spywareblaster,
Malwarebytes, Avast , Windows Defender
and Windows firewall.

Seagate Desktop HDD ST2000DM001 2TB 64MB
Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
System type : 64-bit operating system

and (external hard drives)

(8500)
WD BLACK SERIES WD2003FZEX 2TB 7200
RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
Hard Drive

(780)
Seagate Desktop HDD ST2000DM001 2TB 64MB
Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"
Internal Hard Drive


This concerns the 8500. I recently had a
power outage but the computers were powered
off. They both seem OK but the 8500 has no
sound. I checked and it should have sound
but doesn't.

So how do I get my sound back on the 8500?

Thanks,
Robert

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Shadow]

On Mon, 27 Dec 2021 15:08:00 -0800, Robert in CA <Rob...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I have a Dell XPS 8500, with Windows 7
>Professional, SP1

<slight snip>

>
>
>This concerns the 8500. I recently had a
>power outage but the computers were powered
>off. They both seem OK but the 8500 has no
>sound. I checked and it should have sound
>but doesn't.
>
>So how do I get my sound back on the 8500?
>

Not even a crackle or a buzz?

Check the sound card is recognized by the computer.
WindowsKey+Pause/Break ---> hardware.

Or try this(free version).

https://www.ccleaner.com/speccy

Is simple to use. If your sound card went kaput, you'll have
to buy a replacement.
I suppose it could be a corrupted driver, but that's less
likely.
HTH
[]'s

PS You're posting to an XP group.
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012
Google Fuchsia - 2021

[Robert in CA]

not even a crackle or buzz.
I checked and every thing looks normal but no sound.

https://postimg.cc/RJd0DvPy

https://postimg.cc/5jSqVvDd

https://postimg.cc/F7Pyfv9T

https://postimg.cc/McBVrj1L

Robert

[Robert in CA]

device is working properly but still no sound.

https://postimg.cc/QHpMPkz1

Robert

[Paul]

The only thing a bit weird about your pictures, is the sound level
measured seems to be a constant level. As if you were using
a sine wave tester to check the audio.

Since I can't see a problem with the controls, and it's unlikely
RealTek would appear in the panels if the driver was broken,
that leaves Services as the issue. Perhaps some Service in
services.msc is not running.

When I helped someone else with an Audio problem, there was one service
which was not in the standard list, and which is a dependency. You
can see in these two lists, that the lists differ by "Power" service,
and maybe that's the missing one.

https://superuser.com/questions/989645/what-services-are-required-for-having-audio-in-windows-7

Multimedia Class Scheduler <=== might not be running, until sound needs
to come out
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
DCOM Server Process Launcher

RPC Endpoint Mapper

Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
Plug and Play

While this article is for Windows 10, it mention "Power" service,
which probably modulates the power wasting state of the thing.

https://www.wintips.org/fix-no-sound-on-windows-10-audio-service-cannot-start-1068/

DCOM Server Process Launcher
Multimedia Class Scheduler * [ Removed at some point from Windows 10 ]
Power
Plug and Play
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
RPC Endpoint Mapper
Windows Audio
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

Here is a picture of three of the sound services. Since I just
sent a sine wave out of the speaker, the Multimedia Class Scheduler
started itself. That's why it happens to be running in the picture.
I did not include the "Power" service in the picture. Power
cannot be started or stopped, so I presume it has a "blessed"
existence just like RPC Service. If RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
was turned off, the OS would shut itself down.

https://i.postimg.cc/Mpqs0L0p/sound-services-Win7.gif

Work your way through the list and look for the
one that isn't running and is a dependency for one
of the others.

*******

An easier explanation, is an unplugged speaker power cable,
or an unplugged green audio cable (LineOut). Or maybe the
cat chewed through the cable (cats do that, they like chewy stuff
and sometimes the cables are perfect for them).

It's easier to postulate that, than to believe a service could
be missing, and yet all your pictures look nice. That doesn't make
sense. If a service was missing, you'd think there would be a
visible side effect.

*******

The audio could be hijacked by a recently installed sound
program. Perhaps a WebRTC session is doing echo suppression
during a Zoom call. Maybe you have one of the gamer programs
that provides in-game audio (so gamers can talk to one another
while playing Internet games). These could upset some aspect
of the internal patch panel and disconnect something. I don't
have a utility in mind which can dump info like that.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

I've already tried restarting the computer twice
and checked the audio connections and just to
make sure I turned the bass module off/on. I
have no cats or dogs to chew anything. Also I'm
not a gamer.

All I did was unplug the computer when I lost
power. This wasn't a normal power outage.
The power cable outside has to be replaced and I
was without power for 3 days. They have a temp
cable strung over my fence until they can get the
trench dug.

I've tried adjusting the volume and tried to follow the
second links instructions but didn't know what
they were talking about?. I checked and startup is
already set to automatic but it's grayed out.

Work my way through what list? I have no idea of
how to begin? Maybe there's something like the
Windows.old on the 8500 but honestly I need your
assistance on where to start because I'm lost here.

https://postimg.cc/VJXN41CW

https://postimg.cc/f3wMKdZM

https://postimg.cc/87GGpv7L

https://postimg.cc/jDRV0r1X

https://postimg.cc/nCtgBJnJ

https://postimg.cc/qN15P6yJ

https://postimg.cc/xk7FCr6B

Thoughts, suggestions?
Robert

[Paul]

On 12/28/2021 1:12 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
>
> I've already tried restarting the computer twice
> and checked the audio connections and just to
> make sure I turned the bass module off/on. I
> have no cats or dogs to chew anything. Also I'm
> not a gamer.
>
> All I did was unplug the computer when I lost
> power. This wasn't a normal power outage.
> The power cable outside has to be replaced and I
> was without power for 3 days. They have a temp
> cable strung over my fence until they can get the
> trench dug.
>
> I've tried adjusting the volume and tried to follow the
> second links instructions but didn't know what
> they were talking about?. I checked and startup is
> already set to automatic but it's grayed out.
>
> Work my way through what list? I have no idea of
> how to begin? Maybe there's something like the
> Windows.old on the 8500 but honestly I need your
> assistance on where to start because I'm lost here.
>
> https://postimg.cc/VJXN41CW
>
> https://postimg.cc/f3wMKdZM
>
> https://postimg.cc/87GGpv7L
>

> https://postimg.cc/jDRV0r1X Limited account problem ?

>
> https://postimg.cc/nCtgBJnJ
>
> https://postimg.cc/qN15P6yJ
>
> https://postimg.cc/xk7FCr6B
>
> Thoughts, suggestions?
> Robert

You want to be logged in with your administrator-capable
account, so the Services are not grayed out unnecessarily.

The "General" tab shows whether it is running or not.

The "Stop" button will be armed, if the thing is running.
The "Start" button will be armed, if the thing is not running.

Check the services in the list ("General" tab), and see that the services
are running. There's no need to take pictures of all the
tabs in this case.

There's no need to be reaching for a System Restoration
at this point. First take a quick look around and
see that the services are started.

It's possible the sound was damaged by the AC electrical
problem, but the amplified computer speakers are usually
on "floating" power with no Safety Ground, so I don't
see a path to absolutely cause damage.

You can also test your computer speakers, by feeding them
a signal from a Walkman, a portable FM or DAB radio,
and so on. Check that the speakers still work!

Paul

[Robert in CA]

I logged in as the administrator:

https://postimg.cc/PLh1Vk5B

The Stop button is armed but I can't seem
to find the services or list on the General tab?

I don't have a portable anything to check if the speakers
still work. I tried to plug them into the 780 but it doesn't
have the right plug-ins for it.

Is there a way to send a test signal through the speakers to
see if they are working? Like a ping?

I actually was thinking of doing a System Restore or a restore
with the lastest mrimg.

Thoughts/Suggestions?
Robert

[Robert in CA]

From all indications the speakers should be working,..
and I have no way of testing them. So I went ahead and
bought another set of the same speakers; Harman Kardon
HK695-01 (used) on eBay.

I just bought these speakers new off eBay the last time
I had an outage and the originals got fried but I couldn't find
any new ones this time around. I just picked the nicest set
I could find.

They actually came with the 8200 and I liked them allot so
have used them with the 8500. The 780 only has a green
and a blue/pink plug- in's in the rear so I think it would need
an audio card. Right now it just uses the internal speaker.

Robert

[Paul]

The 780 green jack comes from the HDAudio chip on the motherboard.
Could be Analog Devices AD1984A. There are also headphone and
microphone jacks on the front of the machine. The jacks don't
appear to be retaskable on this chip, neither does the chip sheet
mention impedance sensing. The jacks will use a side contact to
sense when something is plugged in, instead. (Side contact jack
sensing is in the HDAudio standard, while impedance sensing is
exclusive to Analog Devices, but is not included on this chip.)

The chip should have 48 pins, be square, and underneath the
ribbon cable assembly. It has headphone drive on two ports,
one would be the green marked jack on the back, the other
would be the headphone symbol on the front of the machine.
Headphone drive means not only can it drive a "600 ohm" load,
it can also drive a 32 ohm load (direct headphone drive).

The AD1984 has a monophonic output port, and that is most likely
to drive the internal speaker.

Inside the machine is an amplified monophonic speaker, plus
a piezoelectric disc for BIOS POST beep.

No card need be added to the 780, to get Sound Out.

You might have to change the output selection in the Playback Devices.

You can use the 780 to test the new speakers and the old speakers,
as you wish.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

I actually did try plugging in the speaker jacks to the 780
but didn't work because they're the wrong kind of plug-ins as
you said and my speaker jacks are green and black.

That's true the 780 does have the internal speaker and actually
that's what I've been using until the replacement speakers arrive.

In passing, I did look at services.msc and they all show they started
I could not find anything abnormal.

How do I test the speakers on the 780? I mean if there's something
I'm missing and the speakers are good I would like to test them but I
don't know how? I don't want to be messing around with stuff when I
have no idea what I'm doing. Please give me some instructions on how
to proceed.

If we could get the existing speakers up and running that would be great
and I could use the other speakers for the 780 but am still unclear how to
connect them to it?


Thoughts,suggestions?
Robert

[Robert in CA]

Yeah, the speakers are gone,....

I tried just the green plug of one speaker to
the green plug-in on the 780 and the sound stopped
and when I unplugged it the internal speaker came back.

I hadn't noticed before but the base module has a green
indicator light on the top and its out. I tried switching it on/off
and its out and that's where all the speakers are hooked into.

Harmon Kardon HK695-01

https://postimg.cc/RNkYDVxg

So good thing I ordered new speakers.

[Paul]

Has the new speaker set arrived ?

You'll need to test it too when it arrives.

*******

Maybe your old speakers have just blown
a protective fuse. Check for a cartridge fuse
(with the unit unplugged!).

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRETB0l4r7mIBn0W7zzBReeYteQOQjVc7sYqg&usqp=CAU

At 0.5 amps, that could be a regular fuse
rather than a slo blo fuse. It might say somewhere
on the fuse body, or even in the manual, what
to replace that with.

Normally, if a fuse blew on an appliance, the root
cause could be permanent damage to front end power
components. But for poorly designed stuff, the fuse
blows prematurely and changing the fuse, it runs again.

If you could get the unit open, you could sniff for
burned stuff or look for visible damage, before
powering it up again. It's also easy though, for
modern electronics to be damaged without visual effect,
so none of this comes with guarantees.

But given I'm seeing a 0.5 amp fuse in the example,
it is worth a shot loading a new fuse in there. It
could be just a surge blew the fuse, without ruining
the primary cap on it.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

Yes, I saw the fuse but where would I get a new
one?

Since the speakers aren't working anyway, I'll open
the fuse and see what I can see,...

The replacement speakers should arrive next Monday
or Tuesday.

I was just going to hook up the module and connect
the existing speakers to see if they would work.

How would I go about testing the new speakers?

Robert

[Robert in CA]

I had saved everything from the 8200 and
remembered they had included a spare fuse.
So I went and found it in the box and replaced
the fuse although I saw nothing wrong with the
one I replaced.

Still nothing.

Robert

[Paul]

I think you should just plug the new speakers into
the 8500 and see if the system sounds work. That
might be a start. When you move the volume slider
up and down, there is a system sound emitted,
a little "bomp" after you've moved the slider.

if you are adventurous, you can place a music CD in
the 8500 DVD tray and let the OS sample the CD. The
autorun dialog may pop up, and it may mention a
Dell-provided utility for playing the CD. While
Windows Media Player can play a CD, it might also
pester you about stupid setup options (like looking
in the Internet database for the names of the
tracks and such). If Dell included a utility, it
might be a bit simpler and just play the media
without making a fuss.

The 780 is a refurb, so it won't have bundled Dell
utilities on it. The 780 would have Windows Media Player
and that would be about it. The 8500 on the other hand,
would have whatever Dell bundles into their Dell OEM OS.

Paul

[Paul]

Well, it was worth a shot.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

Rather than test with a CD etc I'll just hook it up. If it's
going to work it's going to work. However, I thought I
would try hooking up the existing speakers first to the
replacement module to see if they are blown or not.

I just hooked my speakers up the last time they got fried
from that guy who wired my place with 220 instead of 110,
remember? I lost allot when he did that, not just my speakers
and they were fine until this outage although I didn't have the
computer on at the time.

Well, we tried the fuse and as you say it was worth a shot.
At least we've eliminated that as a problem. Also I realized
that the speakers themselves have indicators on the top as
well as the module. It's funny how you don't notice something
when you see it everyday.

Robert

[Shadow]

On Sat, 1 Jan 2022 16:30:31 -0800 (PST), Robert in CA
<magin...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I never knew I could play CD's on the computer.

LOL
I've used VLC media player to do that for ages.
Go to menu
Media --> Open Disk.
>
>Could I make a dvd from the computer and play it on
>my dvd player or is the format different? I also have a
>USB plug on my CD player. So I assume I can use that?

I put any movie I want to watch on a pendrive and plug that
directly into my TV.
It has to be the right format (Mp4, AVI or MKV, but newer TVs
accept more formats)
To convert a DVD to a movie, you'll need a DVD ripper.
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum works fine on XP. Wonderfox DVD
Converter also works well, but newer versions are for Win7 or worse.
Last version for XP was 15.1.
MP4 is the "safest" format.
You'll find giveaways for both programs.
Disclaimer : depending on your processor, it can be a slow
process..
HTH
[]'s

[Paul]

On 1/1/2022 7:30 PM, Robert in CA wrote:
> I never knew I could play CD's on the computer.
>

> Could I make a dvd from the computer and play it on
> my dvd player or is the format different? I also have a
> USB plug on my CD player. So I assume I can use that?
>

> Robert
>

There is DVD Video, DVD Audio, and DVD Data.

Practically everything I make here is DVD Data. I don't make media
on a daily basis for anything else.

DVD Data can contain random multimedia files. Perhaps I could put
some large number of MP3 files on it. You will then find player
devices (like maybe my $50 STB that plays DVDs), that will play the
MP3s off it.

DVD Audio is another alternative. I doubt I have any of those here.
A DVD Audio can contain 9 groups of 99 songs, in at least WAV format.
CD Audio had a 99 song limit. This suggests DVD Audio is just nine CDs
strung end to end. Some car players then, you press two buttons simultaneously
to change to the next group on the DVD-A, which isn't all that convenient.
Perhaps this is like "multi-session" of some sort.

Someone made ISO manufacturing software, using a script and other peoples
software. A second small developer, made a GUI for it. Bailing wire
and binder twine.

However, all of the materials appear to be trashed, and I can't
obtain copies of them.

One DVD-A package, the interface looks horrible and shows all the tracks
with arbitrary names and so on. If you sink low enough, the tools
look pretty bad.

The DVD-A seems to use Audio-TS folder on a video DVD. That's what it looks
like apparently, in terms of folder layout.

If you put MP3 files or WAV files on a regular Data DVD, then some
devices may play it, but then again, some legacy set top players of
the past, will not. It would then all depend on how crusty your hardware
is for the job, whether the material would play or not. The optical player
in my car for example, it's not going to have the brainpower to play
a Data DVD. You have to stick with standard media on a thing like that.

Summary: Yes, it can be done, but I can't do it.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

The speakers arrived today and I tried just hooking up the module
and the speakers still work. So were up and running again plus I have a
set of spare speakers.

Many thanks for all your good help,
Robert

[Robert in CA]

I don't have any ports on my TV where I can plug anything in.

Robert

[Robert in CA]

I was just curious, that's all.

I'm so glad that only the bass module was
affected and not the champagne speakers.
It sure is nice to have sound again.

Robert

[Robert in CA]

p.s. I forgot to add, the replacement speakers also had
a spare fuse as well. So I have a extra set of spare speakers
and another spare fuse.

Robert

[Paul]

So now you can take the defective sub apart
for a look :-)

That assumes it uses screws and is not glued.

That's one advantage of building your own amp,
it uses screws and no glue.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

I just checked and it has screws but even if I get
it apart what do I look for? How could I repair it?

Of course, I can take pics and you can guide me.

Robert

[Robert in CA]

I removed all the screws(6) which were about 1 1/2 inches long
and (4) smaller screws about 3/4 of an inch but I couldn't separate
it and open it up. It gave a little but wouldn't open. Maybe I have to
pry it open? but have other projects right now so that will have to wait
awhile. I thought it was going to be easy.

Robert

[Paul]

If it's glued then don't bother.

I fixed my glued speakers but they were
pretty hard to get apart. First I had to get
leverage, and that wasn't easy. But they still
work. Something may have blown in the mains power
cord area, but after where the fuse is.

All you can do, for a first attempt, is spot any
obvious visible damage (like scorch marks somewhere).
Lots of stuff fails and looks perfectly good,
and debugging then is a lot harder.

Paul

[Robert in CA]

I found this link for repairing the speakers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiw68RqqAM0

I checked and there's no screw in the base of one
of my pedestals but even if I could get it open there's
no way I could repair it. It looks like the inside of my
computers.

In any case, I was able to get the fuse.

Robert