Hi,
I have no sound at all comming from my internal speakers of my powerbook G4. I don't have the option internal speakers in the system preferences. As output device only headphones is mentioned... and even with headphones no sound is produced at all.
Is there a possibility to check the hardware via an analysis program ?
What else can I do ?
Thanks in advance,
Erik.

Does the problem continue from a brand new user?

Have you launched Audio MIDI Setup and made sure that your output sample rate is set to 44.1 KHz?

Have you zapped the PRAM and reset Open Firmware? (directions)

Have you verified that your sound is not muted, or not turned all the way to minimum?

What are you using as a sound source?

Do you have sound when booted to a CD?

Trevor

I created a brand new user --> same problem
Output sample rate was allready 44.1 kHz
Izapped the PRAM and reset open firmware following your instructions -> same problem.
Sound is not muted.
As a sound scource I used DVD CD and internal sounds.
No sound when booted from CD.
Thans for your advice.
Erik.

OK, then you have a hardware problem. If the computer is still under warranty, you should take it back for repair.

Trevor

On my PowerBook G4, it show Internal Speakers, when I plug in a headset the Internatl Speakers label goes away and it replaced my Headset.
Sounds like your system thinks there is a headset always plugged in and thus not outputting the sound to the internal speakers.

No Sound on My PowerBook G4 17" Either
 

Did you resolve your problem? I seem to have the same problem — NO SOUND.

Everything was working fine earlier today. Then I went to watch a movie and no sound. I tried head phones and no sound there. I checked my mute and System Preferences but I can't figure it out. When I switch between head phones and internal speaker I can see the difference in preferences — but no sound.

Internal Speakers on PowerBook G4
 

I dont know how it could be a hardware problem - in my case I get sound when I start the PB and can even play iTunes with music - that is until I launch any other program. It starts to fade by faultering at first.. then it just dies.

I have version Mac OS 10.3.9

I dont think this is a hardware problem. I get sound when I start the PowerBook G4 and it stays as long as I only run iTunes. If I run any other program the sound will falter and then dies. Both the headphone jack and the USB speakers work fine.
Its a bit irratic though. Somedays there will be no sound at all.
Have been reading different forums lots of people have similar problems. Apparently Apple does not even know of this problem (according to one of the posts I read).

Hello amitkapila,

Can you answer my questions from Post #2 above?

Trevor

My problem seems to be hardware related. I have no sound. Not at start up, not at I-tunes. I moved my computer around to get a better airport signal (bootlegging off some neighbor) and suddenly I had sound again. A few signal shifts later and the signal was gone again. When it returned and when it left again, I bumped it. It seems like a something came loose or there is a short.

My old g4 powerbook has been doing the same thing for about three weeks. Except for one difference: I get sound when I plug in headphones. When I pull them out the internal speakers are still not recognized and no sound comes out.

I saw someone from Apple at the Musik Messe and they told me it was a hardware failure (a broken socket).

Just yesterday after having used a firewire audio device and then returning to normal use (using built-in audio), sound started coming out of the internal speakers again. I was happy.

Then I plugged in some headphones and used Skype - headphones worked too. When I disconnected the headphones my internal speakers were not recognized and no sound came out of them.

I do not think it is a hardware problem anymore and cannot figure out where the problem lies either.

There was interesting discussion of this same problem over here:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerrepo...topic2027.html
I hope I haven't violated any rules by posting this link...

No sound- internal speakers don´t show up
 

My g4 1Ghz powerbook has been doing the same thing . It was in repairment because of faulty HD. HD was changed for new one. In System Pref headphones are recognized. When I unplug headphones they remain still in Syst Pref .Internal speakers are l not recognized and no sound comes out.
With headphones is sound OK. Sometimes suddenly internal speakers show up and function ok, but mostely not.
OS 10.4.5
Does anybody have solution?
Thanx

No sound from internal speakers @ G4
 

Dear all.


I have a MAC powerbook G4 17".
it worked fine for a year.

Now al of a sudden the internal speakers do not function anymore.

On the web I only found posts from last year, so I felt most managed to solve the problem. However, I do not find a solution posted.
Is it a harware problem and the only solution a hardware repair?
Hope not, I'm in Mozambique and the nearest dealer is in Jo'burg 600 Km away.

This is what happens:
On start up headphones output shows the red digital output light.
The preferences\sound menu gives the following:
name: digital out
port: Built-in Audio

If I connect headphones this switches to:
name: line out
port: built-in Audio

I happened when:
I opened Finalcut pro while downloading Itunes update.
I had also connected a firewire800 Lacie before start-upconnecting.

Greetings,


Bert

Some answers to questions Trevor asked.

Does the problem continue from a brand new user?
didn't try.

Have you launched Audio MIDI Setup and made sure that your output sample rate is set to 44.1 KHz?
didn't try.

Have you zapped the PRAM and reset Open Firmware? (directions)
yes.

Have you verified that your sound is not muted, or not turned all the way to minimum?
yes.

What are you using as a sound source?
iTunes and Final Cut Studio

Do you have sound when booted to a CD?
didn't try.


Did anybody had any luck?
Or is it confirmed it is a hardware problem.
Don't see any smiley faces on the web that claim to have the solution.

Bert

One last addition, although it seems people have given up on this discussion.


I actually never used the headphone jack and the machine has been in a soundstudio that did use the jack.

I noticed it only the defect after down loading 4 recent updates

I have OSX 10.4.9 installed
Powrbook G4
1.67 MHz

gr.

bert

I have the "disappearing sound" problem, too - 667MHz DVI G4 Ti Powerbook.

Elsewhere, I saw references to drivers failing to initialize - I get messages to that effect in /var/log/system.log - lots of them. Various folk report getting this and running the Apple Hardware Test software, which reports hardware errors. However, they then report the problem magically going away after some combination of re-boots, PRAM-resets, battery-out-for-ages and etc.

In my case, I had a failed 887MHz DVI logic board, which had been fitted in a 667 chassis at some point as, I suppose, an upgrade - the proper fan and heatsink etc were also fitted, and the failure was the usual "graphics BGA falling off" effect. Unable to see the screen to remind me it was actually an 887MHz unit, I obtained a 667MHz logic board to replace the dud, and swapped it out, noting the difference in the process. Afterwards, no sound. Initially I thought I'd failed to connect speakers, but that's not apparently the case. I then thought failed hardware, but reading around here I suspect something more subtle. My suspicion is that the drivers for the 887MHz board are different, that they're stuffing up the registers on the soundcard somehow, and I'm presently drawing a blank with persuading OS/X to re-detect the soundcard and use the proper drivers, based on this presumption.

(The other thing I can't seem to persuade it to do is acknowledge an Airport card - it never had one before, but now I've fitted one. Apple don't seem to make hardware re-detection all that easy. More on this particular woe in another thread.)

Please create a new user and test this. System Preferences > Accounts.

Please try. A common cause of 'loss of sound' is actually that the sample rate has been pushed too high for the hardware. Your hardware can handle 44.1 KHz (44100 Hz), so set it to that.

Please try.

Trevor

Hi carl.williams. Please answer my questions in post #2 above.

Trevor

My G4's gone out as well
 

Powerbook G4 1.33 17"

My sound has left the building as well.

I have no sound period.

The sound preferences recognizes the difference between the headphones and the speakers (not stuck in headphone mode as some G4's get).

Under CONSOLE system.log I get the famous:
This error is generated when i attempt to raise or lower the sound volume, or when I insert the headphones jack and again when I remove the jack.

I have tried the...
PRAM
Open Firmware reset
FSCK
PB Manager reset (Had some 'coma' issues)
MIDI
New user

The only 3 things I haven't tried are the Hardware Disk (I bought secondhand and I don't have that disk)

Pulling the battery and waiting 24 hours.

Booting off the CD and seeing if I get sound that way.

NOTE: I did get the sound back, once. I don't remember what I did but when I allowed the new 10.4.9 to install I lost it again. (The computer may have been off for a while, I do remember moving the laptop so I may have bumped it and it may have resurrected for a week.)

Just to let everyone know... I AM going to solve this and I'll either post here or in my blog. I'm on deadline so I can't pull the battery yet, but I will over the weekend.

I figure after the 24 hr break and Hardware Disk I'll take it to the "Stupid Bar" (Embarrassing when you know more than those guys), and see if they can diagnose it, although they are always too happy to "send it in" as soon as turning up the volume doesn't work.

Grrrr.:mad:

That's not going to happen!
I'll replace the sound board myself if I have to.

I have a Powerbook G4 17" and had the "no sound" problem. I reinstalled the OS but that didn't fix the problem so I took it to the Mac Store and they thought its the "Soundboard" and was going to cost me $120 including labor and the cable for the soundboard. So I decided to unplug and plug the soundboard to see it will fix the problem before paying the $120. Once I opened it I saw the cable for the soundboard was unplugged so I plugged it back in and the sound started working. I have no idea how the cable inside came unplugged since I hadn’t even used the machine in a month or so. And before that I didn’t have any symptom of this.

I found a good guide to replace the soundboard: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PDF/55/P...Sound_Card.pdf

For me it was the cable on the top left picture so I didn’t have to go pass that step :) Goodluck

Moving towards Cracking the case
 

Thanks for the tip man,

I dug up the original OS Disk and booted... no sound.

2 to go and then I'll open her up. The display hinge is very 'gritty' and loose so I'll have to fix that too. My big problem is that Illustrator on my new MacBook Pro is crashing all the time so I'm still relying on this machine to get me through some jobs.

Plus my kid has lost my mini-screwdriver set.

I'll say this... a few times I had the headphones in (over the years) and I either stood up and gave the port a good yank, or caught the flex in my arm and pulled the plug out in a sickening way (if you know what I mean)... so I wouldn't be surprised if the port had enough abuse and surrendered.

G

Hello friends, am from switzerland
 

I found a solution in a german board.

Seems that its a well known problem for Apple.

Its a problem there where you put the headphones!!!

Sometimes he clicker inside the place where you put the headphones is not moveing.

The solution: Put your headphones again inside,now go with the finger up the place where the headphones are, press alittle bit down and drive the headphonesticker left right a little forced, but not so hard to brake it, then put fast the headphone again out et voila the sound is back;)

peace

#23- Thanks for the tip. I was about ready to try taking apart my PowerBook to see if the sound card wire was disconnected. But I tired your suggestion. It took several attempts, but it worked! The "internal speakers" choice had been missing for several days, and after wiggling the headphone cord (pushing down gently and then miggling from side to side) the speakers became accessible again. Thanks you for saving me some time (and agony)!

Hey ghensey, what exact motions did you use? Did you press hard inward and then wiggle it side to side?

I got this problem a couple of days ago on my PB G4 1.67Ghz (no sound on my internal speakers, only through headphones).

possible fix
 

I found this forum when I needed a solution to the very problem folks here are discussing. I have an aluminum G4 Powerbook and lost sound when I tried to connect a new pair of external speakers.

There are two jacks on the left side of the laptop. By accident, I plugged the speakers into the left jack, the one closer to the power adapter, and that's when I lost all sound even after I removed the jack. I rebooted (silently, alas), checked prefs, ran diagnostics, went a little mental, and still nothing. Then, realizing my mistake, I plugged the speakers into the jack on the right, the one closest to the front of the computer next to the card slot. That brought the sound back. I unplugged the externals just to make sure and was happy to here sound coming from the computer speakers.

I don't know why the computer went totally mute just because the plug was inserted into the wrong jack but mine did. I hope everyone's problems can be solved this easily. Best to you all.

no sound problemo
 

Thank you, very much!! This solution fixed my 'No Sound Problem' on the 2nd go.

It still worries me how this happened? And how to avoid it in the future...

A bit like Fonzie fixing the juke box.

Solution!
 

I found a temporary solution to this problem! I was having the same problem - my G4 sound preferences would read "headphones" even when none were plugged in. So I came to this forum to look for an answer, which I never found it. But then I started doing some experimenting and found a solution!

Simply take your headphones or any device that works in that port and push it in and pull it out over and over. After a few times, the sound should change to "internal speakers" again! I would recommend playing some audio while doing this so you can also hear when it finally works.

I suppose it has something to do with the hardware, but it works in the mean time.

I, too, suffered from the "disappearing sound" problem on my G4 recently. I discovered the problem was that the "mute" button had been activated at some point. I felt pretty stupid when I FINALLY noticed it in the sound control panel. This is something the system did all by itself ... kind of like when the system will change the sound balance all by itself ... something I have experienced on another of my G4's.

May by update software? Check for new versions.

Just for the records, can the internal speakers in Powerbook be upgraded with better sounding one?

The standard one sounds a bit pants to me. :rolleyes:

If you can find speakers with the same specs (ohm rating) and the same size, you should have little problem changing them out. I doubt though, that you'd see much difference in output quality.

Got a fix for the lack of sound
 

Try taking the preference pane out of the library>preferencepanes folder dump it in the trash and then restart.

Seemed to work for me.

17" G4 Powerbook running 10.5.1:)

Sorry Trevor, this is a bit late, but, for completeness... I'd forgotten all about this 'cos I no longer have that machine but, from memory: the user (new or otherwise) made no difference, there's no sound with any app or source, the sound's not muted - the symptoms are those of broken hardware or wrong drivers, and either seemed plausible with a s/h logic board which differs from the original. I didn't try a clean install because on that particular machine, lack of sound was an inconvenience rather than a show-stopper, I was using it for logging still images.

Sound problem
 

I am having a similar problem with disappearing internal speakers. I have a Powerbook 1.5 GHz G4 laptop, with 15" screen, purchased Feb. 2005. I had no problem with the sound until recently, when I installed Mac OS 10.5 and soon after, installed some software updates (now running Mac OS 10.5.2). Upon restart, the speaker icon on the top menu bar disappeared and audio functionality was completely gone. When I looked in System Utilities/Sound, the internal speakers had vanished. I restarted the computer and the sound came back.

Unfortunately, nowadays the internal speakers disappear half of the time whenever I turn the laptop on. Sometimes it disappears when the computer has been awakened from a long period of sleep. Restarting from the menu doesn't help get it back - I have to shut down the computer entirely and then turn it back on manually (with the power button) to get the sound to come back.

I have tried switching AudioMIDI settings to 44100 kHz but no difference. Also tried the unplugging/replugging of headphones as well, but that didn't help. I rarely use headphones, and have never plugged in any other external audio devices.

Does anyone have any suggestions/solutions?

Found this interesting tip in a diff post. Try launching GarageBand, then rebooting. So far it's worked for me.

Powerbook 17-G4 1.33

Let you know after it wakes-up from a long sleep if it has been resolved.............

timemachine
 

hey guys,

Had same audio issue on my 15" PowerBook G4 after updating to 10.5.3 but only when I was at home not at work.

I worked out the only difference was that I didn't have my lacie drive plugged in which I use for timemachine.

After turning timemachine off and restarting, audio works fine. Not quite sure what the root problem is but will report it to Apple.

Cheers,

Jon

I've had this problem on a PowerBook with Tiger, and it is definitely appears related to audio hardware. The way I experienced it was that if playing sound continuously, especially a movie, the sound might start dropping out and then the audio completely goes silent. Like others in this thread, I found it can be reset simply by plugging something into the headphone port, until it happens again. It isn't a question of the port being worn, because I don't use it that often. It isn't a question of software updates, because in my case at least, the OS is always kept up to date.

One time I didn't have anything nearby to plug in, so I tried gently fishing around in there with a toothpick, and lo and behold, the sound came back. So there may some kind of intermittency in the components making up that particular subsystem of the audio hardware.

Powerbook 17-G4 1.67 (low-res) os 10.5.5

Same problem but I definitely don't think it's hardware because I still have the chime at startup.

Launching GarageBand, then rebooting works most of the time for me, (once, just by launchig GB the sound came back, without rebooting)