I have a new computer with WinXP installed. The unpowered PC speakers from my previous system are virtually inaudible on the new system even though all the volume controls are set to maximum. I have tested the speakers on the old system and they still work. The sound card is on-board. The chipset drivers have been installed. The device is ac97. It is enabled in BIOS and windows and there are no conflicts. The driver is signed by Microsoft. I am using the right jack-port and this is confirmed by the jack detector. I've used the WinXP troubleshooter a couple of times and no luck there. I am absolutely at the end of ideas about what to do - can anyone help please.
This what you do, go to Control Panel and click sounds and audio devices. Check the device volume and put it to full blast. Then click audio and click under voice playback click volume. do that every where in the volumes.
I would suggest that first you try a modern set of amplified speakers. Ac97 based devices do not produce sufficient current to get any kind of decent volume from unamplified speakers.
Thanks Nikita but these settings are already set to maximum. Amberhaze, thanks, this makes sense as everything else I've checked looks fine and I am getting sound, just really faint sound.
In addition to AmberHaze's answer, I'll just say that I experienced a strange volume control issue with XP.
On my "all purpose/testing/semi-personal" desktop I finally installed windows XP, keeping a dual boot with 2000 pro.
With the (obviously) very same hardware & speakers, and volume on spkrs AND Windows control set to the same value, 2Kpro sounds are significantly louder than XP's.
I never really spent time trying to figure out why. Probably some driver issue, despite these beeing the saem version, in the same package.