problems with sound output

[mac n00b]

hello, i'm having problems with my sound output.

whenever i attempt to adjust the volume, i get this: http://www.imagemule.com/uploads/soundw69x.png

there is like an O with a slash through it underneath the volume meter.

i tried to see if the problem was visible in the sound preferences window but i couldnt click on many things because it said "the selected device has no output controls" (the device is simply the built-in output)

when i plug in headphones, the sound and volume meter work but sound only comes out of the right side of the headphones??? when i plug the same headphones into my iPod, sound is equally apportioned in both sides of the headphones.

also, there is a bright red flashing light emitting out of the headphone jack that i've never seen before.

any help appreciated!

edit: i have a macbook running 10.4.8

[RuudJacobs.NET]

The bright red light makes me think it is not a headphone output but rather are digital output.

Are you sure you are using the right output?

edit: ehr.. seeing the pic and all, it most definitely is a digital output... try reinstalling the drivers for your soundcard.

Edited February 12, 2007 by RuudJacobs.NET

[mac n00b]

The bright red light makes me think it is not a headphone output but rather are digital output.

Are you sure you are using the right output?

edit: ehr.. seeing the pic and all, it most definitely is a digital output... try reinstalling the drivers for your soundcard.

how do i reinstall the drivers for my soundcard?? are you sure you can do that on a mac?

thanks for the reply

[Slacker]

um.... the headphone ports on a mac are both optical digital and analog. You can plug either into the hole and it will work. That is strange though that you only have one set of controls.

I would following the following steps:

1. repair permissions

2. reset PRAM

3. reset NVRAM

4. trash sound preferences ("com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" I think)

5. archive and install

I don't quite know what they are referring to earlier about re-installing drivers.

[mac n00b]

um.... the headphone ports on a mac are both optical digital and analog. You can plug either into the hole and it will work. That is strange though that you only have one set of controls.

I would following the following steps:

1. repair permissions

2. reset PRAM

3. reset NVRAM

4. trash sound preferences ("com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" I think)

5. archive and install

I don't quite know what they are referring to earlier about re-installing drivers.

ok i googled PRAM and NVRAM and i figured out how to reset them but how do i reset permissions and what do you mean by step 5 and how do i go about doing it??

thanks for the help!

[Rudy]

do step 4 before 5, step 5 is basicly reinstall the os

[Slacker]

use the "Disk Utility" program in the Applications -> Utilities folder. Once in "Disk Utility" choose your hard drive on the left side, and then on the right hand side choose "First Aid" and "Repair Disk Permissions" Let the computer do it's thing.

Then test to see if you're having the same problem or not.

[Southern Patriot]

The bright red light makes me think it is not a headphone output but rather are digital output.

Are you sure you are using the right output?

edit: ehr.. seeing the pic and all, it most definitely is a digital output... try reinstalling the drivers for your soundcard.

Please pay attention which section you are posting in.

[mac n00b]

i repaired the disk permissions but the volume still isn't working.

if i reset the PRAM will any of my files be erased?

also, i just noticed that when i first turn on my macbook the volume works properly... after about a minute it is unresponsive.

[Rudy]

resetting the pram wont erase anything on your computer

[mac n00b]

1. repair permissions

2. reset PRAM

3. reset NVRAM

4. trash sound preferences ("com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" I think)

5. archive and install

ok i did all of that except for #5 and it's STILL not working

im wondering if perhaps i have like an internal problem that cannot be fixed through software?? because why would there only be sound from the right side of the headphones??

also, now that i think about it, i believe this has happened before.... but i somehow kept pressing the volume buttons until it went back to normal.

anymore advice? (thanks for all the replies so far)

[Slacker]

Well, if, after an archive and install, you have this same problem, you might be looking at a hardware problem. Before going ahead with the archive and install, I would try testing to see if you have the same problem after making a new user and logging into that user. It's a long shot at this point, but it's less invasive than an archive and install.

[Rudy]

maybe you could call apple??

[mac n00b]

ok so i brought it to a specialist and they decided that there was something wrong with my "logic board"

they fixed it yayyyyy! ! !

thanks for everyone's replies again!

[Jaanus]

Thanks for this thread. I had a similar problem but with my USB headset, it suddenly changed from stereo to mono and showed the same "The selected device has no output controls" where it should have shown a balance control. I googled to find this thread and found the idea to mess with /Library/Preferences/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist, I just killed my headset entries from there and after re-plugging in, everything was again top notch. Thanks :)

[Xtreme $niper]

I had this EXACT same error a few months ago. Apple Store Genius said it was my logic board (the switch that determines if it should use digital out or not was stuck, I'd assume) and they offered to fix it. But it was exam time so I declined and said I'd come back another time. Thankfully, the problem fixed itself (possibly bent it back into it's normal shape) and it has been working fine ever since. If it happens again, I'll just go back to them to get it fixed.

I wish I had seen this thread sooner, I could have been of better help.