Sound gone from mac pro 3.1

[Luis Ortega]

All of the sounds from my 2008 mac pro have stopped.

The startup chime and any audio from any source can't be heard.
There is no line in/out or internal speakers listed in the sound preferences anymore.

I read that it might be a glitch with the digital sound inputs, so I stuck a toothpick into the audio ports for a bit and that fixed it. The internal speakers and lines in/out were showing in the sound preferences again and all sound and the startup chime worked.
But then two days later the problem returned. I have tried repeatedly to repeat the toothpick fix but it no longer has any effect.

Can anyone please advise on what may be wrong?

Also, could I buy a usb sound card and use that for all of my audio that was previously handled by the internal speakers an the line in/out ports on the mac?

 

[BrianBaughn]

I can't tell you what's causing those symptoms but to answer your last question I'm pretty sure you'd be able to use a USB sound device regardless of the problem.

 

[satcomer]

Try three possible fixes:

1. Open System Preferences->Sound pane, Output and make sure the output is set right.

2. Open the program /Applications/Utilities/Audi MIDI Setup.app and make sure the mute isn't set and everything is setup correctly.

3. Reset your NVRAM.

Lastly make sure you didn't install any program the messed with system sounds. Plus make sure your external speakers are working correctly.