No stereo sound
- From: Paul MR <mbm701@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 20:46:31 -0700
The bottom-line is that the desktop computer plays only the right stereo channel. No music comes through the left channel from any source: CD, DVD, wave file, the speaker test program, nothing. I inherited this unbranded machine from my brother and I know very little about computers, as you will be able to ascertain. If this is not the correct group, please forgive and point me in the right direction. My gut instinct says that it’s a hardware problem. I don’t know enough to even do much troubleshooting. Nonetheless, I have done the following (longish):
Windows XP Home with service pack 2. There are enough jacks in back to plug in five speakers, but I use only the jacks for front left and right. I have tested the speakers, speaker wires, and plugs and they are all ok. But I suppose the left channel jack itself could be faulty. I have checked the volume controls through control panel and everywhere else I ran into one, and nothing is muted and all the sliders are centered. I looked at the Control Panel: Device Manager. The only thing with a yellow question mark is named “Promise SATA Console Processor Device”; I don’t know what that is or whether it is relevant. The D:\ drive is a DVD reader. The E:\ drive is a DVD writer. I was able to copy a CD which played properly on my other stereo system, so I conclude the D:\ and E:\ hardware are both ok and that burning the disc bypassed the problem somehow.
The software programs that seem to do with sound are Microsoft Media Player, AvRack, Intervideo WinRip, WinDVD4 Player, WinDVD Creator, CD Burner XPPro 3, and IMGBurn. I have only slight ideas about what any of these programs do, and I suspect they duplicate many functions. They all seem to be working properly as far as I can tell. There is also something named Adaptec AVC-1200; I am not sure whether this is the metal box plugged into one of the USB ports or whether it is software. When I used it to convert a VHS tape to DVD, nothing from the left channel source came through and the right channel source played back in monaural sound through both speakers on the television.
As far as the hardware itself, I don’t know where to begin to troubleshoot. A major problem is that when I try to use help screens, things are identified by brand names or meaningless initials and I have no idea whether the thing is hardware or software or what it might do. I have never opened a computer case for fear of destroying something, but I’m willing to learn. Can anyone suggest the best way to proceed from here?
Paul in San Francisco
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