No Sound From Built In Speakers Options

[Atahualpa]

From one day to the next I do not hear any sound coming from the built in speakers on my PowerBook G4 1GHz. When I check the audio preferences, it displays Headset copnnected to the audio output as the chosen output and I cannot really choose anything else. I believe before it said always Built in Speakers there, unless I'd plug the Mac via firewire to an external audio module. Could it be that I lost or accidentally deleted some sort of driver or other piece of software necessary or is this some kind of hardware damage? (I haven't really using my computer as a freesbie lately!)

Thanx in advance, Atahualpa

[coldharbour]

Might be a silly question but do you have a headset or something connected to your PB's analog audio out? There won't be any playback from the internal speakers if you have something connected there.

[Atahualpa]

If the headset is plugged, I get the sound through it, but as soon as I disconnect it, my mac becomes silent, event if say, a song from itunes is playing...

[lepetitmartien]

Which version of the OS are you using?

[coolguy4747]

I have the same problem, except I have an 867mhz powerbook. If I plug in head phones, I can hear through them, but when there are no headphones, no sound comes from the speakers. I don't know why it happens, but I've found that if you plug in the headphones, take them out, and change around the volume, sometimes you can get the speakers to work. However, even when this works, the sound still goes in and out. You could also just buy some external speakers if you need them to work.

[Atahualpa]

Lepetitmartien: I use OSX (10.3.8, I believe)

[lepetitmartien]

I'd try a motherboard reset, but I don't know by heart how to do them on a powerbook.

[cornutt]

I'd try a motherboard reset, but I don't know by heart how to do them on a powerbook.

Sounds to me like a bad switch contact in the jack. Try plugging and unplugging the headphones several times. If that doesn't work, spray some contact cleaner in the jack, and repeat.

I suppose the other possibility is the PRAM battery going flat (I just had to change the one in my G4), but I think a bad jack is more likely.

[kie42]

This may or may not be the case but, when you plug in the headphones, there is usually a mechanical "switch" that cuts off the speakers. This switch can get corroded over time.Try cleaning the jack.

[skitpuzz]

I have the same problem with my 12" pb. When I take the jack out of the plug I sometimes have to juggle it around in the hole to get the speakers to make any sound. I doubt that it's a healthy way to fix it but at least it works....