6400/E1505 No Sound from Speakers but Headphones work fine

If the speakers have been changed, it could be the systemboard. I suggest you contact Dell once again.

But during the diags Test ( Boot up and press F2 keys).. The Speakers work fine. Once I have signed on that Speakers dont work and it is only that headphones work .

 

I have also Checked that via services.msc that Windows audio is Automatically restarted

 

In that case an OS reinstall can be tried. If that also does not work, it is definitely a hardware problem even though the diagnostics pass. It could be a problem either with the motherboard or the palmrest/internal speakers. But, it is best to check with Dell.

I agree with thy_serpent that it is probably a hardware fault despite the fact that Dell Diagnostics is signalling that it is software. There is an unusual situation where you can get this combination of symptoms

* Speakers don't work
* Headphone jack does work
* Reinstalling audio driver does not help
* Audio test in Dell Diagnostics passes


The Dell laptops like yours with a Sigmatel 92xx audio chip utilize IDT's Universal Jacks technology, which is somewhat complicated. In addition to the usual mechanical parts, the jack also uses current & impedance-sensing techniques to trigger software configuration and switching (to send the audio signal to the speakers). So there are three areas of potential failure: mechanical, electronic, and software. Sometimes, a little very gentle wiggle of a plug in the jack will get it to resume normal functioning, at least temporarily. There is a sensing pin in the jack (Sense_A pin) that is used to detect the presence of plugs and I think that it can be the cause of failure to trigger the software switching.

Normally the audio test in Dell Diagnostics would confirm that there is a hardware problem, but the Universal Jacks can cause a false positive result in Diagnostics. That is because Diagnostics operates in DOS, outside of Windows, so a Windows software misconfiguration is irrelevant to the test even though in this case it is caused by hardware. So the audio test can pass in Diagnostics, correctly signaling that software configuration is the immediate cause of the problem, but missing that a hardware problem, the bad jack or sensing pin, is the root cause. In these instances the only reliable diagnostic procedure might be to try a new motherboard.

 

Jim

 

PS If the diagnostic you used played some tones but not a piece of music then it was the pre-boot assessment test that runs before Dell Diagnostics. That test is inadequate for testing the audio system (but if you have the problem I described above then it doesn't matter anyway). 

 

 

Hi  I'm having the same problem with my inspiron 6000.  Ran all the diagnostics, driver updates, etc...No fix.  However, there was someone in this community that mentioned how he/she put a paperclip in the microphone jack and it made the speakers work again.  Well, in desperation (my son was dying to play his Big Bird video game), I slipped a small screwdriver into the back part of the outside ring of the MICROPHONE jack and it worked!!!!  I now have a thumb tack inserted in place of the screwdriver (for obvious reasons)....

 

Next question... Is there a permanent fix for this (other than the thumb tack)?

 

Michelle

I'm an electrical engineer.  It's VERY obvious it's a connection problem, NOT a software problem.  If the drivers were wrong, my speakers wouldn't work at all!  They're working though, when I use the thumb tack method....

I Have spoken extensively with Dell even though i have requested them to change the system board..but the refuse to believe what is written on this thread. They still argue that windows needs to be reinstalled along with the drivers. 

The issue Dell argues is that since it passes all the speakers test ( including extended tests ) in diagnostic ..It is a driver issue . I have told them since the headphone works it is not a driver issue and they have removed /reinstalled drivers again n again ..

my diagnostics did not pass before the 'thumb tack'.  I may run them again to see if they do this time.

In case you have contacted Dell, they would not replace any component unless an OS reinstall is done. So, I would suggest you go in for that and make sure you are with a tech while installing the drivers so that as soon as the audio driver is installed, you can check for sound. The reason they are suggesting an OS reinstall is only because they need to be convinced that it is a hardware issue and sometimes it really is difficult to find out if it is a hardware or software issue. A reinstallation not fixing it should be proof enough that it is a hardware issue.

They are requesting a reinstallation of Xp and drivers after disk has been formatted again. This requires me to backup data somehow which will take time and effort more than just having the system board changed which is less time consuming. But somehow Dell is convinced it is a s/w issue

Replacing the motherboard is a $500+ repair job (retail price, much less for Dell of course), so if someone at tech support is not yet familiar with this set of symptoms then they will naturally want to see more proof than my post on this board. It is very rare for Dell Diagnostics to give a false result and the fact that it can happen is not widely known. Dell has replaced the mb and fixed the bad sensor pin for many others without a reformat but if your support contact insists upon it then I'm sorry but you need to do so if you want to go forward. The silver lining is that you need to have your data backed up anyway. Hard drives run for only so long and then  die, so you always need to be backed up to be prepared.

 

The easiest and best way to do it is to use Dell's PC Restore (if you have XP). PC Restore (called Factory Image Restore in Vista) is an image of your original operating system, drivers, applications and configuration settings in a hidden partition on the hard drive. It's like a normal reformat in that you have to save all of your data to removable media, but it's quicker (about 10 minutes) and simpler because it includes all of the original drivers so you won't have to re-install those. Whatever was working when you got the computer will work after PC Restore, except for any hardware problems. This is why it can used as a diagnostic tool.

 

To use PC Restore you restart and press Ctrl + F11 during the restart process and it should take you to the "PC Restore" menu. Anything that doesn't work afterwards either wasn't working when the computer was shipped or is the result of hardware malfunction.

 

Jim

 

PS mimioutten, your 6000 does not have Universal Jacks and is a different situation. Your Dell Diagnostics failed because you have a 'normal' hardware problem, apparently a short in the jack. To repair a jack on the 6000 usually mean replacing the mb. I suggest you start a new thread if you need more advice because it is less confusing when each problem has its own thread.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice Jim.  I will certainly explore my options.  My brother is great with computers.  I may try to find a cheaper route.

 

God Bless,

Michelle