Help - no sound from REAR audio jack, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio

[Milo999]

Help.  Just purchased:

- HP Pavilion Elite d5200t ATX PC
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Quad processor Q9400 [2.66GHz]
- 4GB DDR2-800MHz dual channel SDRAM [4x1024]
- FREE UPGRADE! 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive from 500GB
- 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4650 [DVI, VGA, HDMI]
- LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
- 16x max. DVD-ROM
- Integrated 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet, No wireless LAN
- 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, audio, video (for TV Tuner)
- TV tuner, dual format ATSC-NTSC with PVR, remote
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
- HP 2.1 30W stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote control
- HP keyboard and HP optical mouse
- Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
- Norton Internet Security(TM) 2009 - 15 month
- HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Maybe I just don'y know what the hell I am doing (most likely).  I get no sound when speakers are plugged into rear audio jack (which I believe is connected to the Motherboard).  However - sound works fine from the front audio/headphone jack (which I believe is the sound card).  Been on the phone with tech support for 3.5 hours.  They are at a loss but now I am thinking maybe the back audio jack (from motherboard) shouldn't work when you have a sound card insatlledand???   Tried re-installing Vista, upgraded drivers from MS, etc.. Nothing works to get the sound from rear audio jack.  Computer instantly recognizes speakers when plugged into front of computer - but nothing when plugged into back of computer.  Device Manager lists Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio but has the ! next to it when plugged into rear audio.

If I set to bios from (auto detect to fully recognixe the sound) I now get several  Realtek Sound device in the device manager and can get sound coming from the rear.  Not sure what Realtek device is??

Should  the rear audio jack work when you have a sound card intalled on your computer?

All help appreciated.

 

[Mister_Do]

Hi Milo999,

I'm not exactly sure what kind of speakers you are using or which ports you are plugging the speakers into and I'm not quite sure what you've done in your BIOS. You might consider trying this Microsoft automated sound troubleshooter to see if it resolves, or even identifies, the problem.

Let us know how it goes.

[acoccimi]

I have a very similar problem, with an HP Pavilion a6000n. Only differences are the model of the computer, the computer has Windows Vista Ultimate installed, and I'm using the Realtek Audio driver, as provided by the HP website. Same problems occur: the back panel front speaker audio jack (the green one on the back of the computer) doesn't work, but the front panel audio jack does.

Because I installed Windows Vista Ultimate after I purchased the computer, the audio driver had to be installed separately (which is where I think the problem began). The driver should work as I got it by specifiying the computer model number on the HP support page. I've tried the updated driver and the original driver on the HP support page, and the generic Vista driver from the Realtek website. Same problems occur.

There are a couple more points worth mentioning: if I open up the Realtek Audio Manager, and I select a speaker configuration with four or more speakers, and I click on a front speaker, nothing can be heard. However, if I click on a rear speaker, the little sound clip plays through the front speakers. If I plug the speakers in the back panel rear speaker audio jack (the black one on the back of the computer, opposite the green one), the same thing happens (only rear audio has sound)

I'm gonna take a look at the BIOS, maybe I'll find something there. Please help me out; I've been dealing with this problem for over a year now, using the front panel for sound.

EDIT: Milo999, the Realtek devices are referring to the motherboard, because the ports on the back of your computer are actually also the motherboard (see http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01357064&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=ca&lang=en&os=2093&product=3824558). Now, the only reason why I think you have a ! next to the Creative X-Fi sound card in the device manager is because it does not exist. Put simply, you had a driver for the wrong card. Enabling the audio in the BIOS made Windows recognize that you have a Realtek sound card, which explains the Realtek devices in the device manager. I do not know what your problem is now, because you say you have audio coming out from the rear speaker with it enabled in the BIOS.

Message Edited by acoccimi on 06-02-2009 06:51 PM

[mave_rick]

Hi,

Please check the following which may help you resolving the issue:

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Resolving Sound Problems in Windows Vista

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Video: Resolving Sound Problems in Windows Vista