Basic sound troubleshooting

• Check the speaker connections

  If the speakers are not connected correctly or if they are connected to the wrong jack on the back of the sound card, no sound will be heard. Consult the documentation that came with the speakers to make sure the speakers are connected correctly. On most Gateway sound cards your speakers will need to be connected to the green jack on your sound card. Do the following:

  • Plug your speakers into an external device, such as a portable CD player.
  • Plug a set of headphones to the back of your sound card.
  • Make sure the speakers are plugged into the sound card and not the modem card. The modem card is the card that the phone line is connected to.
  • Make sure the speakers are turned on and the volume indicator is at about half.
  • Power to the speakers is indicated by a colored light on the front of the speakers.
  • If a splitter is used to connect sound card and another peripheral to the speakers, remove the splitter.

• Check the volume level

  If the volume level for the sound is turned down or muted, no sound will be played. Make sure the volume on the speakers is turned to about half during troubleshooting. Do the following:

  1. On the screen, locate and click the Start button. From the Start menu, point to Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, and then click Volume Control.

     Note: If you are not able to find Multimedia from the Accessories menu, use Entertainment to locate Volume Control.

  2. Change the volume setting of the desired item.

  3. In the Volume Control window, make sure that all of the levels are at about half and that none of the Mute or the Mute All boxes are selected.

  Resolving sound difficulties

  This section assumes that all volume levels in Windows have been checked and that the speakers are turned on and working correctly. Make sure the speakers are turned up to at least half volume.

• No sound exiting or entering Windows

  By default your computer plays a .wav file when you enter and exit the Windows. If these files are corrupt or changed, you may not hear any sounds exiting or entering Windows. Do the following to check for these sounds:

  1. On your screen, locate and click the Start button. From the Start menu, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.

  2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Sounds icon.

  3. In the Events area of the Sounds Properties window, verify there is a picture of the speaker next to Exit Windows and Start Windows. The speaker indicates that there is a sound is associated with this activity.

  4. If there is a speaker next to those items, highlight one of them, then click the Play button to the right of Preview: on the Sounds Properties window.

  5. If there are no speaker icons beside the events, locate and click the drop-down arrow for the Schemes box.

  6. Select Windows Default, then click OK. If a message appears prompting you to save the current scheme, click No.

  7. On your screen, locate and click the Start button, then Shut Down. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, select Restart the computer, then click Yes.

  You should now hear sounds when you enter Windows 95.

• Problems Playing MIDI Files

  If you are having difficulties playing MIDI files, make sure the file that you are attempting to play is not corrupt. Try playing one of the Windows 95 MIDI files by doing the following:

  1. On the screen, locate and click the Start button. From the Start menu, point to Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, then click Media Player.

     Note: If you are not able to find Multimedia from the Accessories menu, use the Entertainment menu to locate Media Player.

  2. From the File menu, click Open, then double-click a file with the extension of .mid. If no MIDI files play, please continue on with these steps.

  3. On the screen, locate and click the Start button. From the Start menu, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.

  4. Double-click the Add New Hardware icon in the Control Panel window.

  5. In the Add New Hardware Wizard dialog box, click Next.

  6. When asked Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware?, select No, then click Next.

  7. The next screen prompts you for the type of hardware to install. Select Sound, video and game controllers, then click Next.

  8. Under Manufacturers: select Microsoft MCI, then under Models: select MIDI Sequencer Device (Media Control), then click Next.

  9. On the final window, click Finish. If prompted for the Window 95 CD, place the CD in the CD-ROM drive, then click OK.

  10. When the System Settings Change windows appears, click Yes to restart the computer. You should now be able to play MIDI sounds.

• Problems Playing Audio CDs

  If the audio CD that you are trying to play is incorrectly formatted or scratched, you will not be able to play the CD. Make sure the CD is the correct format. Wipe the CD disc with a clean, dry, soft cloth. If the CD is badly scratched, it will not play correctly. Try a different audio CD to verify that the problem is not with only one CD.

  If the CD-ROM drive is not recognized or the proper drivers are not installed, audio CDs will not play correctly and may not play at all. To make sure that the CD-ROM drive is recognized in Windows 95 locate and double-click the My Computer icon. If there is no icon present for the CD-ROM drive in the My Computer window, you will need to let Windows 95 install the drive. Consult the User's Guide that came with the CD-ROM drive for installation instructions. If the CD-ROM drive icon is present, click the X in the upper right hand corner of the My Computer window to return to the Windows 95 desktop.

• No sound in specific applications

  If the lack of sound is in only one particular program, make sure that the correct sound card type is selected. Make sure the program is correctly locating the sound card. If the program does not have the option to change the individual resources you will need to contact the manufacturer of that software to see what settings you should use. Check the User's Guide that came with the sound card for applicable I/O port addresses, MIDI address, and IRQ settings.

• Newly added hardware

  If you recently added a new hardware device to the computer, remove the new device to see if the sound functions properly. If the sound starts working correctly, the new device is conflicting with the sound card. Contact the manufacturer for assistance configuring the device.

• Reseat the sound card

  If the sound card is not making a good connection in the computer, you will not hear any sounds. To reseat the sound card, follow the steps listed below:

  1. On your screen, locate and click the Start button, then click Shut Down. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, select Shut down the computer, then click Yes.

  2. Turn off your computer.

  3. Locate the screws along the back outside edge of the computer and remove with a Phillips head screwdriver.

     Note: If you have a newer case, it will have thumbscrews that can be removed by hand. Refer to computer's manual for further removal instructions.

  4. After the screws have been removed, slide the case toward the back with a little force. In some cases, it might be necessary to use a slight upward force.

  5. With the cover removed, locate the sound card. This is the card that the cable from the speakers connects to on the back of the computer.

  6. Disconnect the speaker cable from the sound card.

  7. Remove the screw that is keeping the sound card in place. This is located on the top edge of the of the back panel of the computer.

  8. With the screw removed, pull the card out of the computer using a steady, upward force.

  9. With the card removed, check the slot that the card was in for any obvious obstructions that may be keeping the card from going into the slot properly.

  10. Put the card securely back into the slot that it was in previously and replace the screw.

  11. Reconnect the speakers to the sound card.

  12. Keeping outside objects clear of the internal components of the computer, test the computer by turning it on.

  13. Re-assemble the computer.

  Note: With all computer parts, especially internal components, static electricity is always a concern. Please ake every precaution to prevent static electricity. Leave the power supply cord plugged into the wall outlet for grounding purposes and avoid working on carpeted areas. Read through instructions before beginning.