Speaker is one of the most important output devices of your computer. It is meant for hearing sound. However, you need to have a sound card installed in your machine in order to make use of the speaker. Several users have reported various problems related speakers not playing sound. Some of the solutions have been discussed below.
Solutions
Here are a few troubleshooting tips for computer speakers not playing sound, or not functioning properly-
i) First of all, you need to inspect the plug of the speaker. A speaker's color code is generally lime green. There must be 'speakers' or 'headphones' mentioned in the label of the speaker. The older computers have the plugs located in back of the computer, and the newer ones have them in the front.
ii) Also make sure that your speaker is powered up. There are some low cost speakers which do not need a separate source of power, and can be directly plugged in to your machine. A minimum of 1V is provided to the speaker by the computer connector. The sound intensity in these types of speakers is very poor, even if the volume is set to maximum. For sound amplification, most speakers need a separate DC power.
iii) In case your speaker needs additional DC power, then make sure that the power plug is connected to your speaker, as well as, the outlet.
iv) The source of power of the USB speakers is the USB port. The maximum power supply capacity of the USB ports is 5V.
v) If the issue is not with power, you need to check the volume controls of both the computer, as well as the speaker. View the volume controls on the taskbar, and check whether the volume is muted, or is set to minimum.
vi) If the issue is not with power or sound, then either the speaker or the sound card is faulty. Replace the speaker with a tested one. If the replaced speaker runs smoothly, then the previous speaker is faulty. And in case the replaced speaker too fails to function, then the problem is with the sound card.
For more advanced troubleshooting, you need to avail computer support services.
