How to Test PC Speakers
By Lisa Rusczyk
You can test your PC's speakers to make sure they work by plugging the speakers into the right jack on your computer and by making sure all the settings on your computer are correct. You need to make sure your computer is set to use the correct sound card with your speakers. You will also need a sound source, such as a music CD to insert into your computer or a song file to play out of a music program such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.
Plug the speakers into your PC in the right place. This will be a jack either in the front or the back of your computer. The jack will have a headphone icon above it.
Turn the speakers on and make sure the volume knob is turned up.
Insert a music CD into your CD-ROM drive. Your computer's music program will open it. Play the CD. If you hear sound, then your speakers are working and all the settings are correct. If you do not hear music, your CD-ROM drive could be malfunctioning. Try playing sound from your music program or another place on your computer. If you still don't hear sound, try adjusting your settings.
Go to your "Start" menu at the bottom, left of your computer's desktop. Select "Control Panel" from the menus. Select "Sounds and Audio Devices" in the Control Panel.
Look at the settings under the "Volume" tab. Make sure the slider is not turned down. If it is all the way to the left, you need to move it more to the right. Make sure the "Mute" button is not checked.
Go to the "Audio" tab. There you will see "Audio Playback" with a drop-down box. Make sure it is set to your computer's sound card. For example, if your computer uses Sigma Tel Audio, make sure that is the name in the drop-down box. If it isn't, then change it to read your sound card's name. If you still do not hear sound, your speakers may be damaged.
Test your speakers on another computer before you decide if they are broken. The input jack on your computer might be the problem.