Friday, July 18, 2008

Boys and their toys

I have a new computer monitor - 21.6 inches wide. It is one big mothuh. Of course, when I first hooked it up, the picture didn't fill the screen, leaving about an inch and a half of black on either side. A trip to my computer wizard fixed that. I needed a new video card but he assured me DVD movies would run fine now without the herky-jerky pattern of before.

But . . . there's another problem. Now I don't have any audio. My little icon is still on the task bar but none of the computer's sounds and no audio from the internet or DVD's or CD's is coming out of the speakers. The speakers are o.k. because I plugged them into a transistor radio and they worked fine. I've been through and through the sound and device sites and can't find anything muted or turned down. My next step is to look inside the tower and see if the sound jack somehow became disconnected.

It is very frustrating.

I also bought a cheap tripod for my digital camera yesterday to use for macro work but the new monitor and attendant problems have kept me away from it so far.

The SWMBO says this reminds her of when I was a ham radio operator and each purchase of new equipment would require more expense to buy something that would make it work correctly. She may be right.

8 comments:

  1. possible that the wizard knocked the sound card loose while doing his thing?

    Also - are you ports color coded (if so, green is the right jack)? I have a sound card where all the connectors are the same color (gold) and just have miniscule pictures to determine which are which - Pain in the arse.

    If it is software related it can be a big pain in the behind as well. I'd go into your device manager (generally if you right click on 'My Computer' there is a devices tab which will give you access to the device manager).

    Once in there, find the sound card, select it and remove it. Then restart your computer. It should automatically install the necessary drivers from scratch. Worst case scenario you might need either your driver CD or a quick trip to the manufacturer's website to download a new driver.

    Let me know if any of this helps. :)

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  2. sorry - Right click 'my computer', go to properties, and THEN find the devices area.

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  3. Tombo - I appreciate all help I receive from the "computer guru"! Really!

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  4. Just FTI: My dad was W4HWA (the HayWire Amateur) and his bro was a ham long enough to merit a 2-letter call (I don't remember it off-hand.)

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  6. GJ: I started as K0CND (Cold North Dakotan), later was N7CQY (Can't Quit Yakkin') and while in Mexico had my favorite call, XE1HFB (Half Full Bottle). Incidentally that 0 in the first call should have a diagonal slash through it but I can't make it work.

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  7. SWMBO... Yes it took me a minute but... I got it! I LUV that term!

    Isn't "Mrs. Bouquette" ... no it was Rumpole! His wife was She Who Must Be Obeyed!

    It's just so lovely when husbands in a long term marriage, kind of morph into that way of thinking. Makes life so much more smoother and all. For all. -evil grin-

    But today happens to be my husband's Birthday and he doesn't really need anything so... I am giving him ... -drum roll please- a whole day of not nagging or being bitchy or pushing on him! Does that not sound like Heaven, to any married man?!? Long time married or short? :-)

    Miss Mari-Nanci
    Smilnsigh
    Photos-City-Mine
    When Twilight Embraces

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  8. Rumpole, it was!

    Gee, if I had a day like that from SWMBO, I'd have to ask her if she was feeling all right! ;>

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