1.Removethenewhardwareoptionorsoftware.Ifyoumustremovethecomputercovertoremovea
hardwareoption,ensurethatyoureviewandfollowtheelectricalsafetyinformationprovidedwithyour
computer.Foryoursafety,donotoperatethecomputerwiththecoverremoved.
2.Runthediagnosticprogramtoensureyourcomputerisoperatingcorrectly.
3.Reinstallthenewhardwareoptionorsoftwarefollowingtheinstructionsprovidedbythemanufacturer.
Audioproblems
Thissectionprovidessolutionstoaudio-relatedproblems.
NoaudioinWindows
Solutions:
•IfyouareusingpoweredexternalspeakersthathaveanOn/Offcontrol,ensurethefollowing:
–TheOn/OffcontrolissettotheOnposition.
–Thespeakerpowercableisconnectedtoaproperlygrounded,functionalacelectricaloutlet.
•Ifyourexternalspeakershaveavolumecontrol,ensurethatthevolumeisnotsettoolow.
•OntheWindowsdesktop,clickthespeakericonintheWindowsnotificationarea.ThenclickMixer.
Ensurethatthemutespeakerssettingsarenotselectedandnoneofthevolumesettingsissettoolow.
•Somemodelshaveafrontaudiopanelyoucanusetoadjustvolume.Ifyouhaveafrontaudiopanel,
ensurethatthevolumeisnotsettoolow.
•Ensurethatyourexternalspeakers(andheadphones,ifused)areconnectedtothecorrectaudio
connectoronthecomputer.Mostspeakercablesarecolor-codedtomatchtheconnector.
Note:Whenexternal-speakerorheadphonecablesareattachedtotheaudioconnector,theinternal
speaker,ifpresent,isdisabled.Inmostcases,ifanaudioadapterisinstalledinoneoftheexpansion
slots,theaudiofunctionbuiltintothesystemboardisdisabled.Therefore,youmustusetheaudio
connectorsontheaudioadapter.
•EnsurethattheprogramyouarerunningisdesignedforuseintheMicrosoftWindowsoperatingsystem.
IftheprogramisdesignedtoruninDOS,theprogramdoesnotusetheWindowssoundfeature.The
programmustbeconfiguredtouseSoundBlasterProorSoundBlasteremulation.
•Ensurethattheaudiodevicedriversarecorrectlyinstalled.SeeWindowsHelpandSupportinformation
systemformoreinformation.
Soundcomesonlyfromoneexternalspeaker
Solutions:
•Ensurethatthespeakercableisinsertedcompletelyintotheconnectoronthecomputer.
•Ensurethatthecablethatattachestheleftspeakertotherightspeakerisconnectedfirmly.
•ClickthespeakericonintheWindowsnotificationarea.Thenclickthespeakericonontopofthevolume
control.ClicktheLevelstabandensurethattheBalancesettingsaresetcorrectly.
Intermittentproblems
Someproblemsoccuronlyoccasionallyandaredifficulttorepeat.
Solutions:
•Ensurethatallcablesandcordsaresecurelyconnectedtothecomputerandattacheddevices.
•Ensurethatwhenthecomputerison,thefangrillisnotblocked(thereisairflowaroundthegrill),andthe
fansareworking.Ifairflowisblockedorthefansarenotworking,thecomputermightoverheat.
Chapter8.Troubleshootinganddiagnostics73