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6400/E1505 No Sound from Speakers but Headphones work fine
The Speakers work fine when Dell did the test ..Power up the systems and then press F2 key..It goes to the System diags ...They work fine but once system is booted then it one cannot hear any sound from speakers but when Headphone are inserted ..One can hear the sound
Dell has changed the speakers also ...but i am at same status
I have updated the Sigmatel drivers also ( downloaded from dell site )
when I Go to Control panel > System > Hardware > Device manager > Sound vide and game controlelrs I can see Sigma tel high def audoi codec . I had it unintalled and then reinstalled the new one ...
Nothing changed in status
In Control panel > sigma tel audio ..it is at all reconfiguration pop ups ..dont know what it means
Thks in advance for any help
DELL- Sreenath
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June 24th, 2008 17:00
sanjivji
5 Posts
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June 24th, 2008 18:00
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
DELL- Sreenath
168 Posts
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June 24th, 2008 18:00
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.
Jim Coates
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June 25th, 2008 09:00
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).
mimioutten
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June 27th, 2008 12:00
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
mimioutten
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June 27th, 2008 13:00
sanjivji
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June 27th, 2008 13:00
sanjivji
5 Posts
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June 27th, 2008 13:00
mimioutten
4 Posts
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June 27th, 2008 13:00
DELL- Sreenath
168 Posts
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June 27th, 2008 15:00
sanjivji
5 Posts
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June 27th, 2008 15:00
Jim Coates
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June 28th, 2008 10:00
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.
mimioutten
4 Posts
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June 28th, 2008 12:00
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