Hi, i'm completely clueless when it comes to computers and when i bought my PC i never thought to ask about sound.
When playing anything i get no sound and am sometimes told either i have a problem with my sound card or i have no sound card. I'm not even sure where to check.
If i have no sound card is it possible to install one yourself? if so is it a difficult thing to do and do you need a particular make for what ever PC you have?
Thank you for any help.
If you bought a new off the shelf computer, you can be assured you do have a soundcard. First things first, Lets work out a few of the usual suspects.
Now this assuming this is a desktop computer. Please let us know what you have bought and what operating system (xp, or vista) you have in it.
If you look on the back of your computer you should see a number of colored round input jacks. Sometimes there are three , sometimes as many as six.
They will be colored pink, green, black, blue, yellow and maybe even a grey one. You may even have some on the front of the computer, and they are usually only two and they would be green and pink.
If these are present, you definetly have a sound card, or built in sound to the main board.
Depending on the type of speakers you bought, Lets assume you have just the stereo speakers (two speakers) there should be a power cord of some kind as well as a mini jack. These speakers should have a volume control and a powerbutton. Sometimes the speaker power and volume are on one knob.
Plug in the mini jack into the green one on the back of the computer, plug in the power cord to the speakers, turn on the speaker power and turn up the volume about half way.
Try playing something from windows media player, and notice if it looks like it is playing something but you cant hear it, or if you get a error message about no sound card/device found.
If you bought a new off the shelf computer, you can be assured you do have a soundcard. First things first, Lets work out a few of the usual suspects.
No it's not new. I was only interested in being online and wasn't really wanting to play video's and games at the time.
If you look on the back of your computer you should see a number of colored round input jacks. Sometimes there are three , sometimes as many as six.
They will be colored pink, green, black, blue, yellow and maybe even a grey one. You may even have some on the front of the computer, and they are usually only two and they would be green and pink.
If these are present, you definetly have a sound card, or built in sound to the main board.
Nope they don't seem to be there.
Oh shucks, I just seen you have windows 98 listed in your avatar. So are we working with a old machine in which the sound worked before?
No never had sound.
Is it possible to install one yourself? if so is it a difficult thing to do and do you need a particular make for what ever PC you have?
Greetings Ultilee
Now that I got it straight, there a couple of things to consider when doing a sound card. Seems a bit strange you never had one, almost like tires on a car. I guess you can buy a car without tires but it would be not the norm.
The things you need to know.
1. Do you have room in the computer to put in a new card.
Has to be an open slot. You have to know what kind of slots you have in the computer and if they are not occupied with something else.
2. Each card be it a sound card or some other type, comes with a piece of software that is called a driver.
This driver makes the operating system work with the card. It your case to output sound from whatever application you are using.
This driver must be made or written for the operating system you use. (Win98, 2000, Xp, vista, ect)
3. Do you have the ability to follow the instructions that come with the Card and software?
Usually requires you to install software and being able to open up a computer case and locate a open slot and install it and secure it properly.
So in recap.
The right card for you computer is based on the operating system you have, the type of slot you have availible on the motherboard. Some tools, and the ability to follow the instructions.
Regards
Kaz
✨ Ask AI
AI can make mistakes. Check the cited posts. Archived advice can be out-of-date
Don't include personal information. Questions and selected public posts go to OpenAI. About Ask AI
