mac audio gone

Hi, all

Recently, I plugged an mini to RCA jack into the back of my PowerMac G5, so I could play itunes out of my stereo. Worked great. But then, when I pulled out the jack, my internal speaker stopped working. I don't even have an audio icon in the bar on the top of my screen. My system preferences doesn't even include "built-in speaker" as an output option. My computer seems to have forgotten audio altogether.

When I tried plugging the mini to RCA jack back in, it didn't help.

Has anybody else run into this problem? Any possible troubleshooting tips?

Thanks!

i had that happen with my 3 year old g4 laptop a year or so ago. was told that it would cost more to fix than to replace, so i just got a usb to mini adapter and all was fine...

<<<When I tried plugging the mini to RCA jack back in, it didn't help.>>>

By that you mean the sound at the RCA didn't come back, either?

It's not normal for them to break that way. You're supposed to drop something on it or drop the laptop while it's plugged in.

Did you have the device where the male plug and the two female RCAs were in the same rigid plastic assembly? Our shop favors the short cable which is much less likely to stress the connection at the laptop.

On PCs, that connection switches back and forth with little gold fingers at the connector. I'm guessing something much more exciting happens in Macs because you can hear the machine negotiating different programming when you pull the connector out. So now the machine is stuck between services.

Nothing cheap, inexpensive, or easily fixable on a laptop.

Koz

You did try restarting the machine, right? Try stopping the machine and taking the battery out. Count to 10. Reassemble and restart.

Koz

Thanks for the replies.

Boy would my face be red if I hadn't thought to restart the machine before posting on LAFCPUG. Yes, I restarted my machine. This problem has been going on for a week or so.

Something got garbled along the way. This is not my laptop. This is my PowerMac G5. Wayne had the laptop.

Yes, I mean that I am not getting audio out through the mini to RCA into my amplifier. The RCA jacks on the amplifier work fine, if that's what you are asking.

I don't know what rigid plastic device you mean. I had a cord. On one side was a mini peg, on the other was two RCA jacks.

I can't really send my computer in for repairs, because I in the middle of cutting a feature. Besides, they'd just keep it for a week, and then tell me the problem went away on its own, so I have to pay them the $75 fee for wasting their time.

Thanks for the helpful advice!

Ben

ben, im not sure how the audio is wired in a desktop machine, but im told that in laptops its hardwired on the motherboard. id imagine in a desktop it wouldnt be. but either way, our problems are identical. there are a number of various USB to mini adapters out there ranging from $10 to $100 that i would almost guaranty would circumvent your problem... just plug it in and suddenly USB out becomes an option in your sound preference panel.

Did you try plugging in a set of headphones?

headphones wouldnt make any difference, the problem is that his min out port doesnt work.

when i first had my problem, i thought a reformat and install of new os would help (like koz mentioned, as you can tell there is something in software that is monitoring the port) - but it didnt.

i like the comment about changing the internal battery - although im not sure that would help, as why would just one output option not be working.

im afraid, that your only option now is to use a usb out adapter, then take your machine in for service once you have some breathing room. but to be honest with you, once i got my usb adapter, i really never had a need to service my mini port...

The only thing I haven't tried is the optical audio out. Because my amplifier doesn't have an optical audio in. I wonder if that would work.

Otherwise, yeah, I think I'll get one of those USB stereo outs. I didn't know they made them. Thanks for the info, Wayne.

google this:

"usb headphone adapter"

your local computer store should have a variety ranging from $10 - $70

Bought one on eBay. Thanks!

I have my G4 tower out going Mini-phono to RCA In on the little Behreinger box I use. I noticed at one point audio droppng out-- it was the cable.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Preview effects sections with Option-P or Option-Backslash!

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com