You will frequently be asked to troubleshoot problems with audio and video.  The student will call you and say that (s)he can't hear anything coming out of the speakers, of that nothing is showing on the monitor.  You may receive a call that the person is getting video, but it's only the ugly 16 colors type of video. Video troubleshooting is frequently more challenging than audio troubleshooting.   Here are some ways to test the audio and video on computers that may be experiencing problems.

AUDIO

a.  Check the speakers - are they on? 
top

Frequently, the student forgets to turn the speakers on, or has the volume all the way down.  You'll be surprised how many times this happens.


b. Check the connections
top

- Make sure the speaker wire is in the right plug on the back of the computer. 
- Frequently, the student will have the wire plugged into the microphone port. 
- The plugs are usually color coded, so that if the speakers came with the machine, you should easily be able to find the right input. 
- However, if the speakers did not originally come with the system, the color coding may be different.  Make sure that the speakers are plugged into the speaker port.


c.  Check the speaker icon
top

- Look for the speaker icon in the tray.  Is it there one present? 
- If no, there is no audio driver, or the driver has gone bad. 
- If there is one, then double-click it.  Make sure the volume sliders are not at the bottom, and that the "mute all" box is clear.





d.  Check the Control Panel
top

- Double-click on the "Sounds" icon.  If the Play button is grayed out, there is a problem with the driver or the adapter itself.
- If the Play button is not grayed out, choose a sound event in the "Events" field, and click the play button to test the sound.
- Double-click the "System" icon and go the device manager.

- Expand the "Sound, video, and game controllers" entry. 
- If there are any yellow exclamation points, there is a problem with the driver, or there is a device conflict.|
- If there is a red "x" by any of the entries, that controller has been disabled.  You can re-enable it in the control panel.


e.  Try another set of speakers
top

- Check to see if the student's speakers have died.  You can obtain speakers from the ACS office.
- If the test speakers work, the student needs new speakers.


f.  If necessary, download and re-install the audio drivers
top

- The process of identifying the adapter is the same as for network adapters.
- Click here to review the process of identifying non-integrated adapters.
- Click here to review the process of identifying integrated adapters.
- Download the file to the desktop and double-click to install it.
- Some common audio driver manufacturers are: Creative (Sound Blaster), Yamaha, Turtle Beach
- Major vendor sites contain audio drivers for their integrated and non-integrated OEM cards.





VIDEO

a.  Try another monitor with the computer in question
top

- The monitor must be KNOWN GOOD.  As the roommate for permission to use their monitor.
- This confirms that the problem is with the computer or the monitor.
- If the test monitor displays correctly, the monitor in question is suspect.
- If the test monitor does not display correctly, the computer and/or the video adapter are suspect.


b.  Try a test video card
top

- If the known good test monitor fails to provide video with the computer in question, then we need to use a test video card.
- Two test video cards are available in my office.
- If the video adapter in question is integrated, it needs to be disabled in the BIOS.  Call me for help if you need it.
- To confirm that a test video card works, you need only see the startup screens.  After that, you can turn the computer off.
- In this case, you can tell the student to purchase a new video card.


c.  If necessary, download the video card driver and install it
top

- The process of identifying the adapter is the same as for network adapters.
- Click here to review the process of identifying non-integrated adapters.
- Click here to review the process of identifying integrated adapters.
- Download the file to the desktop and double-click to install it.
- Some common video driver manufacturers are:
- Major vendor sites contain audio drivers for their integrated and non-integrated OEM cards.



How to tell the difference between a bad video card and a dying monitor
top

- A bad video card will usually cause the system to freeze up.  Frequently the user is playing a graphics heavy game or watching a movie, or is trying to set video preferences.
- A dying monitor usually changes hue or becomes "glittery" without user intervention. 
- If the connection between the monitor and the computer is good, and you're getting an intermittent change in hue, or a consistent change in hue, there is a good chance the monitor is failing.

 Top