Troubleshooting Computer Speaker Problems

You are in a mood to listen to your favorite music CD or DVD. You start your computer, put on the speakers, play the DVD, and it won't work. This will certainly be the cause of a lot of irritation for you. There are many problems that may occur in our desktop computer, and the speakers not working is one of them.

For troubleshooting problems related to the speakers, you need to perform some very simple checks. The problems can be related to power connection and supply, sound card, or simply the speakers gone bad.

Firstly, you need to check if there is actually a problem in the speakers. They can be times when the computer settings are at fault, like the volume controls and audio setup.

The best way to make sure if the problem lies with the speakers is to use the speakers on a different PC or laptop computer. If they work fine, then your computer has some problem. But if they don't, then you need to take the steps for troubleshooting your computer speakers.

If the computer speakers are not working, then check if they are properly connected to the power switch. Typically, home theater speakers and other portable computer speakers have an LED light that turns on when the speakers are connected to the power source. Check if the light is on, and if it is not, remove the power connection, and plug it back again.

Another reason is the individual speakers not connected properly to the sub-woofer, or the portable ones not properly connected to the back of the CPU. If you are using home theater speakers, check if every individual speakers is appropriately connected to the back of the main sub-woofer. Remove all the connections and plug them back again.

But before getting the connections out, make sure that you know exactly in which format to connect the individual speakers to the sub-woofer. In case of portable speakers, simply remove the connection from the back of the CPU and put it back again.

If the speakers are not playing audio or video, you need to check the volume settings on the computer, as well as on the speakers. On a PC, with Windows operating system, the volume can be adjusted by clicking on 'Start', 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'Entertainment', and then 'Volume Control'.

Also check if the volume is totally muted. If yes, uncheck the 'Mute' option. Set the PC and the speaker volume to a suitable level.

There are also times when the sound card may get corrupt. If you have a doubt regarding improper working of the sound card, you can check by connecting another set of speakers to the computer. If the new speakers do not work, then the sound card is at fault. This check can also be performed by using headphones, instead of separate speakers.

If all the mentioned troubleshooting steps do not work, then probably the speakers themselves have gone defunct. In this case, you would need to call the dealer and get the speakers repaired or replaced.