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Solution to Lost Sound

I found this solution on an Apple forum and it worked. I have a PowerMac G4 and just upgraded to Leopard. And lost my sound output. I deleted my copy of QuickTime Player (>Applications), downloaded a new copy from Apple, and installed it directly (not using the system upgrade utility). Immediately the sound returned. Go figure.
 
wow

i also had this problem. I did the toothpick thing except with a piece of paperclip. The light would go off in like every 20 seconds. To make the light go back on so i could do the fix i had to plug in headphones and unplug them then quickly jiggle the paperclip inside the jack. Since soo many people have this problem, i might make a video on how to fix it.
 
Resetting PRAM worked for me ...

Try resetting the PRAM -- use Command-Option-P-R
(Read http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379 for details on the procedure)

I lost sound, no sound icon in menu bar, keyboard buttons brought up the sound level display with a "no sound" symbol, system preference sound panel sliders and buttons were greyed out and inaccessible. Symptoms were just like the screen caps shown in the original post in this thread.

Resetting PRAM solved the problem immediately.
 
Worked for me

Try resetting the PRAM -- use Command-Option-P-R
(Read http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379 for details on the procedure)

I lost sound, no sound icon in menu bar, keyboard buttons brought up the sound level display with a "no sound" symbol, system preference sound panel sliders and buttons were greyed out and inaccessible. Symptoms were just like the screen caps shown in the original post in this thread.

Resetting PRAM solved the problem immediately.

PowerBook G4, 1.5Ghz and Leopard here...holding down CTRL + OPTION + COMMAND + P + R keys during restart did the trick. I had no red light in the headphone jack, either. No need to do it while shutting down, I held the keys after the startup sound...hold for a few seconds and release...OS will continue to boot after you release the keys it seems.

This fixed my sound problems: no sound in icon in menu bar, sound applet in System Preferences was entirely grayed, iTunes music wouldn't play, etc. Typing all of this in so the search engines can catalog all of the symptoms for others in need!
 
Applejack worked for me

I've experienced this exact same thing on my 12 "powerbook.

Resetting PRAM did nothing.

Afterwards, I went into single user mode and ran 'applejack' and when I restarted the sound was back up and running. So I would suggest resetting PRAM first, then try NVRAM, and as a last resort download applejack (if you don't already have it) and run it in single user mode. Best of luck.
 
I had the same problem and no intention to do something with a toothpick.
Someone has written about downloading quicktime - and reinstalling it.

I did that and at the moment sound works perfectly.
 
Still no sound

Running PBook G4 10.4.11

Have tried all the tips:
Resetting PRAM
Resetting NVRAM
Re-installing Quicktime- though didn't have the option to do a direct install only upgrade.
No red LED

Nothing. Any help appreciated- thanks.
 
PRAM Zap fixed it for now.

Powerbook 15" G4 867Mhz 768meg Ram
Never had sound problems till Leopard. First did the upgrade from 10.4.11 to Leopard and the sound was fine. Upgraded to itunes 8 and Quicktime 7.5.5 and leopard 10.5.5. That is when everything went haywire. The sound seemed to come and go intermittently. Sometimes itunes would work and sometimes not and Quicktime almost never had sound(reloaded- helped for a little while). Reloaded Leopard from scratch and the sound started working again. It slowly stopped working again.
I reset the PRAM and it appears to be working again. Hopefully it lasts.
 
No audio out of speakers or headphone jack on PB 17" 1.5GHz.

No audio out of speakers or headphone jack on PB 17" 1.5GHz.

Have gone through all the usual resets: PRAM, NVRAM, PMU. 'Ditched any audio and sound preferences from both sys prefs and user prefs and then when that did not work, 'booted from external drive. Sound Preference Panel and Audio/MIDI setup correct. (No external sound devices connected.)

No Joy.

Anyone had any luck with a similar situation? My bet is on a loose connecter at sound board or bad sound board itself.

An iMic mic/headset connector gets me sound from a USB port just fine. (I believe that source might not involve the sound board.)
 
If the last response did not help.

(an I am a certified Apple Tech)

Check your output jack on the side of the Macbook,IS THERE A RED LED ON INSIDE?

If that is the case the switch from alanlog to digital is stuck and the Laptop WONT have any sound no matter what you do.

You have 3 options:

take it to the genius bar and see if they can reset the switch form the inside.

Take it to warranty work (new MLB)

Use a wood tooth wodden stick ( tooth pick I Think they are called) and insert it gently on the output sound jack and press gently downwards until the red light (LED) is off, then you will have sound again.

BTW some jacks are a little bit bigger or fatter than they should be and they make the switch stuck, avoid usif that plug.

Regards

Thanks very much for this it really helped me last nite i was listening to music on my laptop with headphones on probably something disabled it

i used the tooth pick trick and did the job you saved the day
 
Thanks!!!

If the last response did not help.

(an I am a certified Apple Tech)

Check your output jack on the side of the Macbook,IS THERE A RED LED ON INSIDE?

If that is the case the switch from alanlog to digital is stuck and the Laptop WONT have any sound no matter what you do.

You have 3 options:

take it to the genius bar and see if they can reset the switch form the inside.

Take it to warranty work (new MLB)

Use a wood tooth wodden stick ( tooth pick I Think they are called) and insert it gently on the output sound jack and press gently downwards until the red light (LED) is off, then you will have sound again.

BTW some jacks are a little bit bigger or fatter than they should be and they make the switch stuck, avoid usif that plug.

Regards

Great info. I had this problem and used a plastic toothpick to get the job done. Thanks againg.
 
PowerBook 1.67 G4 no internal sound / red light

Hi all........ old topic but still relevant for some.......

This post is for when your late model Powerbook G4 loses its internal speakers and has a red light glowing in the sound jack, and, External headphones if plugged in, DO produce sound.

If you have tried the usual PR reset and OF flashing plus the suggested wiggling sticks in the jack socket and still 'no go'.........

There is lots of talk about complicated sockets with lots of microswitches - not so;

After seeing a number of these (usual fix is to replace the DC-In / soundboard), I decided to carefully dismantle one of these jack sockets to see what is going on in them:-

There are no tiny microswitches as such within the socket.

There are 4 metal contacts but only one is the make-break contact and that is the one visible at the 3 O'clock position nearest the opening.

Within the recess it is a horizontal 'V' shaped piece of metal and it makes/breaks on insertion of a 3.5 mm jack, by simple metal to metal contact on a thin upright obscured from (your) sight by the plastic in front of it ( i.e. that nearest the opening at 3 o'clock).

The upright is held in place by the internal moulding of the plug and is unlikely to move or bend, so the problem will almost always be with the curved contact that touches the jack plug

Reconnection between the two parts (on removal of the jack plug) relies on the tension (or 'springiness'), present within the 'V' bend in the metal contact. Movement / gap is very small (0.2mm ?), so a bad jack plug / repeated use / heavy handedness can easily deform this 'V' and prevent it re-connecting.

Sometimes it IS possible to 're-tension' the contact using a lamp/ mag glass and a thin shaped piece of wire..... POWER OFF / BATTERY OUT !

If you are into taking your Powerbook apart it IS possible to open the jack socket without removing it from the board..... but the DC-In / soundboard does need to come out first.

If you don't want to desolder joints you will need to carefully cut the shielding cover where it is held at the rear sides only (two legs) such that it comes off (Keep it).

The socket has a blue base and a grey top..... a thin flat-blade jewellers screwdriver worked into and around the seam will separate them.... (gently, bit by bit), the grey top comes off leaving ALL the contacts in and attached to the blue base.

The offending contacts will be seen at the front RH Side.

Adjust contact tension with a pair of thin pliers or tweezers.

Leave cover OFF, and reconnect board temporarily to the Mac ( use card / cloth to insulate any areas of potential short circuits...... i.e. pay attention to what you are doing!).

Fire up Mac...... if you've got it right it'll chime, if not, re-tweak.

If you are careful you can insert / remove a headphone jack to:

a) Check / ensure it stays working with a jack in / out
b) See how it operates and how simple it actually is.

Once working, power off, re-assemble jack cover,( careful - push fit - MUST be aligned squarely), tension the small piece of shield so that it grips when put back... a bit of metal tape to the next jack re-establishes shielding

This works (for me) 9 times out of 10 & takes about 45 to 60 mins.

(Also saves £150 bill )

Hope this helps someone.....

JH
 
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