Laptop sound - Possible dead OpAmp?

[Drummerdude]

So, I have this Toshiba Satellite l305-something ( hard to read, sticker mangled ) and I'm having a very strange problem. Everything *seemingly* works on it, however, there is no sound output. Drivers are installed, sound card shows up under device manager, windows basically reports no issues with the sound card. however, I get no audio at all, whatsoever. Nothing through the speakers, nothing through the headphone jack. Headphone jack feels fine ( no extra resistance when plugging a set of headphones ), but here's where it gets weird. Usually, when you plug in a set of headphones, the computer will detect that you've plugged in a device. Same goes for when you plug in a microphone. This laptop doesn't detect either. It doesn't show when i plug a device into either the headphone port or the mic port.

So, possible dead OpAmp? Or maybe some bad SMC's?

 

[dkozloski]

What was the very last thing you did when it quit working?

 

[Drummerdude]

No idea. got the laptop that way

 

[PottedMeat]

see if it works in linux

 

[Drummerdude]

see if it works in linux

To me, this doesn't make any logical sense. If one operating system reports functionality in the device, then it wouldn't be software. Linux wouldn't change anything, unless somehow linux was addressing the device in a whole different way (mapping, irq's, etc ).

 

[PottedMeat]

To me, this doesn't make any logical sense. If one operating system reports functionality in the device, then it wouldn't be software. Linux wouldn't change anything, unless somehow linux was addressing the device in a whole different way (mapping, irq's, etc ).

maybe there's some hotkey mute setting or some mute checkbox deep in a menu somewhere in windows that isn't used or turned on in a different driver/os. all i'm saying is it's alot easier to try than cracking open the case and looking for discrete opamps (which it probably doesn't have - you'd be replacing a sound chip)

 

[Drummerdude]

maybe there's some hotkey mute setting or some mute checkbox deep in a menu somewhere in windows that isn't used or turned on in a different driver/os. all i'm saying is it's alot easier to try than cracking open the case and looking for discrete opamps (which it probably doesn't have - you'd be replacing a sound chip)

I've installed a fresh version of windows 7 on it, so it's doubtful to be a hotkey switch ( no crapware, etc ) As for taking it apart, I've already got it apart and down to the motherboard ( I have no problem taking computers apart. I own a computer repair shop )

 

[mindless1]

Check for a broken solder joint between the board and jack. Examine and (solder) reflow any that are questionable, or all if you are good at soldering.

Also check whether the jack is a switching type that cuts audio to the speakers when the plug is inserted. If that is bent out of shape internally then you may get no audio through either, but should get audio using probes on the correct PCB solder points that you either listen to with an electrical connection to headphones or measure as a low AC voltage with a multimeter (when audio is playing of course).

If you are lucky, that audio jack is on a separate board and that board can be replaced instead of repaired, inexpensively if there are any on ebay instead of having to go through Toshiba which is probably expensive.

Blown ADC (sound chip) may not be impossible but is unlikely.