# I think I broke my sound card.



## irkkaaja (Feb 2, 2011)

I was watching a video last night and the sound suddenly stopped working, like, just -not- playing. Now, I should have just restarted the sound driver, but what I did was:


```
cat /dev/urandom /dev/dsp0.0
```

and now even after rebooting the computer the sound still doesn't work. 
	
	



```
kldload snd_hda
```
 works fine, and 
	
	



```
> cat /dev/sndstat
FreeBSD Audio Driver (newpcm: 32bit 2009061500/i386)
Installed devices:
pcm0: <HDA Analog Devices AD1984 PCM #0 Analog> (play/rec) default
pcm1: <HDA Analog Devices AD1984 PCM #1 Digital> (play)
```

Is it possible that my malformed attempt to play white noise somehow screwed up the firmware, or is something else at play here?


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## adamk (Feb 2, 2011)

It's really unlikely you caused any permanent damage to the sound card.  Are you trying to use a the analog or digital connection?  Is anything muted in the mixer?


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## wblock@ (Feb 2, 2011)

More likely that the sound card died on its own, which was why the sound stopped working.  Or possibly amplifier or speakers.


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## irkkaaja (Feb 2, 2011)

Well, it's not the speakers, since headphones are also muted. The mixer:


```
> mixer
Mixer vol      is currently set to  75:75
Mixer pcm      is currently set to  75:75
Mixer speaker  is currently set to  75:75
Mixer line     is currently set to  75:75
Mixer mic      is currently set to   0:0
Mixer mix      is currently set to   0:0
Mixer rec      is currently set to  75:75
Mixer igain    is currently set to   0:0
Mixer ogain    is currently set to  50:50
Mixer monitor  is currently set to  75:75
Recording source: mic
```

Here's the dmesg output from running kldload snd_hda:


```
pci0: <multimedia, HDA> at device 27.0 (no driver attached)
hdac0: <Intel 82801H High Definition Audio Controller> mem 0xfe220000-0xfe223fff irq 17 at device 27.0 on pci0
hdac0: HDA Driver Revision: 20100226_0142
hdac0: HDA Codec #0: Analog Devices AD1984
hdac0: HDA Codec #1: Conexant (Unknown)
pcm0: <HDA Analog Devices AD1984 PCM #0 Analog> at cad 0 nid 1 on hdac0
pcm1: <HDA Analog Devices AD1984 PCM #1 Digital> at cad 0 nid 1 on hdac0
```

Is there a way to verify that the sound card has died?

EDIT: Wait, I had the sound muted in hardware. Nobody pay attention to the crazy guy with the weird name.


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## SirDice (Feb 3, 2011)

irkkaaja said:
			
		

> Wait, I had the sound muted in hardware. Nobody pay attention to the crazy guy with the weird name.



Sometimes the obvious is so obvious you fail to see it. Happens to the best of us from time to time


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