Latitude D630 sound is soundless, can't find the sound in the speakers, nor on my headset. how frustrating...

If you reply to this please mention the operating system (XP, Vista, etc.). I  believe the D630 originally shipped with XP. Here are some things to check.

> System Restore
First try using System Restore to get the Registry back to a time before the problem first occurred. In XP, go to

Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore
and tick 'Restore my computer to an earlier time'. 

In Vista, type 'restore' into the Start menu search box, and System Restore will appear in the start menu.

> Configuration Settings
Open Audio Properties (right click on the volume icon on the system tray and click 'Adjust Audio Properties', or go through the Control Panel/Sounds & Audio Devices). Select the Audio tab. Click on 'Volume' under 'Sound Playback'. Make sure volumes are turned up and the mute boxes are not checked. In addition, each audio application or player you use will have its own settings. Check the volume control on each app and any other settings they might have.

Check the default audio device and make sure it is set to your device (Sigmatel HD audio) and not to usb audio.

> Audio Driver
Often this is the cause of problems. It might be not installed, incompletely installed, or corrupted. Often there is no way to tell if the driver is defective except by uninstalling and reinstalling it and then trying to use your audio again.

  Go to Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager. Find the Sigmatel audio driver and right click on it, and then click Uninstall. Restart the computer. Windows should automatically detect your device and display a wizard that helps you reinstall the driver for it.)


> Dell Diagnostics Interactive Audio Test
Run Dell Diagnostics interactive audio test to check for defective hardware on the motherboard. To run Diagnostics restart the computer and as soon as it starts to boot up tap f12. Select 'Diagnostic' from the boot menu. The computer will run its pre-boot self assessment tests (PSA) before the Dell Diagnostic starts. These PSA tests play some beeps and tones through the system speaker but this doesn't test the rest of the audio hardware adequately, so you still need to let Dell Diagnostics run after the PSA tests. (Dell Diagnostics plays an instrumental piece of music complete with drums, so if you only hear some tones then you have only run the PSA.)

When Dell Diagnostics opens, select 'custom', then the audio test. It will test your audio system independently of Windows and drivers, meaning it doesn't matter if they are working correctly or not. Alternate between using headphones and listening to speakers in case only one is working.

[If you have ever reformatted your hard drive then the Diagnostics partition might have been wiped off. If the Dell Diagnostics option fails to open, run it from the Drivers and Utilities (Resource) CD if you have one.]

Dell Diagnostics will play some audio and ask you whether you heard it. If you answer 'no' then the test generates an error code that means you indicated you did not hear the sounds it played, but it doesn't pinpoint the exact component that has gone bad. If you don't hear the music during the test it definitely means there is a hardware failure somewhere in the system. In this case Dell will repair the computer if it is still under warranty.


If you do hear the audio that means the hardware is okay but there is a problem with the software or configuration.



> Audio Service
Go to Start/Run and type "services.msc" then hit the 'Enter' key (or click 'ok'). The Services window will appear. Scroll down until you find "Windows Audio" towards the bottom of the list. Check that it is enabled, set to automatic, and running. If it isn't, double click on it and change the Startup type to Automatic, then click Start, Apply, and OK.


> Software Device Enumerator
 If you get a message like "no audio device detected" or "driver is enabled but has not been started", go into the Device Manager (Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/System Tools/Device Manager/System Devices) and check that 'Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator' is installed and running. It will be listed alphabetically if there.

Hi. Mind if I ask? I have my laptop d630. I  dont know if its in the system or in the speaker. Whenever I play musics, I cannot hear any sounds. But Im pretty sure, the player is working. And when I put my headphones, I can hear sounds. What is the problem? Is it in the system or speakers in my laptop?

Hi alyssadelacruz,

I’d be glad to assist you regarding the same.

1. Please try shaking the unit and see if the sound returns or plays intermittently, If it does, then a connection for the speakers is loose and the unit needs service
2. Please update to the latest BIOS and also install the audio driver from the below link
http://dell.to/1dFtXxL
3. Type in the Service tag, under Drivers and downloads select the Operating system and install the BIOS and Audio drivers on the computer.
4. Adjust the volume controls. Some systems also have an external volume control.
5. Also run the Dell Diagnostics on the computer by holding down the <Fn> key while pressing the power button
6. Turn on the system, press <F12> at the initial Dell screen, and select Diagnostics from the boot menu.
7. Select the Custom test and run the test on Audio or Speakers.

Please complete these steps and let us know your findings.

And when I put my headphones, I can hear sounds. What is the problem? Is it in the system or speakers in my laptop?

Hello.There is no need to shake the laptop and I don't recommend doing that, particularly since you are probably no longer under warranty.

When you have audio through headphones but none through the speakers, then the problem is either in the speakers, or the sensing mechanism in the headphone jack has failed. The latter is the more common of the two.

You can test the speakers by running diagnostics as I explained in my post above. Your laptop shipped with Dell Diagnostics on the hard drive, but it might be missing for a number of reasons. If it is missing you can run it from the Resources or Utility cd if you have it. If you don't have it you can still test the speakers by running the PSA diagnostics. Follow the instructions of Dell_Munawar P. I can't remember if your version of PSA had an audio test, probably not, but you can test the speakers by failing the video test. The test will display some bars of various colors and ask if you saw them. If you press "N" (for no) then the PSA tests will emit a series of tones. If you hear the tones then the speakers are connected and working.

If the speakers fail whichever test you perform, then the problem is in the headphone jack. The 1st section of the Headphone Jack FAQ explains the nature of the problem.

If the speakers fail whichever test you perform, then the problem is in the headphone jack. The 1st section of the Headphone Jack FAQ explains the nature of the problem.

Correction. If the speakers PASS the tests, then the problem is in the headphone jack. If the speakers FAIL, then the problem is bad speakers or loose connection as Munawar said.