speakers

[susan6]

:wave:Hi, I have a Gateway Solo Laptop that was given to me by one of my nephews. The only thing is that the speakers don't work. I was wondering if they could be replaced with new ones and would I have to get a new sound card to go with it. Also, how hard is it to replace them if it can be done?

Thanks, susan6:)

[hudsonsmith]

Its not a job you can do yourself on a laptop, unless you're comfortable with circuit boards and soldering irons. The sound card is generally integrated into the motherboard and not replacable. You're best off letting Gateway or an authorized technician do the work.

[AlienDyne]

If the problem is caused by the speakers, it's not that hard to be replaced, as long as you're comfortable using a screwdriver. Most of the times in such cases, a soldering iron is not needed. The only thing you have to do, is to unplug the speakers and plug the new ones. But since it's pretty hard to find the exact same speakers, I think the best thing to do is to call Gateway.
If the problem is caused by a bad sound card, then it's more complicated. Almost every laptop has an intergrated sound card. This means, you'll have to replace the mainboard and the repair cost would be too high.

[DonJ]

Depending on the model of the Gateway Solo, (I have a Solo 9500) there are 4 screws underneath the front of the laptop and the whole front bezel should come off by tilting it up. Make sure that the little connectors are good and secure.

Also, make sure that everything is configured properly and has the proper drivers via Device Manager. Also, check that Volume Control is not muted or turned way down.

Which version of Windows are you using?

[Richard1]

That was going to be my question. Are you completely sure that this isn't simply a bad driver or something simple? Are there any exclamation points in the device manager?

[Richard1]

If you want to listen to music, have you tried the stereo headphone jack? If that works you can buy a set of small speakers or nice headphones and just hook those up. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[susan6]

:wave:I want to thank all of you who made suggestions. It took my laptop to completely crash big time before I found out what was wrong with my speakers. I had to take it to a tech to do a complete system restore on it. The speaker problem turned out to be a screwed up driver. Now I can have music!! I did try to hook up external speakers but they didn't work. Anyway, thanks for your help. I will be back!!

Thanks, susan6