No sound + red light

When I took out the cable to my speakers from my PowerBook's headphone jack I noticed a red light inside the socket. I plugged the cable back in and the light turned off but came back on about half a second after I took it out again. There is a small LED inside the hole and I have never seen it before. The computer also stopped playing sound out of it's internal speakers completely and in the System Preferences sound menu there is only a line-out option, no internal speaker one. It seems like the light is telling me that I have to plug in speakers to hear sound, but why? The laptop has always worked fine until now so what has made it suddenly do this and how can I get the internal speakers working again?
15" Aluminium PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

That red light is for Optical audio.
There are posts in this forum talking about this problem.
Based on what i read from these posts, i would say, 'Have a Genius or Certified repair person take a look at it'.
Ben

Similar Messages

No sound, red light emitted from headphone jack

So I really have no idea how to get my sound back. I simply pulled my headphones out of the back of my Mac and I lost sound from the speakers in the computer. When I hit the adjust volume buttons on the keyboard, a circle-with-a-line-through-it symbol shows up underneath, and I hear nothing. When I look at the port where my headphones plug in, a red light is shining out of it. I've already checked sound options in system preferences. Did I break my sound by simply pulling my headphones out?? Help!

Had same thing happen a couple times and fixed it by just plugging headphones in and unplugging a couple times.
Don't know for a fact but I think the audio output thinks it has a digital optical device connected (Hence the red light). That would explain why you are getting no sound from speakers.
Next step would be to call Apple.
Randall

Shuffle stops, three bells sound, red lights no sound. Apple support unable to help.

Shuffle stops periodically, three bell sound, red llights flash, no sound. Apple support person had never heard of the problem. Restoring corrects, but I can't do that when on a run.

Which iPod shuffle model is it? Do you use a Mac or Windows PC? And what version of OS?
FYI - This article shows the four iPod shuffle "generations."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Shuffle
If it's 4th gen, is it still under warranty (less than one year old)?

No sound on my Macbook pro, red light.

My Macbook Pro won't play anything out loud, through the speakers, like when i have to watch a video or hear some music, i have to put my headphones in the Macbook, and then it can play the sound, but if i take them out, there are no sound and there is a red light where the headphones are supposed to be plugged in (The video or music continue playing, i just can't hear it).
I read something about "International speakers" and it's stuck on a speaker in settings, and to solve it, you just have to play some music with the headphones in the computer, and then take them out of the computer, while the music is playing, and then it should work - but it didn't work.
I've tried to turn off the macbook for a long time and then start it up, didn't work. I've tried to just normally restart it, didn't work either.
The problem just came suddenly, I didn't do anything specific before it happened, one day it just didn't work, which is about 3 weeks ago now.
My Macbook pro is 2 years old in May, and i've updated it with anything that IOS said i should.
Hope you guys know what i can do.

Try the following: I
nsert the earphone jack several times.
Blow real hard into the audio output port. Use compressed air if you have it.
Take a cocktail stirrer or a tooth pick and wiggle it inside the port.
The internal switch is stuck when you see the red light.
Ciao.

Ipod shuffle 1GB Re: how to resurrect a dead shuffle? Nov 5, 2008 4:42 AM (in response to Ipod shuffle 1GB) there is no sound cant find in Itunes not in showing in drive's list please tell me how to restore or reset red light showing when try to power on

Ipod shuffle 1GB
Re: how to resurrect a dead shuffle?
Nov 5, 2008 4:42 AM (in response to Ipod shuffle 1GB)
there is no sound cant find in Itunes not in showing in drive's list please tell me how to restore or reset red light showing when try to power on or conect with USB....
If you can plz help to fiX it
thanx
intel pc , Windows 7, core 2 Dule Core

Here is the answer: go to http://support.apple.com In the search box at the top left type in the number 304996 and hit enter. This will bring you to a page with 4 solutions. Click on solution number 1 and follow the instructions. This should fix it.
bigdogdan

No sound on Boot Camp (Windows 8) red light in the headphone jack ?

I have a MacBook Pro 9.2 (i7 3rd gen, HD4000, 750GB, 8GB) and i install Windows 8 Pro 64 bit. I have a issue with my headphone jack only when i use BootCamp i have the latest driver for it (download from bootcamp application OSX). I see that inside of the headphone jack there is a red light i think that it is the optical out of it. I try to reinstall the driver no succes. Now i need help to fix it

The red light means you have jammed the digital audio jack by inserting an analog plug too far. It is not a BootCamp issie--can happen to people without BootCamp. Here is the reason for the problem I posted in another thread:
Background, or "why this happens": the audio-out port on a modern Mac is digital and is held to high dimensional standards. Most headphones have an analog plug not made to such standards. The specific issue is the the "tip-to-stop shoulder" distance on many analog plugs is just a bit longer than on a digital one and jams the "mute" contact inside the port in the muted position. <deleted>'s advice to insert a plug and gently wiggle it in the horizontal plane is exactly on target unless you are under warranty, which would still necessitate a trip to an Apple store for service.
The best action is prevention. When connecting headphones (or external speakers), put on the headphones and have an audio track running BEFORE you insert the plug. Insert the plug slowly, listening for sound on both channels and, when you hear it, STOP INSERTING.
Bottom line is you do NOT want to insert any random plug "to the hilt" until you know it is dimensioned to fit a digital port.
My MacBook Pro has the same jack. I have a pair of decent-quality, name-brand headphones and their plug is not to spec. This picture shows their plug in the port at a position that delivers proper sound and does not let the plug fall out:
Note that the shoulder is about 1/16-inch from contacting the computer case. It is secure in this position.
Every plug is different. I have a pair of El Cheapo external speakers I picked up for US$2 at a yard sale and their plug fits perfectly on my Macs with a digital audio port. Go figure!

After installing an update I am no longer able to hear sound out of my speakers. A red light comes on where the headphone jack is. I have already attempted to trip to switch with a wooden toothpick in the headphone jack but have not had luck.

after installing an update I am no longer able to hear sound out of my speakers. A red light comes on where the headphone jack is. I have already attempted to trip to switch with a wooden toothpick in the headphone jack but have not had luck.

Have you gone into system prefs nad made sure that the headphone port is set to audio out. And not audio in.
Also make sure that you are selecting built in speakers for your audio output.
If that does not fix it try doing a Pram reset.
Shut your mac down.
Press the startup button.
Hold down the following keys. Command Option P and R. Wait till you hear the chime 2 times. Then let go. See if that fixes it.

Internal speakers not shown in sound output, no audio jack red light

Hellooo!
So basically my internal speakers in my mid-2009 Macbook pro are not working. When i try and change the volume i am getting the greyed out speaker symbol. Strangely, when a pair of headphones are plugged into the audio port and set to 'audio input' the internal speakers show up in system prefs, and the sound start working! When the headphones are removed it reverts back to not working again. I'm not getting the red light in the audio port.
This must be a software problem as they physically work when headphones are plugged in and i can hear the chime on startup.
I have tried repairing disk permissions, resetting the PRAM/NVRAM, re-installing OSX and the whole toothpick in the audio port thing.
I dont really want to have to take it to apple but I dont have any options left. My mac is pretty old, so i dont feel it is worth spending loads of money on it should the motherboard need replacing or anything similarly costly.
Has anyone else had similar problems, or a solution?

One more suggestion.
    Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
    Audio Devices window
    Side Bar
    Click the Built-in Output.
    Under Mute any of the boxes checked? If so, uncheck it.
Best.

Found white powder in earphone connection and sound doesn't work, red light coming thru hole

I found a white powder accumulating in the earphone port which after cleaning out delicately, the sound on the computer is grayed off and a redlight comes thru the hole...what is happening, please help, thank you

It sounds as if you're 'stuck' in optical output mode. The usual 'fix' for this is to gently clean the port with a toothpick, until the red light goes out.
No idea what the white powder might be - you haven't spilled something around the port, have you?
Clinton

I cannot hear any songs or movies from my laptop speakers - the headphone port works and a red light is showing? The output sound settings are showing as digital optical only? Any ideas :)

I cannot hear any songs or movies from my laptop speakers - the headphone port works and a red light is showing from the port? The output sound settings are showing as digital optical only? I used the headphones in the laptop for the first time yesterday and have had this problem ever since. Any ideas

The internal switch in the audio output port is stuck. Try inserting the earphone plug a few times. If no success, try jiggling a tooth pick inside in order to trip the switch.. If still no success, have the technicians at the Apple store genius bar do it for you.
Ciao.

Unreliable sound - speaker symbol greyed out and red light in 3.5mm jack

Had my MacBook for 3 years with no problems. But over the past few months, the sound has been very unreliable. It always works when external speakers are plugged in, but when using the internal speakers it's very temperamental. It will just suddenly grey out the speaker symbol on the menu bar at the top, and a red light is visible in the 3.5mm jack socket.
Any ideas???

Your Mac believes that a digital audio cable is plugged in. You can use a toothpick or unbent paper clip to toggle the DA switch off. It's located along the side of the port, not at the back whence the light emanates.

No sound and red light

I have no sound and when I turn the volume up there's "a circle with a line through it" there is a red light coming out of the earphone socket. I tried unplugging it and it worked but I want to use my headphones sometimes and when I take them back out it goes back to the red light. I tried changing the settings to internal speakers but when I went to "Choose a device for sound output" there was only "Digital Out". How do I select internal speakers when they're not there, how do I fix this problem?

So my internal speakers stopped working around 9-12 months ago, along with it the all-too-familiar red light in the headphone jack. Tried all the toothpick (actually recommended by an Apple tech), headphone in-and-out, paper-clippy, throw salt over-your-shoulder ideas posted out there; all to no avail. Nothing would get that switch inside to pop back from it's position, and let my computer know that there was nothing plugged into the jack. After all that and NEAR A YEAR of no internal speakers, they inexplicably started working again the other day. I think what happened was that I had neglected to notice that my headphones were plugged in still when I tried to put my laptop in the case, and slightly tweaked the headphone jack port when the headphone jack hit the side of the case. Whatever you do, don't let anyone convince you that it's a logic board or I/O board failure. It seems very likely an obnoxious flaw in the jack's design, and I'm not surprised many people can get it working again by poking around and getting the switch inside the jack to return to its position.
This computer has been a workhorse for me and OSX is a great design, but If I were to issue one complaint about Apple it would be to stand behind thier hardware better (I've had other problems before too). I feel like they could have issued a proper procedure to fix this problem so that everyone with issues like this doesn't have pull thier hair out searching forums for solutions and getting unnecessary expensive repairs.

The optical drive red light stays on, no sound in OS X, the car charger not working

The optical drive red light stays on, no sound in OS X, the car charger not working, I think that its all tied to 1 error or 1 issue, maybe something to do with the boot camp file?
Any ideas ?

Hi S,
There is a switch inside the audio jack that may be stuck. Try gently inserting, wiggling, removing the audio plug.

I have no sound in my computer, only with headphones, i tried the software update but it still doesn't work, and i have a red light on in my computer.

I have no sound in my computer, only with headphones, i tried the software update but it still doesn't work, and i have a red light on in my computer. How to resolve that ?

Plug and unlpug the headphone jack with some intention to get the mechanical switch to flip.
You can google for more intrusive methods.
ex. Read through all the many approachs: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/8797/Audio+jack+problem,+no+speaker+sound,+re d+light

No sound on my mac book and a red light in the headphone jack

as in the title,
The sound controls dont work and I have a constant red light out of the earphone jack, with the earphones in all is okay but without ....silence

The red light is the digital in light, that is how it reads the headphone jack. The reason the sound doesn't work is because a switch to turn the speakers back on is stuck (note that if you boot the computer, you will hear the startup tone).
There are several ways to fix this...
Some have found that putting the headphone plug in and out several times (maybe twisting it a little) will work.
Others have used a toothpick to adjust the switch (I don't advise this because the toothpick may break).
Instead of a toothpick, many have used a paperclip (probably best to use an insulated one). I couldn't get this to work, but I would suggest straightening, folding in half, then twisting the paperclip and moving it around in the port.
You can also use a sewing pen/needle.
I have seen all of these methods online, but they didn't work for me. I took a que from this instrucable and cleaned my jack with a dry q-tip. I then cut off most of the end and turned it around inside the port. This worked, but after I put the headphones back in the same problem came up, I just did the same procedure again and it worked again (even after I plugged the headphones back in and took them out).
PS: I woud suggest putting some q-tips and possibly some scissors in your MacBook bag in case the problem arises on the move.

No sound + red light

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for