How to Troubleshoot Computer Sound Cards

Computers use sound cards to receive and send analog and digital sound. Without a working sound card, no sound will come out of your computer's speakers because there is no outlet for it. Sound cards are also the foundation for voice chatting because they digitize your voice after it moves from the microphone and into your computer. Digital audio is then converted back to analog on the way out to your headset or speakers, or those of another user. To fully test a sound card and diagnose sound card or system issues, it is worthwhile to have on hand a second sound card that is known to be working.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Working headset with microphone A sound card that is known to be working

1. Test the sound card by playing music on your computer's media player to see if you can hear any sound through your headset. If you do not hear any sound through your headset, check your microphone jack to make sure your headset is plugged into the proper place, and test the jack to see if it is loose.

2. If your jack is loose, replace your sound card with a working one and repeat the sound test with music.

3. Open your computer's sound recorder by going to "Start," choosing "Programs," choosing "Accessories," choosing "Entertainment," and then choosing "Sound Recorder." Make sure your microphone is not muted. click on the record button and speak into the microphone. Click stop and playback the sound. If your voice plays back and you were able to hear music through your headsets during the sound check, your card is fully working.

4. If your recorder does not play your voice back, check your microphone jack to make sure your microphone is plugged into the proper place, and test the jack to see if it is loose. If your jack is loose, replace your sound card with a working one and repeat the microphone test using the playback feature.

5. Test the sound in a multimedia application like a movie or a computer game to make sure that the sound is functioning properly in a more sound-intensive environment. If you have no sound while testing a multimedia application, replace your sound card with a working one and retest your multimedia application.

6. Test all sound jacks connected to your sound card because some cards will have jacks for rear, center, and front channels. If there is still no sound after checking the jacks, replace the sound card with a working card and rerun your sound checks.

Tips & Warnings

• Check to see if your sound is muted by the computer's master control. Look for your speaker in the bottom right portion of the screen and make sure it's active and is not crossed out, which would indicate it is muted. You can also double-click on it and check if the master control has the "mute all" function selected under the master volume. Uncheck "mute all" and continue testing. If you are still are not receiving sound. Make sure the sound card's updated drivers are installed. Download the updated sound drivers from the sound card manufacturer's website.
• Do not switch out sound cards when the computer is on. This could cause a short in your system and could hurt other components or ruin the whole system. When switching out the sound card, make sure you are statically discharged by touching your computer's metal case so the system is not shorted out when you put the good sound card in. Make sure to anchor the sound card in the port with a computer screw. Components that are not anchored into the computer can cause electrical short circuits and destroy themselves and other components.

Resources

• Microsoft's further assistance in troubleshooting sound