From: Pamela Leming :Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 12:25 AM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Sound Card and Speakers


> I have a Packard Bell Multimedia R200 Pentium, 200 mhz, 96 MB RAM, Intel
> processor and Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT video card.  I was having a
problem
> with my sound device (Aztec 2320 Compatible PnP).I wanted to be able to do
> voice chat over the internet but my sound device kept
> locking up when I tried to talk for over 15 to 20 minutes.  Since my
system is
> a bit old, I decided to upgrade to a SoundBlaster PCI512 sound card.
Since I
> couldn't remove the old device, I disabled it in Control Panel Device
Manager.
> I have a Pioneer stereo receiver that I use to connect stereo speakers to
my PC.
>
> Everything seemed to work fine for the first couple of days.  Then, I was
> playing back some sound (wav) files and all of a sudden, no more sound.
Windows
> Media player would still play the sound
> file but nothing coming out of my
> speakers.  I fiddled with the speakers for awhile, but nothing.  Thinking
my
> sound card was somehow locked up again, I rebooted.  I opened the
computer,
> thinking maybe the PCI slot was bad or something.  I swapped my video card
and
> my sound card.  I did notice that both of them were a little (actually
more than
> a little) warm to the touch.  Plugged the speakers back in, still nothing.
> Then I got out an old cheap pair of speakers I had and plugged them in.
> They worked so I figured it wasn't my sound card that was the problem but
the
> stereo speakers.  I went out and bougth some new PC speakers for about
$60.  I
> plugged them in and everything worked fine...for about 30 minutes.  Then
the
> light on the speakers went out and I couldn't play any sounds.  At the
time I
> wasn't playing any sounds, but the speakers were on and connected to the
sound
> card.  I did play a couple of system sounds to ma
> ke sure they were working ok
> and went on a website where I know the site comes up with music.  Thats
when I
> noticed that the light on the speaker was NOT on and no sound.  Rebooted,
still
> nothing.  Got out the old pair of cheap speakers again, plugged them in,
and
> they work!  I've had them on for about 20 minutes now and still working
and I'm
> at a website that plays continuous music.  So, just as a test, I plug my
NEW
> speakers back in...no sound, no nothing.  Plug the old ones back in, it
works.
>
> I am at my wit's end on this one.  I know the brand new speakers work
cause I
> used them for a while tonight then they just conked out on me.  Any ideas,
> anyone?  Thanks for any information!
>
> Pam
> [log in to unmask]
>

Pam,

If you have access to another computer I would try plugging the speakers in
to a sound card on another computer to verify that the speakers still do
work.  Also check to make sure that all of your connections are tight.  My
son once plugged the speakers in only half way into the sound card.  He
complained that only one of his speakers was working, upon checking out the
connections and plugging the speakers in securely to the sound card both
speakers are working again.

Mary Wolden

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