[computer1989]

First of all, I'm not very good with computers, so please bear with my "noobishness".

I have a Toshiba Tecra. I right clicked "My Computer", and it says that I have "1.73 Ghz and 512MB RAM". I hope that's enough info to start off with. Please tell me if I need to include any other hardware info.

For the past couple of months, it seems that my left laptop speaker is broken. Whenever I play music, I always notice that the left speaker can only emit very low scratchy noises. Sometimes I can hear the left channel playing, but it is very, very low and sort of muffled and broken sounding.

I really hope this is not a hardware problem, and that all I have to do is download a new driver or something. Can anyone provide a solution? Or at least identify the problem?

Thanks.

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If you can, try the speaker system on another computer. I image you are using a speaker system that has its own built in amplifier. It COULD be the speaker, a bad connection between plug/jack on the mating of speakers/computer audio or a dirty volume control. Another possibility is, that one channel in the speaker amp has gone bad. Using it on another computer will determine that. If no other computer, you could try the line audio out on a stereo system which would mate with the connector.

Never hurts to update drivers if you think you need to.

[Major Payne]

If you can, try the speaker system on another computer. I image you are using a speaker system that has its own built in amplifier. It COULD be the speaker, a bad connection between plug/jack on the mating of speakers/computer audio or a dirty volume control. Another possibility is, that one channel in the speaker amp has gone bad. Using it on another computer will determine that. If no other computer, you could try the line audio out on a stereo system which would mate with the connector.

Never hurts to update drivers if you think you need to.

[computer1989]

The thing is, the speaker is built in to the laptop. It is not a seperate speaker...

[Major Payne]

Then see if you can connect to external speakers. If external speakers work normally, then you have a defective speaker in the laptop. Or a bad flex-cable connecting speaker to board. Does gently tapping with fingers while audio is playing make any changes?

If not, then the audio problem is probably in the audio circuit itself. You could still update any audio driver.