Question So, monitor went out, can't get sound

[SaltyNuts]

So I have had an LG monitor for ages that had sound in it. Sounds was not great, but I was fine with it.

Well, monitor died.

I hooked up an old monitor, a BENQ.

The BENQ monitor apparently has sound, as there are buttons on it where I can turn the sound up or down.

But I never get any sound.

I also have some old speakers that came with a PC I bought - "IBUYPOWER" speakers. I plug those in. When I plug them in, I can hear a bit of static coming out of them for the split second when I plug them in.

But try as I might, I can't get any sound to come out of them.

My volume indicator at the bottom right of my screen indicates that I have no sound device via the red circle with the x. When I click on it it tries to search for it, but can't find anything.

My PC is a PowerSpec from Microcenter, several years old. I went to the Microcenter and updated my sound drivers.

But still, nothing. Not out of my monitor our out of my speakers.

Any ideas how I might resolve this problem?

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Paperdoc]

I'll suggest two things. For background, note that, no matter how many devices your system has, Windows can use only ONE Sound Output Device at a time. Further, there is a place in Windows where you can specify exactly which device to use.

You have not told us how sound was being fed to the old monitor. One way is / was to connect a sound cable from the speaker output jack on the rear panel of your computer to an audio input socket on the monitor. Another more recent is using an HDMI video output cable from the computer (or an added video card) to the monitor to carry BOTH the video and audio signals. Now, there has never been any way to feed audio output signals from a mobo sound chip or an added sound card to the video card (IF you are using one) so it can be carried on the HDMI cable. So virtually all added video cards actually have their own audio chip on them, too, just so that chip can be the sound output device that IS connected to the HDMI cable. When you first install such a video card, the process installs the drivers for BOTH the video output and the audio output devices on that card, and then tells Windows to start using that audio chip as the Default Sound Output Device. So that's what was working before. (Of course, IF you are using only video output from a system ON your mobo , and not an added card, then then the mobo audio output chip is being used for Default Sound Output, and its signal is being routed to an HDMI video output socket on the back panel of your computer.)

I suspect what happened is that, after the monitor failed, Windows and the sound output system being used detected that there is NO device out there on the end of whatever cable that is accepting the audio signal, so it reset itself to have no default sound output device. Or maybe the sound system itself set itself to NOT output any signal because there is no speaker connected.

So, my first suggestion is to check how Windows is set for Default Sound Output Device. In the search box at bottom left type "Sound output" and select "Choose your sound output device". If it shows you two devices - one likely Realtek (on the mobo), and another named like your video card - choose the one you are using to send sound to the monitor (according to what cable connection is in use). That is, Realtek if you're using a separate cable from a speaker output jack on the back panel to the monitor, or the video card system if you're using HDMI from a video card to the monitor. Then use the Device Properties and Troubleshooting items to check details of the output device you have selected. For example, with some Realtek systems you may have to specify exactly what item (like speakers) is plugged in where so it will know to send sound out of that socket. In those screens you may well find also a test option you can use to send out sounds to the selected speakers and verify that they work. If you get it working, back out and relax.

If that does not work, consider this other idea. I doubt this applies to all systems. On my system the MONITOR itself also had its own Device Driver under Windows, and I always have had to ensure that is installed before I can specify the exact form of video output that the video system should use. My monitor does not have speakers. BUT if your old monitor did need a Device Driver that informs the rest of your system just what it can do, maybe the NEW monitor also needs a driver so Windows can figure out how to use all of its abilities. ALSO, if there was a driver for the old monitor, you MIGHT need to find that in Device Manager and Delete it so the new monitor can function freely.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Now, there has never been any way to feed audio output signals from a mobo sound chip or an added sound card to the video card (IF you are using one) so it can be carried on the HDMI cable. So virtually all added video cards actually have their own audio chip on them, too, just so that chip can be the sound output device that IS connected to the HDMI cable.

Actually, the GTX8800/GT9800-family (G80/G92) had a pin on the card, where you would attach the SPDIF output from your motherboard header into the input jack on the card, and it would feed the output of your onboard audio chip on the mobo (using SPDIF) to your HDMI port.

 

[SaltyNuts]

I'll suggest two things. For background, note that, no matter how many devices your system has, Windows can use only ONE Sound Output Device at a time. Further, there is a place in Windows where you can specify exactly which device to use.

You have not told us how sound was being fed to the old monitor. One way is / was to connect a sound cable from the speaker output jack on the rear panel of your computer to an audio input socket on the monitor. Another more recent is using an HDMI video output cable from the computer (or an added video card) to the monitor to carry BOTH the video and audio signals. Now, there has never been any way to feed audio output signals from a mobo sound chip or an added sound card to the video card (IF you are using one) so it can be carried on the HDMI cable. So virtually all added video cards actually have their own audio chip on them, too, just so that chip can be the sound output device that IS connected to the HDMI cable. When you first install such a video card, the process installs the drivers for BOTH the video output and the audio output devices on that card, and then tells Windows to start using that audio chip as the Default Sound Output Device. So that's what was working before. (Of course, IF you are using only video output from a system ON your mobo , and not an added card, then then the mobo audio output chip is being used for Default Sound Output, and its signal is being routed to an HDMI video output socket on the back panel of your computer.)

I suspect what happened is that, after the monitor failed, Windows and the sound output system being used detected that there is NO device out there on the end of whatever cable that is accepting the audio signal, so it reset itself to have no default sound output device. Or maybe the sound system itself set itself to NOT output any signal because there is no speaker connected.

So, my first suggestion is to check how Windows is set for Default Sound Output Device. In the search box at bottom left type "Sound output" and select "Choose your sound output device". If it shows you two devices - one likely Realtek (on the mobo), and another named like your video card - choose the one you are using to send sound to the monitor (according to what cable connection is in use). That is, Realtek if you're using a separate cable from a speaker output jack on the back panel to the monitor, or the video card system if you're using HDMI from a video card to the monitor. Then use the Device Properties and Troubleshooting items to check details of the output device you have selected. For example, with some Realtek systems you may have to specify exactly what item (like speakers) is plugged in where so it will know to send sound out of that socket. In those screens you may well find also a test option you can use to send out sounds to the selected speakers and verify that they work. If you get it working, back out and relax.

If that does not work, consider this other idea. I doubt this applies to all systems. On my system the MONITOR itself also had its own Device Driver under Windows, and I always have had to ensure that is installed before I can specify the exact form of video output that the video system should use. My monitor does not have speakers. BUT if your old monitor did need a Device Driver that informs the rest of your system just what it can do, maybe the NEW monitor also needs a driver so Windows can figure out how to use all of its abilities. ALSO, if there was a driver for the old monitor, you MIGHT need to find that in Device Manager and Delete it so the new monitor can function freely.

Thanks so much Paperdoc! On the way the sound was being fed to the monitor, I am about 99% sure its the more recent HDMI video cable, because I was very surprised when sounds came out of the monitor without me having hooked up any speakers or sounds cable at all. I have a GTX1070 I think it is - that has the sound chip that would work with my old (now busted) LG monitor? Might my much older BENQ monitor that I just hooked up after my newer LG one busted not be compatible with that sound chip on my graphics card?

I'll do just what you said on your first and second suggestion. On your first one, I played around along time last night with it, but while (if I'm remember correctly) I found the Realtek sound driver in the device settings and when I tried to update the driver it said the latest ones were installed, and no problems were indicated, nevertheless whatever the window is where my computer kept trying to detect a sound output device it kept telling me over and over again that it couldn't find one. But I'll try again tonight, doing just as you indicated.

On the second suggestion, I believe I went to the monitor tab in the device manager, saw it had picked up the replacement BENQ monitor, and everything seemed in order. When I selected update drivers there it again told me that those drivers were up to date. Should I go ahead and try and delete those (in case some of the drivers for the old monitor are still embedded) and then click again to download drivers to hopefully clean it up?

Thanks again!!!

 

[SaltyNuts]

Yep, Paperdoc, just got home, when I go to "Choose your output device" in sound it says "no output device found".

 

[SaltyNuts]

And yep, when I got to monitor in the device manager it recognizes my BENQ and says the best drivers are already installed.

 

[SaltyNuts]

Well, good news Paperdoc, I got the speakers on my BENQ monitor working - I forgot that I had used the old cable to attach that one - I replaced it with the newer HDMI cable and it works fine. The sound is not great, but at least its working.

There must be something on where the sound in the BENQ monitor is somehow keeping the sound that comes with the motherboard from working/being recognized. *shrugs*

 

[Paperdoc]

Glad to hear of progress. Not sure I understand all your last comments.

First, with it working, there still will be a limit to the quality of the sound from the speakers in the monitor, whatever model is in use. Most monitor speakers are quite poor compared to just about any separate speaker system.

You say something in the BENQ monitor is keeping the sound from being recognized, AFTER saying that it is working. I don't understand that part. Are you NOT hearing sound form the BENQ speakers? Or, do you mean just that the quality of that sound is poor? Or maybe the Volume of that is weak?

You said you have a set of old Ibuypower speakers you tried out. Do you think they can give you better sound? If so, you might have a couple of options, and I can advise more detail if you like. One option might be to connect those to an audio OUTPUT jack on the monitor and let them take over that sound, rather than the speakers in the monitor. The other route is to connect those speakers (using a separate cable) to the light green audio ouput socket on your mobo's rear panel, then tell Windows to use the mobo Realtek system as the Default Sound Output Device, rather than the system in the video card.