# [SOLVED] Computer sound mysteriously going mute



## nikkibop (Apr 3, 2005)

A while ago my computer sound began to go mute. Sound slowly got quieter untill I could barely hear certain things (sound in games, youtube). I tried updating my sound drivers, and my sound was fixed, back to normal - for a couple weeks. And then it again began to slowly get lower untill almost mute again. I think I tried disabling one of the sound drivers. Sound worked again for a while, then muted. I tried updating and messing with drivers again, but didn't get the same effect. I tried reinstalling the game it was mostly affecting. It worked again, then began to mute. I tried getting a new soundcard. It worked again, then began to mute. I found that headphones plugged into the frontal ports on my computer heard the sound muted, but the USB ports did not, so I got a USB-to-port converter for my headphones. Sound worked for a while, and is now beginning to go mute again.

I was about to try rebooting my computer to factory condition, since this problem seems so irrational I thought it could be a virus (although not sure why my Norton scans didn't pick anything up) 
I also suspected a motherboard problem, although not sure why it would keep working and then muting again whenever I changed anything if it were just my mobo dying.

If any additional info is needed, feel free to ask.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## badstormer (Aug 3, 2012)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

Likely a shorted sound card - unless you don't constantly pour water on your laptop, like me 

Have you checked your speakers? Perhaps they're a bit rusty with modern sounds.


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## nikkibop (Apr 3, 2005)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

I replaced the onboard sound card with a new one - worked for a while then stopped. I also replaced the headphones. These headphones work well on other computers, but still low sound on this one. I also tried speakers on this computer, which work well on other comps but not mine


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

Have you verified ALL of the volume controls?


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## badstormer (Aug 3, 2012)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

Well, I'm clueless then. Let the smart people on this site handle it


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## nikkibop (Apr 3, 2005)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

As far as I know, yes. The volume control on the windows toolbar is maxed, as well as all volume controls on any games or movies. Anything I missed?

And it sometimes seems to only affect certain applications. It was originally only netflix and a game, Vindictus, that the sound would be low on. It then worked for a while after I changed something, then when it muted again it only affected Vindictus. I changed soundcard causing it to work for a bit, and now that it's muting again it seems to affect everything except music played on windows media player, system sounds(the noises when you click certain things) or Teamspeak sound.

However there is a plugin which I have been using in Teamspeak which will lower the volume of other active system sound while someone in the channel speaks so you can hear them. I wonder if it could be somehow causing the sound to permanently mute?


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

Control Panel / Sounds and Audio devices / Device volume > Advanced

The two items are watch are typically the Master volume and the Wave volume.

Also check the volume while the issue is occuring to see if it's changing. If you are using USB audio, that is basically bypassing the audio chipset. USB devices are typically treated as a sound card. So if you check the default audio device in the audio setup, you should see the USB device listed and not the motherboard audio chipset/sound card.

Also, if you have a multimedia keyboard (ie: with media controls including volume), uninstall the keyboard software/drivers, reboot, and test (without installing the keyboard software/drivers).


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## nikkibop (Apr 3, 2005)

*Re: Computer sound mysteriously going mute*

Oh yes, it seems that the volume in the mixer for certain applications was turned down gradually on it's own. I'm guessing it was somehow caused by that TS plugin.

Thanks for your help!


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