Strange Speaker Problem
 

Specs:
1.4 ghz Athlon
512mb RAM
Soundblaster Live! Sound card
Windows XP Home

I did a fresh re-install of Windows last night. After spending a good hour downloading the major programs I needed, updates, and drivers, I realized that my speakers don't work.

I've gone through everything that I think should cause it, volume control, settings on the card, etc.

Then I tried plugging in my headphones, and strangely they worked. I plugged my speakers back in, and they still didn't work.

Anyone have any ideas on what I could do?

Have you installed the Soundblaster Live! drivers yet? The XP ones might not work very well. You can get them here:

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download.asp

If you've installed them already, then I don't know what to tell ya. Time to format! Just kidding. :) Formatting seems to be the panacea for all Windows problems, but it can create some annoying new problems as well. Did you plug your headphones into the actual sound card or into the CD-ROM? The CD-ROM doesn't play sound through your sound card; it has its own audio "device." If you plugged it into the sound card and it worked, then that's weird. It would be a really big coincidence, but I'd at least check to see if your speakers actually work. Try a new set if ya can! Good luck!

-Lasereth

THATS the question. If you plugged both into the same device and they still didnt work, check the speakers, it has to be a problem with them--the computer cant tell the difference between the two.

I guess SB Live has major compatibility issues with XP
I would suggest getting the SB Live 5.1 .. they are super cheap now.

Yes, I plugged the headphones into the same device, the same output. Before I formatted I had to change the settings from digital and turn it off or vice versa.

That's the freaky thing, is everything worked great when I first got the PC, everything worked great after I formatted once before, now JUST these speakers won't work after I formatted again.

I'm gonna go try re-installing windows again to see if that fixes the problem.

It's moments like these when you just hate computers.

You may be having a problem with digital-analog conversion or sumthin'. I don't consider this very likely, but try going by radio shack and getting a converter that goes on your speakers jack and converts it. The only thing I can say I feel sure about though is that the problem definately lies in the speakers and not the computer or drivers or anything.

Just did another install so all the Windows files were updated and guess what? It's fixed.

God I hate Windows. *Kicks Bill Gates in the balls*

Thanks for the suggestions though.