At some point in time we all encounter relatively simple to resolve problems with our PC’s. That is only part of the problem. The other part is how to solve the problems themselves. Even the most computer savvy individual at one time or another faces embarassingly easy to fix problems, the solution being quite obvious.

Now, let us delve into the vault of ridiculously simple to fix ‘problems’ that many people seem to have with their computers/PC’s. In this issue, we will talk about the Speakers, Monitor, Microphone, and Auxilllary Audio (Line Out):

No Audio From Speakers: Now, this is quite common. First of all, check to ensure that your speakers are plugged into the back of the PC and in the correct port. Some computers have it color-coded purple. Others have a symbol of a musical symbol beside the correct port. If everything looks okay, check to ensure that your volume control is not turned all the way down and that it is not muted. If it is, turn it up and uncheck mute check box. If you have powered speakers, make sure that they are plugged into an outlet and that they are on and the volume turned up.

On a more complex note, there are times when the sound card may be bad. Simply buy a new one at the computer store and discard your old one. If your sound card is on-board (built onto the motherboard), ensure that it is set to ON in the BIOS settings.

No Video on Monitor: First and foremeost, ensure that the monitor is plugged in. Then check to see if it is off. If it is, turn it on. Also check to ensue that the video cable from the monitor is properly connected to the Video Card at the back of your PC. If all this has been done and it still does not come on, check to see if their is any power (electricity) in the outlet that it is plugged into. If not, find an alternate source of power.

If all else fails, your Video Card may be be faulty or your monitor may have lived its days. In either case, get a new one installed.

No Input From Microphone: Make sure it is plugged into the color-coded orange port. If it is, then check to ensure that the Microphone audio is not muted in the Volume Control panel.

No Auxillary Audio (Line Out): Make sure that audio cable is properly plugged into the Line Out Port. Some computers have a symbol of an arrow pointing away from the port with two or three brackets (to depict sound leaving the computer). Also ensure that the device that the Line Out audio is passing through is on.

We will discuss other PC problems and their solutions in Part 2.
(Image Copyright http://didicomputers.com/)