# PC is DUMB, No Sound Output

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190 "2003-08-28T13:51:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/1 "2003-08-28T13:51:33Z")

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I have a pentium II, Win 98, 80 GB HD,  
Real Player and no sound output from any other sound associated devices.  
Installation of Real Player configures the system to disable all other sound applications.

I have uninstalled Real Player. No help.

Have exhaused all solutions such as reinstalling the other sound associated applications, looking at system information, etc. and still no sound.:smack:

What have I overlooked?  
Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/2 "2003-08-28T13:57:49Z")

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Was it working before?

BTW, RealPlayer doesn’t disable other sound apps - it just hijacks file formats.

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**Author:** ![rookie523](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@rookie523](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rookie523)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/3 "2003-08-28T14:13:15Z")

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what types of sounds are you trying to listen to?  
Audio cds? games? downloaded mp3s?

volume settings

have you made sure ALL the volume settings are back to high levels?  
sometimes the wave, CD, line in volume levels are on mute or at the lowest volume level.

are your speaker plugged in and powered on?

you can check by right clicking on My Computer and selecting properties.  
then select Hardware tab (i believe)… then Device manager.  
Are there any exclamation points on anything?  
If so, you might try reinstalling drivers…

also if you are trying to listen to an audio CD, make sure that the audio cable is connected from the CD drive to the sound card or motherboard…

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/4 "2003-08-28T14:33:20Z")

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This thing with no sound has plauged me for months. I have earphones plugged in and working ok.  
Brought up master vc and it was OFF. :smack:

Turned it ON and WMP went to work. 😄

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/5 "2003-08-28T14:33:43Z")

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This thing with no sound has plauged me for months. I have earphones plugged in and working ok.

Brought up master vc and it was OFF. :smack:

Turned it ON and WMP went to work. 😄

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-is-dumb-no-sound-output/198190/6 "2003-08-28T14:43:57Z")

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Exactly the same thing happened to me the other day with WMP. It’s DUMB in both senses of the word.