 |
|
 |
Intro:
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| A sound card in your computer, and the pre-installed software that makes it work. A built-in speaker, or external speakers connected to your sound card.
|
|
|
| |
| A few minutes
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| If you want to rock out in private, you can plug headphones into the back of your computer. On a PC, the jack where you plug them in will be labeled Line Out, Audio Out, or a similar term. On a Mac, the jack will be labeled with the little speaker symbol (and might also be on a PC). If you're in the market for a new set of headphones, make sure you get a pair with a long cord (4 to 6 feet, or 1 to 2 meters). Otherwise, you'll have to sit awful close to your computer.
|
|
Tune in, turn on, rock out If you've just set up your new computer (or you've inherited one at your new job), chances are you're looking forward to listening to your favorite CDs with it. What's that? You can't hear the sound--and you don't know how to turn it up? Don't worry--before long you'll be able to rattle the windows, or turn things down so low your boss will never hear a thing.
It doesn't matter if you're running Windows or MacOS; both platforms provide two ways to easily adjust the volume. In fact, the procedure is almost exactly the same for either--an easy mouseclick on a desktop icon, or a short series of menus that leads to a control panel. About the only complication is the chance that somebody decided to mute the sound at some point in the past--but you'll see how easy that is to fix as well. If you have external speakers connected to your computer, they probably have their own volume controls. If you set your computer's controls to their midpoints, you can use the speakers' built-in controls to fine-tune your computer's overall sound.
The easiest way to adjust the volume is by clicking the sound icon on your MacOS control bar or your Windows taskbar. On a Mac, the control bar is usually in the lower left of your screen, while the Windows taskbar is usually in the lower right. On either system, the icon looks like a little speaker with waves of sound coming from it. If you click on it, a slider control appears.
Note: Both systems give you the option of placing the sound icon on your control bar or taskbar for easy access. If the icon isn't there, don't fear. Step 5 explains how to make it happen.
The volume control slider is easy to use. With your mouse, grab the little "handle" (by clicking on it and holding down your mouse button) and drag it up or down (or left and right). Moving the handle up (or to the right) makes the sound louder, while moving it down (or to the left) makes it softer. Next to the slider, you'll probably see a small box titled "Mute." If the mute box is checked, you won't hear any sound at all, so make sure it's clear. Note: A mute box also appears in the control panel, so if you still don't hear sound, it's likely that this other mute box has been checked. You'll see how to access the control panel and the mute box in the next few steps.
While the desktop sound icon is the easiest way to adjust the volume, using the control panel will give you a few more ways to manipulate the sound. It will also provide an alternative adjustment that's always available. In Windows, click on your Start menu, and put the mouse pointer over the Settings area. Select Control Panels, then double-click on the Multimedia icon. The icons are alphabetically arranged in the window, so just scroll down if the Multimedia icon isn't visible at first. In MacOS, you'll click on the apple in the top left corner of your screen. Place the mouse pointer over Control Panels and select Monitors & Sound. If you're using an older version of MacOS, the panel will simply be called "Sound."
In Windows, the Multimedia control panel has a few tabs (at the top) that control different functions. You're looking for the leftmost tab, called "Audio," and can ignore the others right now. The Audio tab will have a Playback icon to the left side. Clicking on it will provide you with the Volume Control menu.
The Volume Control menu may look a little complicated, depending on which version of Windows you're using. But all you need to worry about is the slider, called "Volume Control" or simply "Volume." Sliding the handle up or down (or left to right) makes the sound louder or softer. Experiment to get the sound level you want, then close the menu by clicking OK. If the "Mute All" box is present, make sure it isn't checked. If you don't see the Volume Control slider, click Options on the Volume Control menu itself, then select Properties. You'll see an area called "Show the following volume controls." Check the box titled "Volume Control" and close the menu. On a Mac, the control panel has several icons at the top. Select the Sound icon, and you'll see the sound controls. The Computer System Volume slider works just like the others (the sound increases as the handle is dragged to the right and decreases as it's dragged to the left). Make sure the mute box is unchecked here as well.
As noted in Step 1, the sound icon isn't always visible in your control bar or taskbar. But making it appear is easy. In Windows, the Multimedia control panel has a checkbox titled "Show volume control on the taskbar." Check the box, then close the menu by clicking OK. The icon should appear in the lower right of your screen. On a Mac, you'll add the sound control to the control bar by dragging the Sound control strip module onto the control strip, then releasing it. To find the module, use your computer's "find" function (shortcut: click on the desktop, then press the command and "F" keys simultaneously). Type the words "sound volume" into the search field and press the return key. You can be sure you've found the right item by looking under the column that describes file type--it will be a "control strip module." -end- 
|
|
Locate the speaker symbol
Slide the volume slider
Find the controls
Control the volume
Make the sound icon appear on your desktop
#0507
Set Up a Stereo System
#0710
Attach Speakers to Your Computer
#0554
Clean Your Computer