Posted on Sunday 10th of February 2008 at 07:12 in Linux

How to fix the "no sound" in Ubuntu 7.10 on a laptop or notebook

I spent hours working this out, literally. There are lots of different things you can do to try and get sound back (as I'm sure you're aware if you're reading this). I tried backport-modules, alsamixer, everything.

The real problem with the sound on your laptop is really daft, it's about "External Amplifiers"

System->Preferences->Sound

Load up preferences and make sure that each item is checked to appear in the mixer. Make sure none of them are muted.

Then click on the "Switches" tab. At the bottom of the list is an "External Amplifier" switch. Toggle that to off, you should now have sound.

Why?
What that's doing is telling Ubuntu not to supply sound to the headphone jack or to the laptop's speakers because it's expecting an external amplifier to be connected. There's no explanation as to why this is true and I don't think I know anyone who has an amp connected to their laptop.

Try that, if my instructions don't make sense then have a read of this thread on the UbuntuForums. It's really stupid and it cost me a good 6-10 hours of my life.

 

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Thanks for the tip....Now i can fix this issue .........
http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com

I had this same problem for my gateway laptop. i fixed it though. if you want to know how u can check it out here http://groovymishmash.blogspot.com/
my laptop is gateway notebook.am using ubuntu 9.04.i have this problem of sound once i connect speakers to my laptop....
what about a PC. same issue. no sound. even after turning it off. that worked in the past. now nothing.
Thanks a million for this post. This is very simple to understand and the best part is - it worked.

I fixed it on a Dell Latitude D600.
Double click and look at all "tracks to be visible"
Find PCM and select it. Make sure to turn up the vol and turn off mute.
If that does not fix it keep trying others and see what happens
Good luck

Thanks, I have the same problem.
Where is the "External Amplifier" switch? I have Xubuntu 8.10. My switches are Master, Headphone, PCM, Front, Front Mic, Front Mic Boost, Line, Mic, Mic Boost, Capture and Capture1. :-(
On my lap top i cant hear sound i cant even excess my volume control its says theres no driver s downloaded and when i go to download one i wont work...anyone help?
For me what did it was adding the surround switch and putting it up.
Thank you for this. Every time I update Ubuntu I lose sound and I can never remember how to fix it. I can verify that this works for Ubuntu 8.10 - Intrepid on my Asus laptop.

thank god! and thank you!!!
I spent 2 days digging around.. no driver errors.. nothing! yet no sound! plogged thru pages of help online..
that is~ until i stumble across your blog!
Great help! thanks again!
I love this article, but my no sound problem seems to be something other than the system/preferences/sound.

At first I had a hard time in my fruitless attempts to install ubuntu 8.04 in my brand new HP Laptop, finally I used the previous version 7...., that I had burned on a DVD last year, I've managed to install that one on the Laptop, but now there isn't any sound coming out of my laptop's speakers or the head phone jack, and no video is playing either.


I don,t like the f words been used
I’m using ubuntu 8.04.
I’ve seen the "switch"option before.

But, it seems to have dissapeared.

It does not currently appear in the list of checkboxes in the preferences of alsamixer wither.

I wonder what could be going on there ?
Helpful post, though in 8.04 you need to double click on the volume control, click on Edit/Preferences, then check External amplifier to be visible. The switches tab then appears. Uncheck External amplifier in that tab. Worked for me anyway.
very strange problem. It’s happened to me a few times, and i got really annoyed. I had to reset my machine earlier just to fix this. this time i thought there must be a solution, and here it is...

turning off the external amplifier is the solution...

thanks
you dont know what the fuck you are talking bout dawg. Make some more fucking sense and then fucking tell us nigga!;)
Yes, there is not "switch" option. Lame....
"feeb dweeb" lol. what kind of a cock are you?

this advice worked for me at least

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