Inspiron 15R 5521: Audio

Hi hardik6,

Have you run the diagnostics on the speakers? If not, run the online diagnostics (Choose a Diagnostic Type as Symptom) and select the type no sound, providing the link for detailed instruction: http://dell.to/W3vlmp

Please refer the following link to troubleshoot no sound issue: http://dell.to/ZXfBg5

Awaiting your response!

There are a couple of areas of configuration that might be causing those problems. Open the Windows Sound properties box.

Look in the upper right corner for a Communication tab and open it if you have it.

"Do nothing" should be selected. The other options reduce the volume of audio whenever you are using "communications" such as Skype.

Next look at the Playback tab of the Sound properties. In the picture above "Speakers" is selected as the default playback device which is normal. However there are options to select a device such as speakers or headphones to be the default communications device. When a device is selected to be for communications, then whenever there is communication such as Skype or talking among game players, the selected device will lose regular audio and the regular audio will only be played through the device selected as the Playback device. When there is no communication then both devices should have regular audio, for example both speakers and headphones. So selecting a device as a "communication" device can lead to unexpected behavior when listening to audio if Windows "detects communication activity", and I'm not sure that its detection is always accurate.

Hey 

I did what you asked me to do and ran all the test and also updated my driver but I still can't get the sound to work. The issues I highlighted above are still there. And when i go and check the device properties, the only device i see there is the Speakers even when I plug in my headphones thats the only thing that I see there.

Hi Hardik666,

Check if the speakers are muted in the notification area on the taskbar. Even if the speaker icon is muted the Sound” Playback devices would not show as muted”

Now right click on Speakers and then click test to test the speakers.

Also, connect external speakers or head phones and check if the issue persists.

Awaiting your response!

Hey

I did as you said, i made sure that the the speakers aren't muted and then I ran the test. I could hear it for both the speakers and the headphones. But when I ran the test during a skype call it failed. Also, shouldn't the speaker by default change to headphones when i plug in my headphone into the jack? I still can't hear sound from more than two videos being played at the same time on youtube or hear anything while im on skype. 

Hi Hardik666,

I have few questions to understand the issue better:

Let me know the Operating system installed on the computer.

While on Skype, can you hear the other person’s voice?

Are you trying to play Audio on YouTube while on Skype?

When there is no sound or no audio from You Tube, do you see the Audio/Video paused?

Awaiting your response!

Hey

I am currently Running Windows 8, and when I'm on Skype I could hear the other person talk. I am trying to play audio on YouTube (listen to music) and when there is no sound from YouTube, the video isn't paused. 

Hi Hardik666,

On the Taskbar, check if the Volume Mixer for IE Skype and DVD player is muted.

• Open Internet Explorer, preferably to a page that should be playing some sound.
• Click on the volume icon in the windows system tray (in the right-hand lower corner of the taskbar), and then click on the link labeled "Mixer".
• A panel will open showing the individual volume levels of all running applications that play sounds (you may need to scroll to the right, to see all of them).

Note: Make sure that the volume level belonging to Internet Explorer is not set to mute.

Awaiting your response!

Hey

I did what you told me, I made sure everything is not muted into the mixer, but I still can't hear music when im Skyping or when I try to play music from YouTube in 2 diff tabs. Only one works while from the other I still can't hear anything. What I am noticing is that the system isn't allowing me to play sound from two different application at once. It will only allow me to play sound from one source one at a time. 

Hi Hardik666,

I recommend to uninstall and reinstall the audio drivers on the computer.

• From the Start screen, swipe up and tap the All apps icon.
• If you have a mouse, right-click on the Start screen and then click All apps.
• Once on the Apps screen, scroll or swipe to the right until you see the Windows System heading.
• Tap or click on Control Panel, located under Windows System.
• Windows 8 will bring up the Desktop and automatically open the Control Panel.
• Tap or click on the Hardware and Sound link.
• In the Hardware and Sound window, click or tap Device Manager, located under the Devices and Printers heading.In the “Device Manager” window, click the plus sign next to “sound, video and game controllers” to expand it.
• Under “sound, video and game controllers” right click on sub option, click “Uninstall”.
• Check the box “Delete driver software for this device”, click ok and follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall audio driver.
• Restart the computer.

Install the Audio drivers from the following link:

http://dell.to/17Ht0PW

Also, uncheck the option “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” :

• Right click the Speakers icon from the Task bar
• Click “Playback devices”
• Click Speakers
• Now click Properties
• Under “Advanced” uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device”
• Click Apply.

Awaiting your response!

Hey

I uninstalled it the way you told me to do it, but when I tried to install the driver back it gave me an error. I am not sure why that happened. So i triend running the installer with admin rights and it gave me an error too. However, the windows installed a default audio driver and with this I can play Music from YouTube while skyping and I can hear music from two different youtube tabs at the same time, but now when i Tried finding the waves maxx 4.0 program which came with dell I can't find that. Is there a way to get that installed? 

Hi Hardik666,

Let’s try installing the drivers from manufacturer’s website. Click on the following link to install the Audio drivers:

http://bit.ly/aLZ2T3

From the above link, read and check ”I accept to above” and click Next.

Now click any of the file from “64bits Vista, Windows7, Windows8 Driver only (Executable file)”.For more information, refer the picture below:

If the error shows up again, please share a screen shot in the next reply.

Awaiting your response!

Hey

I installed the driver you told me to install properly. I unchecked what you told me to uncheck, and now I am back to the same problem. I can't hear music on youtube while i skype, or i can't play music from 2 youtube tabs at once. 

Hi Hardik666,

Let’s try installing the first version of the drivers which can fix this issue.

Click the following link to install the Audio drivers:

http://dell.to/10xf8Tm

Awaiting your response!

Hey 

I tried installing that driver, but it doesn't let me says the hardware isn't found. And also i forgot to mention, when i last installed the driver from the website, I lost the Wave Maxx software. Is there way for me to get that back? And the problem still there, is there anything else I can do?