PI: How to Troubleshoot Sound Issues

This article describes how to troubleshoot sound-related issues in the programs listed at the beginning of this article.

If sounds in the program are scratchy, intermittent, too soft, too loud, or not played at all, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented to troubleshoot the issue.

Verify That the Speakers Are Set Up Properly

To verify that the speakers are set up properly:

• Make sure that the speakers are connected to the computer properly.
• Make sure that you plug the speakers into a power outlet or you install fresh batteries in the speakers.
• Make sure that you adjust the volume control on the speaker.
• Make sure that you adjust the volume dial on the sound card (next to where you connect the speakers to the sound card).

Adjust the Volume in Microsoft Windows

To adjust the volume in Windows:

1. Click the speaker icon on the Windows taskbar, and then move the Volume slider to the appropriate level.
2. Click to clear the Mute All check box.

Verify That Your Sound Card Is Detected by Windows

To verify that your sound card is detected by Windows:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System.
3. Click the Device Manager tab (In Microsoft Windows 2000, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager).
4. Click the plus sign (+) next to Sound, video and game controllers to expand the branch.
5. Under the Sound, video and game controllers branch, note the manufacturer and the model of your sound card or on-board sound chip.
   
   If the sound card is not in the list in Device Manager, the sound card is not properly installed. Click OK, close all open windows, and then continue to the next step.
   
   If the sound card is in the list next to a red X or yellow exclamation point (!), the sound card may be disabled or may have a conflict with another hardware device. Click OK, close all open windows, and then continue to the next step.
   
   If the sound card is in the list, the sound card is detected by Windows. Click OK, close all open windows, and then continue to the next method.
6. See your sound card documentation or contact your hardware manufacturer for additional assistance.
   
   For information about how to contact your sound card manufacturer, view the following hardware and software third-party vendor contact information: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors/en-us (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors/en-us)
   

Use Microsoft Media Player to Test Your Sound Card

To use Media Player to test your sound card:

1. Click Start, and then click Run
2. In the Open box, type mplayer, and then click OK.
3. On the File menu, click Open.
4. Locate the C:\Windows\Media folder.
5. Click a wave audio (.wav) file or a MIDI (.mid) file, and then click Open.
6. Click the Play button.
   
   If you cannot hear the sound file, but the progress bar moves, contact the manufacturer of your sound card to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest sound driver for your sound card.

Verify That Audio Compression Is Installed

To verify that audio compression is installed:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. On the Windows Setup tab, click Multimedia, and then click Details.
3. Click to select the Audio Compression check box, and then click OK.
4. Click OK, and then close Control Panel.

Note If audio compression is not installed, you may receive the following error message:

Quit All Other Programs That Are Running on Your Computer

Most sound cards can play only one sound at a time; therefore, other programs that use sound, such as games or other multimedia programs, can interrupt the sounds that are played in Greetings, Home Publishing, or Picture It!

To resolve this issue, quit all other programs that are running on your computer.

If you set up multiple sound files to be played simultaneously in an e-mail or a Web project, only the file that you inserted first is played.

Install an Updated Version of Netscape Navigator

If you create a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page with a wave audio (.wav) file and you open the page in Netscape Navigator 4.05 Standard Edition, the wave audio file is not played.

Netscape Navigator 4.05 Standard Edition does not include the Sound Player Java applet that you need to play wave audio files.

To resolve this issue, install Netscape Navigator 4.05 Professional Edition or later.

Turn Off Audio Hardware Acceleration (Microsoft Windows 98 Only)

To turn off audio hardware acceleration in Windows 98:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Multimedia.
3. On the Audio tab, click Advanced Properties under Playback.
4. On the Performance tab, move the Hardware acceleration slider all the way to the left (the None position).
5. Click OK, and then click OK again.
6. Close Control Panel.

For additional information about how to troubleshoot problems related to wave sound files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: