HP Pavillion 9700 Notebook very odd audio sound issue

[Rerednaw]

If you are confused, that's exactly how I feel.

What happened: watching DVD. Everything fine. Switch to another DVD, sound gone. Thought mute was accidentally hit, so hit mute button. Nothing happens. Check again. Nothing.

Mute button normally turns orange when on, blue when off. Now locked on blue. Although the mute speaker symbol does switch on and off. All the other buttons (start, pause, next/prev track, vol up/down) all work fine.

Go to Realtek Digital Center and test speakers. Plays test sound. Go back to any other application (including windows systems sounds) no audio.

Restart notebook. No sound.

Shut down, pop out battery, restart, no sound.

Ditto when plugging in external speakers. Notebook gives system message "you have plugged in something into external speaker port."

Any ideas? I have not installed or changed anything to my knowledge. Obviously something has changed or the driver has gotten corrupted or the sound card has blown, although then I think I would not see the audio level bars rise and fall when I play a DVD.

Please help!

Thanks!

 

[mpilchfamily]

Try reinstalling the audio drivers. You did make the recovery disks after you purchased it right? If the driver reinstall doesn't work then you may have a bad sound card. Though its not really a card. But would require you to make a warenty claim if its still under one. If not then you will either have to use an alternative for the audio or you will have to have the main board replaced. In which case you might as well buy a new laptop.