# Desktop and Tablet Speakers Stopped Working



## mkingiii (Feb 13, 2013)

The speakers for my dell XPS 8500 computer and my dell latitude 10 tablet stopped working on the same day. My computer speakers had been plugged into the monitor and working fine since I got the computer a few months ago. Both the desktop and tablet run windows 8. I have tried dell tech support, but they can not seem to figure it out. I am concerned that since both went out on the same day it could be related. One reason I feel that it may be a single issue is that on one occassion (when I first setup my tablet) my tablet stopped responding and my desktop monitor entered and would not exit standy mode at the exact same time. If anyone has any idea on what could be the cause of the speakers not working on both my desktop and tablet please let me know. I am posting this hear in case its some kind of windows 8 networking issue.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Since both of your computers are Dells, did Dell support have you run their online diagnostics for your system hardware? The online diagnostics are very much like the PC Doctor based Dell Diagnostics that are likely already installed on both of your Dells. The advantage the online diagnostics have is that they are often more detailed and more up-to-date.

If they didn't have you run them yet, they are free for you to use to troubleshoot your computers. Here's the link to the diagnostics home page --- Dell PC Diagnostics | Dell US --- Note that you can choose which diagnostics to run: 1) all diagnostics 2) diagnostics by symptom 3) diagnostics by component. If you don't have a lot of time, you could start by running the sound system tests.

Both your desktop and your tablet have Realtek audio, ALC3800-CG for the desktop, ALC3261 for the tablet. A feature of Windows 8 is a background service that functions as an Automatic Update for drivers . . . So, possibly both of your computers received a sound driver update on the same day ... or possibly a recent Windows Update arrived on the same day that just happened to affect your sound drivers. 

I'll guess that you've already tested for sound with a pair of headphones on each computer?

If it seems likely to be an audio driver issue, you could try different drivers (newer or older, from Dell, Windows Update, or Realtek) ... with the Dell drivers likely to be your first choice. To go straight to the last driver that worked, you can look in Device Manager to see if the Roll-Back feature is available for that driver. Device Manager - Sound, video, and game controllers - double-click or double-tap your Realtek High Definition Audio - select the Driver tab - select Roll Back Driver.

Or you can use System Restore, selecting a restore point from before the sound went missing.
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Can't hurt to run a scan for malware, too, just to make sure there isn't a new infection that has the unusual damage of disrupting audio.

Best of luck
. . . Gary


P.S. .... you might also have a look in the Event Viewer logs, to see if any errors coincide with the audio mishap.


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