PCinfospace

I need to say that due to technology changes there is no simple answer to this. I want to first discuss mother boards. Older machines may have mother boards that have separate cards. That is to say the sound card, Video card and others were all separate. Most of the mother boards today are integrated. This means that video, sound, Network cards as well as other necessities are integrate right into the board.

Why am I telling you this? If you don’t have the original driver disks or floppy drive that came with the separate card or device you may need to go through a lot of work to reload the driver you need if you ever need to reload it for any reason. With motherboards that are integrated you will also need the original drivers. However, they are either on the Manufacturer’s web site or on a disk if the computer was built by you or someone else.

I know this seems unimportant but you will see why I told you this shortly.

Here is the troubleshooting steps to find out why you’re not getting any sound:
1. Go to the back of the computer. Find the plug that goes to the speakers. See if it is plugged into the proper outlet of your sound card. This is normally a light green color. Either that or try each one and test to see if you have sound or not. Media player has samples you can use or try a music CD.
2. Check to see if you have power to the speakers.  If you have speakers that has a transformer (most do) be sure it is plugged in to a power strip that is turned on.
3. Check the power button on the speaker itself. If it is on, most speaker will show an indicator light which should be green.
4. Here is the one I usually find: Be sure the sound knob is turned up. I have found this turned down in many cases.
5. Test to see if you now have sound.
6. If you still don’t have sound things start getting more complex. Find the small speaker emblem in the lower right corner of your computer screen. (Some sound cards will put a different emblem there). Double click it or whatever program you are using.  A screen should come up that shows sliders. Be sure these are turned all the way up. There is a small square in the lower left corner of the Speaker volume section. BE SURE “Mute all” is NOT clicked.
6. Again test for sound if you changed any settings.
7. If there is no small speaker or other program the driver is probably corrupt or is not working for some reason.
8. FOLLOW THIS CAREFULLY!! Left click “start”. Right click “my computer”. Left click on properties. You should see a hardware tab. Left click it. Left click the octagonal button that says “device manager”.  This is the screen that shows the devices installed in your computer. If there is an explanation mark or other symbol chances are the driver for the sound card isn’t working. If that is the case your sound will not work until you fix it.
9. Find your original disk for the sound card or the board if sound is integrated in the mother board. Double click on the device unknown section. Find the “driver” tab. click on “update driver” and follow the instructions. Sometimes you will need to go to the manufacturer web site to find drivers.
The above instructions should allow you to have sound again. If not you may have other serious problems. Here are some possibilities: Problems with operating system, bad sound card (if separate from board), bad motherboard, plugged into wrong sound card if there is more than one installed and others.

If you can’t figure out what the real problem is you need to find a professional to take it to.

This is a wide subject.  That is to say there are possibly hundred of ways this can be done.  There are a huge amount of software programs out there.  Some computers come with some brand of photo editing software.  Some of these are only trial programs.  That means that after a certain amount (normally 60 days) of time you will need to buy the product.

Roxio

A dynamic program that does many things as you can see in the picture of the product. You can work with music,Photos,Videos and even burn CDs and DVDs.   Please pick the product that suits your needs.

Photoshop

This is still pretty much the big bang of the industry.  I will just say that there isn’t much you can’t do with this product.  The biggest problem is that it is very expensive.  I would only recommend this product if you are a photographer or if you want to do a lot of editing.  I do use it for photos that I want to put on web pages.

This dynamic program is simple and can do great photo editing. Please be sure you get the version that is meant for your particular needs.

Nero

This is also great.  Again be sure you are buying the product that is for you.  Nero StartSmart is a great product.  It even takes out noise from sound recordings.  The photo editing isn’t real extensive but it is fine if you aren’t real picky.

Here are other web sites that may interest you
SHUTTERFLY
SNAPFISH
SMUGMUG
BLURB Great if you like scrap booking or picture books
Wal-Mart allows you to upload your pictures and pick them up at your local store.  It also has a wide array of conversion options. Several other stores offer similar services.

These are only examples of what is available.  Most of them work similar.  You can normally resize, adjust colors, rotate along with numerous other features in almost all similar programs. Some programs offer the ability to overlay your photo with another photo.  Try to be sure what the capability of the program is before you buy it.

Here is a great opportunity if you like to edit photos, burn CDs or DVDs and much more

First and foremost this does take some time and talent to do.

• You must have software that will record the music or video.
• You need to break down the tracks, edit them and mix and master them.
• You need the device necessary to transfer the sound to the PC. If you are converting LP’s to CD format you need a turntable with a good quality needle and transfer cable or outlets.
• You need a fairly decent sound card on your PC.
• You need to label disks as you get them done. Labeling can range from very cheap to very expensive.  You can use a felt tip pen, a label from a stomper kit, laser labeling machine or what ever method is in the price range you desire.

These are some quick guidelines. You may need to have a budget to handle buying the equipment to do this with.

I can write more about this subject if I see there is interest.