Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
correctly identified in Windows (some audio hardware uses a proprietary mixer control for this job),
you need to verify whether the problem is with the speakers or the sound card. To do this most
efficiently, you merely connect different known-good speakers and see whether they work. If they
don't, clearly the issue is in the sound card—possibly the configuration of the card is incorrect or the
card itself is defective. The first thing to try is clearing the ESCD in the BIOS Setup. This essentially
forces the plug-and-play routines to reconfigure the system, which can resolve any conflicts. If this
doesn't help, try removing and reinstalling the sound card drivers. Finally, if that doesn't help,
physically remove and replace the card from the system. You might try replacing it first in the same
slot and then in a different slot because timing issues can sometimes exist from one slot to the next. If
that doesn't work, you must try replacing the card. If the sound “card” really isn't a card but is
integrated into the motherboard, first try the ESCD reset and driver reinstallation. Then, if that doesn't
work, you have to try disabling the integrated sound and perhaps installing a replacement card or
replacement motherboard.
If your problem is only with playing audio CDs, check for a cable between the sound card and the
drive. If there is no cable, check the properties for the drive in the Device Manager in Windows to
see whether the Digital CD Audio option is checked (enabled). If it's not, enable it. If your system
will not allow digital CD audio to be enabled, it is not supported and you must install an analog cable
connected between the sound card and the drive.
The monitor appears completely garbled or unreadable.
A completely garbled screen is most often due to improper, incorrect, or unsupported settings for the
refresh rate, resolution, or color depth. Using incorrect drivers can also cause this. To check the
configuration of the card, the first step is to power on the system and verify whether you can see the
POST or the system splash screen and enter the BIOS Setup. If the screen looks fine during the POST
but goes crazy after Windows starts to load, the problem is almost certainly due to an incorrect setting
or configuration of the card. To resolve this, open the special boot menu and select Windows Safe
mode (hold down the F8 function key as Windows starts to load to display this menu).
This bypasses the current video driver and settings and places the system in the default VGA mode
supported by the BIOS on the video card. When the Windows desktop appears, you can right-click the
desktop, select Properties, and then either reconfigure the video settings or change drivers as
necessary.
Note
Some motherboards (such as some ASUS models) use the F8 key to display a device boot
menu. On these and similar systems, wait until the boot menu option is gone before pressing F8
to bring up the Windows boot menu.
If the problem occurs from the moment you turn on the system, a hardware problem may exist with the
video card, cable, or monitor. First, replace the monitor with another one; if the cable is detachable,
replace that too. If replacing the monitor and cable does not solve the problem, the video card is
probably defective. Either replace the card or, if it is a PCI-based card, move it to a different slot. If
the video is integrated into the motherboard, you must add a separate card instead or replace the
motherboard.
The image on the display is distorted (bent), shaking, or wavering.
