QUESTION: I'm not getting any sound from my Windows 98se PC. I cannot change the volume, I can't open the volume controls, and the desktop icon for the volume is gone from task tray.
Jay Lamons
ANSWER: There are several potential points of failure for sound.
1. Are the speakers plugged in to the correct jack on the sound card?
2. If the speakers are powered, are they plugged in and turned on and is the volume control (not the Windows Volume Control) turned up enough?
3.The windows Volume Control could be muted or turned down. If it is not visible in the System Tray you can usually add it by opening the Control Panel Sounds applet and add it from there by checking the Display Volume control box.
4. It is possible that the sound driver has become inactive. Check the Sounds settings in the Control Panel. In the Sound Scheme section there is a Test button. Pick a sound from the drop down list by clicking on it. If the Play button (right pointing arrow) is greyed out instead of black it means you sound adapter is not working or not installed. To check if it is installed, open the System applet in Control Panel and the open the Device Manager. If there is nothing under Sound Controllers or if the entries have error conditions, then you'll need to reinstall the sound adapter with the latest Windows 98 SE drivers you can find for that model. If that still does not give you any sound you may need a new sound card.
Nerds On Site Support Team and Globetechnology.com
