Volume doesn't work

[Ja Di ksw]

Hi everyone. Today I tried to watch a video on my computer, and there was no sound. So I clicked the volume up button, and it doesn't change the level (there's a small "no" sign, the circle with the line through it, under where the volume level should be). In the menu bar, the volume control is now a light grey and I can't use it. Same with in system preferences. Any ideas on how to get volume to start working again or why it stopped? Thanks for the help.

 

[iBookG4user]

Click on the Apple in the top left hand corner of the screen and then click on About This Mac. Then click on "More Info..." and finally "Audio (Built-in)", what does it say on this screen?

 

[spinnerlys]

Have you checked in System Preferences > Sound > Output and seen what device is shown there and selected?

Have you recently had a headphone or another kind of 3.5mm plug connected to the audio out port of that Mac? If so, plug it back in and pull it out again.

Btw, which exact Mac model and what exact Mac OS X version are you using?

 

[Ja Di ksw]

The "About This Mac" looks ok. It says Intel High Definition Audio, with underneath Headphone, Line Input, Speaker, Internal Microphone, External Microphone / iPhone Headset, S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio Output, S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio Input. Clicking on each one, nothing says missing or corrupted or whatever, it's all normal. Speaker says "Connection: Internal" and S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio Output says "Connection: Combination Output"

Under Sys Pref and Output it has "Digital Out" with type "Built-In Output" selected. But for "Settings for the selected device:" it says "The selected device has no output controls."

I'm running a MacBookPro, Model 5,2 (3.06 intel core 2 duo). Latest version of OS X (10.6.4).

I've tried plugging in headphones, and the volume controls come back then, but as soon as I unplug them it goes away. Tried the normal Disk Utility stuff and simply restarting it as well, but nothing worked.

 

[iBookG4user]

If you look inside the port on the side of the computer do you see a red light?

 

[Ja Di ksw]

Yeah, there was a red light there. That's really weird, NEVER seen that before. Hopefully that's something easy to fix....

 

[iBookG4user]

Well, the problem is that the computer thinks that there is a speaker plugged into the port. Here's a post on the Apple Discussion board about it, hopefully that helps you out a bit.

 

[Ja Di ksw]

Thanks, that worked perfectly! Everything is good now. Phew, this had me a little worried, the girlfriend (who I just started living with) is getting more and more angry with her Windows machine, and is looking more and more at my mac b/c I'm not having problems. We are going to watch a DVD tonight and I didn't want her seeing it with no sound and thinking "ah, macs have problems too, I shouldn't bother to switch over"

 

[iBookG4user]

Thanks, that worked perfectly! Everything is good now. Phew, this had me a little worried, the girlfriend (who I just started living with) is getting more and more angry with her Windows machine, and is looking more and more at my mac b/c I'm not having problems. We are going to watch a DVD tonight and I didn't want her seeing it with no sound and thinking "ah, macs have problems too, I shouldn't bother to switch over"

I'm glad everything worked out

 

[Lokrado]

Hi everyone. Today I tried to watch a video on my computer, and there was no sound. So I clicked the volume up button, and it doesn't change the level (there's a small "no" sign, the circle with the line through it, under where the volume level should be). In the menu bar, the volume control is now a light grey and I can't use it. Same with in system preferences. Any ideas on how to get volume to start working again or why it stopped? Thanks for the help.

this happens when you have an external speaker plugged in that the mac is able to communicate with, that would be either via optical cable or HDMI. you will have t turn the volume up in your video player or on the speakers/tv.

 

[GCLA]

Thanks, that worked perfectly! Everything is good now. Phew, this had me a little worried, the girlfriend (who I just started living with) is getting more and more angry with her Windows machine, and is looking more and more at my mac b/c I'm not having problems. We are going to watch a DVD tonight and I didn't want her seeing it with no sound and thinking "ah, macs have problems too, I shouldn't bother to switch over"

Hi Ja Di Ksw.
I write regarding the volume issue you had back in 2003. I have a Macbook pro early-20111 with exactly the same situation "red ligt an no sound on the build-in speakers". I visited the link iBookG4user provided you then, hopping to find the solution, but unfortunally the post at Apple discution board was deleted, its not there. Can you remember how to solved the issue? Thank you in advance.