Problem with screen and software

[pmb_phy]

I'm at a friends house at the moment. Thefamily has two computers each with a problem I'm unable to solve.

(a) The first one is a problem with sound. There are no sound devices installed as indicated by the sound manager. How to I find the software and install them on the computer?

(a) One day (the other computer) started up and everything read sidewards. How do I attack this problem? I.e. where do I start?

Thank you

Pete

 

[-Job-]

Sounds like you are missing audio and video drivers.
If you go to the computer manufacturer's site there will be a section to download the original drivers that shipped with the computer. Install them and see if helps.

 

[ScaleMaster]

Job is correct. The drivers aren't installed. If the Device Manager is finding an "Unknown Device" that is most likely the audio if it's the only one listed.

If you see "Media" or "Audio Controller" that is the recognized device without proper drivers.

If you know the audio device is physically installed properly in the machine, and the device manager is not pulling up the device as "Unknown" or it doesn't have proper drivers, and you have also confirmed that it's no where in the list in the Device Manager, then the card is toast. If it is installed correctly, and the drivers are properly loaded and Device Manager is reporting no errors for the device, then it's most likely a settings problem with the card, or possibly could even be the speakers you are using are bad (try others to be sure)

If it is a Dell or HP computer, go to their website and download the proper drivers depending on the model (unless he has added his own card)

if it was a custom built computer and you have no idea what brand it is, then you can usually open up the case, look at the card, and find a serial number or model on it and google it SOMETIMES you can find it that way.

Anyway,
good luck!

 

[ScaleMaster]

Whoops I missed the second problem

If you are talking about the screen is turned "Sideways" there is a key-sequence that SOME computers have that could of caused it.

I am not exactly 100% sure what it is, but it's something like "CTRL+ALT+Left Arrow" which will turn it a direction. Try that key combo (might also throw shift in there a few times for kicks) and hit the "UP" arrow, which will set it right...

now this is all in saying that this is the problem it has, could be completely different.

 

[AlephZero]

(a) On PCs with "on board" sound, there is usually an option in the BIOS setup to disable it, if you want to replace the onboard sound hardware with a soundcard. Check the sound hardware isn't disabled in the BIOS.

(b) What ScaleMaster said - and the reason you would want to turn the screen "sideways" is if you have an LCD monitor with a rotatable screen, so you can display a full page of a document in portrait mode, and also watch movies in landscape mode.