Logitech z-680 Speakers won't work

[Batgirl23]

Since moving several months ago, my speakers just sat in my my closet. Now that I finally had the chance to hook them up. They're not working.
I have a Creative Audiology Sound Blaster 2 ex. It works just fine if I plug headphones in it.
If I plug headphones into the logitech controller, the sound is very low even at max volume settings. If I try to use the speakers, I get no sound from them at all!
I 've tried new cable as well as what it came with neither worked. The new cable has two colors copper and silver. The speaker has 2 inputs black and red. Just to make sure which goes where?
Thanks so much for your help.

[rjfvillarosa]

have you checked the sound properties in control panel?, check to see what your speaker setting is and check the advanced tab to see if anything has been muted. During your move could anything have been done to have disturbed your bios settings? is your sound disabled in bios?

[Batgirl23]

I have the onboard sound disabled because I have the sound blaster card, but I don't think the bios is causing the problem. I can hear sound (i've only tried music) through headphones. I just can't get the speakers to work and nothing in in the sound properties is muted.

Thanks

[rjfvillarosa]

Where do your speakers get their electrical power from? have you got a fuse gone that you have overlooked or a bad connection, and what about advanced properties in sound how are the speakers configured. Did you install all the media with your sound card?, if you did open up the mixer and check the speaker settings in there.

[Batgirl23]

The speakers get their power from thier own outlet plug. I think its fine because the speaker's display screen is lit up and working fine. Creative media is installed and seems ok, but still no sound.

[rjfvillarosa]

Do you have Audio HQ? if you do open it, double click speakers then make sure the digital output box is unchecked and try checking the synchronize with control panel option. You could just try loading defaults from the drop down list in programs/creative.

[Batgirl23]

Ok, I did that, but still no luck.
You reply so quickly.
Am I annoying you?

[rjfvillarosa]

No your not annoying me at all, what is annoying is not finding the cause. I have a soundblaster 5.1 live and I am looking through the settings to see what it might be. Have you tried the diagnostics? it takes about twenty seconds to test the hardware, software and speakers

[Batgirl23]

Strangely enough, the diagnostic utlity isn't working. It says click on the the next button to proceed, but there is no next button on the screen. I hate to have to reinstall all of the creative software because it takes forever, but it looks like I might have to.

[rjfvillarosa]

Sorry Batgirl but that does seem like your best option, I was actually going to suggest it a few post's back but I could tell your were not up for the idea.
Try a full uninstall and reinstall and maybe a registry clean before the reinstall, come back and let me know how you get on.
Best of luck.

[Batgirl23]

How do you clean the registry?

[rjfvillarosa]

Get yourself a nice registry cleaning tool. I use easy cleaner. this is a link to where you can download it. http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm
Scroll down to "Download Places for easycleaner" then just below to the left written in blue is a clickable link. download it its a great tool. Just a word of caution, use the registry cleaner and the unneccesary file remover BUT DONT TOUCH the duplicate file remover, a friend used that and it destroyed his operating system.

[Batgirl23]

I uninstalled everything and I even reset the card to make sure it was in tight. When I try to reinstall the software I get this error message "the File ctgame.sys on Creative installer is needed" but It won't find the file on the installer CD. If I skip it, it says hardware has not been installed properly. The diagnostic center still doesn't work. I've tried the driver updates from creative's site but that doesn't help either.
Ctgame sounds like a game file, could it be causing all of this trouble? I never had that message come up before.

[rjfvillarosa]

I have got the sounblaster live 5.1 and I am sure the utilities are probably very similar. Download the zip file I have put below and do a complete check and uninstall of creative, then do a registry clean again, then restart your machine. Ok now the installation wizard is obviously starting for you to get that error message so the software is reckonizing your sound card. Do a custom install and only check the boxes for the basic drivers, (creative audio HQ, creative sound mixer, creative restore defaults, creative diagnostics and windows drivers). Just installing these hopefully will miss out that game file thats causing you problems, if something has changed that you are unaware of, that game file could be the root of all your problems, we can talk about that again. That should get your sound back and all the other things can be installed later by carrying out a repair or modification from your install CD.
Best of luck and let me know how you get on.

[Batgirl23]

I'm getting the error message now even before I try to install the software. Windows detects the new hardware and unfortunately the joystick port that is a part of the sound card. Now I also get the error message that it does not detect a sound card. I wish it would make up its mind! I don't know why things are getting worse.
But I can still hear music through headphones without any drivers installed.

[rjfvillarosa]

Batgirl I know you don't want to hear this, but is a format and reinstall out of the question? ( do I need to duck under my desk to avoid the hurtled abuse and swear words ) I am running out of ideas here. BUT not out of faith or enthusiasm I am sure we can deliver this machine from evil doings.
Not sure where that came from I have never had a religious bone in my body.


I am going to try and talk to GLC, Hi Ho and Panama Red about this because these guys will know if we have over looked something.

[Batgirl23]

How did I know you were going to say that?
It will be time consuming, but worth it if I can have my surround sound music again. I'll let you know how it goes in a few days.
Thanks again for all your help.

[kram 2.0]

Hey,

I doubt it's the Creative Sound software itself that is causing a problem...it is perfectly normal if it doesn't go onto the next screen - it preceeds in the same screen. Since you mentioned that the speakers are getting power, but nothing is coming up from the speakers, I ask you one question - put your ear against the speaker and what do you hear? Of course, unplug the headphone for this...you will need to see what you can get out from this. Then, if you hear nothing, that means it's not reading anything from the computer...it's a problem of what's before the output, not within the software.

Also, just for safe measure, go to Creative's Website and get new drivers if you haven't already.


kram

[Batgirl23]

Hey Kram,
I think you are right about it being an output problem, but I also think Creative's software is buggy. I have the latest drivers and I'm geting messages like no sound card detected, while I can hear music through headphones pluged into the sound card.
And now all of a sudden I can hear music through headphones plugged into my speaker's jack. I swear I did nothing different!?!
Q: The speaker's have two holes for the wire, one red, one black. My new speaker wire says connect the copper wire to the positive and the silver wire to the negative. Which hole is which?
I just want to make sure I'm doing it right.
Thanks

[glc]

Red is positive, black is negative.

[Batgirl23]

That's what I thought about the wiring. At least I had that right.
Update: Some of my speakers are now working. My l/r front and the sub work, but the center and l/r rear don't give any sound,however I can hear faint hissing from them so I know that they're getting some kind of signal. I've every possible cobination of hooking the green, black, and yellow wires into my sound card , but that's all I get.
I tried reinstalling the software again and now it says it doesn't dectect my audigy 2 card, so it won't install the drivers, but I still have sound in some speakers or headphones. I'm also getting the ctgame.sys error every time I boot up and Windows detects this "new" hardware.
Your new pest,
Batgirl

[el_novato]

Hi Batgirl

Go to Control Panel>Sounds Speech, and Audio Devices. What is listed under "Pick a Control Panel Icon"? Either way, click on Change the Sound Scheme>Audio. Under Playback, click the dropdown, and see what your options are. If the software that came with your soundcard is listed, make sure it's selected. Also, what program do you use to playback music? Post back and we'll see what needs to happen next.

e.n.

[Batgirl23]

Hi El Novato
Sounds and Audio Devices and a speech Icons are listed. Clicked on them and all the info seems to be in order. Windows reconizes the creative card, but the creative software didn't. So, I tried one last time to uninstall the software and move the card to a new PCI slot. It is situated right next to my video card, but the creative software now sees the card as well and I don't get anymore error messages.
I have three speaker wires to plug into three holes on my sound card. Depending on where I put what, this is what I can hear: sound from front left/right, or sound from center, or sound from front left/right claiming it is the rear left/right.
I'm using the creative software to do this. Music played in jet audio will also allow the sub to play music in addition to front l/r.
Everything is set on 5.1 surround sound.

[el_novato]

So now you're only problem is getting music to play back in surround sound, correct? If it is...the rest shouldn't be too difficult...

First, get the manual to the sound card and find out which jack is for the front, rear, and subwoofer. Here are the pin outs for the speakers. (Use the 1st diagram) Once you get the pin outs for the card you should be able to get speakers connected to the proper jacks.

Hopefully, after the speakers are connected properly, you have surround sound. If not, once this is done, double check to make sure that the program you are using for playback is set to surround sound configuration. Usually you can find this somewhere in the Options menu. Btw, are you using both the PCI card and the I/O Module for the front?

Hth

e.n.

[Batgirl23]

The speakers are connected according to the manual guidlines, but still no surround sound. (Green to line 1, Black to 2, and Yellow to 3) Also, surround sound is selected as the default option in windows as well as creative's software. I also tried every configuration of wires just incase the instructions were wrong or something.
The speakers get connected directly to the sound card, not the I/O module.
Here's what the creative instructions say:
Line Out 1 Jack Connects to powered speakers or external amplifier. Also supports headphones. Outputs front Left/Right audio channels.
Line Out 2 Jack Connects to powered surround sound speakers or and an external surround sound amplifier with surround inputs. Outputs surround Left/Right audio.
Line Out 3 Three channel analog jack outputs outputs Subwoofer, Front Center, and Rear Center. A 4 pole 3.5 mm plug is required.
Have no idea what to do next

[el_novato]

Does your PC have onboard sound? If it does, is it disabled in the BIOS?

[Batgirl23]

Onboard sound is disabled.

[el_novato]

Oops...my bad, if I would have read your posts slower, I would have known that .....one last straw...Anywhere in the Creative Software or Windows, have you seen "CMSS 3D"? If you have, make sure it's enabled. Let us know what happens...(e.n. crosses his fingers)

e.n.

[Batgirl23]

It's enabled already.
Do you think formatting my hard drive would help any at this point?

[el_novato]

I really don't think so but I could be wrong. Have you considered taking the card back for an exchange? My next steps would be the following (they may seem redundant):

1. Right click My Computer>Properties>Hardware Tab>Device Manager. Uninstall the card by right clicking on it then clicking on Uninstall.

2. Uninstall all Creative software. Before Rebooting, find any folders associated with the Creative in X:\Windows\Program Files. IF that's where you installed it. (X is the letter of your drive)

3. Shut it down completely. Restart and let Windows find the card, then proceed to reinstall software.

I really don't think a reformat would help since you said you can hear a hissing sound coming from the speakers. If you decide to do the above and it still doesn't work, then you should exchange the card for a new one. Sorry I couldn't help you get it going. I'll check back later...Good luck

Btw, a 4 pole 3.5 mm is like the orange one in the second diagram of the previous link I posted. I'm beginning to suspect that may be part of the problem. Hmmm....

e.n.