[Ham-Computers] Loss Of All System Audio, Again

[Duane Fischer]

Hi All, 	
	
I am blind and use a screen reading program. It is software and utilizes
the sound chip on the Compaq model 5100 business system. Hence all the
normal Windows XP Home Edition audio + the screen reader voice come through
the line out jack on the rear. This connects via a stereo cable, tested and
is good, to an external amplifier and speakers. Amp and speakers and all
cables tested good, replaced to be certain.	
	
The computer 'appearrs' to be operating normally, other than zero audio of
'any" kind. Sighted friends report no error messages. I did download e-mail
with no problems. That is, other than the fact with no audio i can not read
it!	
	
I was on-line and simply sent out an e-mail. Audio sputtered for a fraction
of a second, then silence. The trouble is NOT external!	
	
I tried the audio output jack on the front of the tower, nothing.	
	
As mentioned, I tested the stereo calbe using 1/8 inch male plugs that runs
from the computer's "line output" to the amp's line input etc. Just to be
certain, I tried a different audio system that is known to be good.
Nothing.	
	
This happened before. The tech showed up, slid the computer out from the
wall and noticed the cable to the amp/speakers was halfway out. (He did
this when he moved the tower. I have the cable tied off with twist ties for
a specific length, he stretched it, hence it pulled on the cable and part
way came out of the computer's line output jack.) He plugged it in and the
darn thing had audio!	
	
Now naturally he thought that poor totally blind man did not know the cable
was partly unplugged etc. Wrong! I had plugged it in a dozen times testing
the system.	
	
I told him this, as I knew that was not the problem. It had something to do
with the sound chip integrated on the MB. He changed the board. No further
problems from November 10, 2006 until January 12, 2007.  	
	
Everytime this audio loss has happened, I was on-line and sending or
receiving e-mail. I have AVG operating and it is updated. I have Blackice
operating. Both were installed and configured by our own Wizard Aaron Hsu,
so I know they were correct.	
	
Here is what I suspect, but gentlemen, I need your help here desperately! I
have had five failures in twelve months, and all of them over a five month
time frame! The computer is one year old.	
	
I do not think that the line out jack is replaced when the MB is swapped
out. Is this correct?	
	
I suspect it is defective and is shorting out the audio output. But if
true, why is the front headphone jack also dead? Or does one short out
both, perhaps?	
	
Ok, now here is a possibility. I can not use a mouse, blind people can not
tell Mr. Mouse's head from tail! So I use standard Windows keyboard
commands. When I sent mail with Outlook Express version 6.0 I used CTRL M.
Are there any combinations I could have accidentally hit, such as
SHIFT+CTRL+M etc. that would disable system audio, shut off the volume?	
	
There is a volume incon showing, so I am told, but I have no way of doing
anything on the computer with no ability to read the screen and know where
the mouse pointer is located, as in X/Y, or have the highlighted word
spoken. Yes, if I know the exact keyboard commands to use in a specific
sequence I can cause activity, as I did to download the e-mail, close OE
down, and exit.	
	
Before I call Compaq tomorrow, I need to know for certain if I could have
somehow shutdown the system audio hitting 'CTRL M' by accidentally striking
a third unknown key in the process.	
	
For the record, although all of them were not necessary, the techs put in a
new MB everytime they are here. So far three plus my original.	
	
What is causing this to happen? NEVER before have I had this happen, no
matter the computer, the screen reading program, software synthesizer or
hardware synthesizer, Windows version, OE version and before etc.	
	
Thanks!	
	
Duane Fischer W8DBF	
dfischer at usol.com