Hello all, I have been trying to chase down this issue for sometime now. I have no sound coming from the internal speakers nor are they an option under settings for output. I've have tried all of the basic troubleshooting, headphones in and out, blowing the ports out with compressed air, resetting the audio, even tried wiping the Mac and starting over... HOWEVER, if I boot into windows via boot camp, the sound works as normal. All volume controls and audio options work perfect. But the minute I boot back up in Mac OS, sound and options are gone. Anyone have any ideas? I'm about to just send it to Apple or geek squad and see if they can fix it.
27" Mac no sound, no internal speakers
- Thread starter Jdmluvr
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Your experiment with Windows is helpful as that would seem to rule out hardware failure, which is obviously good news.
If it was me, I might do something like this.
1) Install a fresh copy of OSX on an external drive. Boot from that drive and test sound. If it works, I'd guess the problem is some issue with OSX on the main drive.
2) Copy all my files over to the external drive. Boot from that drive for a few days and test all my main programs to make sure all is well.
3) Make a backup of this external drive on to another external drive.
4) Wipe the main drive clean, and SuperDuper the external drive on to the main drive.
There's probably a better solution, hopefully someone can improve on this.
If it was me, I might do something like this.
1) Install a fresh copy of OSX on an external drive. Boot from that drive and test sound. If it works, I'd guess the problem is some issue with OSX on the main drive.
2) Copy all my files over to the external drive. Boot from that drive for a few days and test all my main programs to make sure all is well.
3) Make a backup of this external drive on to another external drive.
4) Wipe the main drive clean, and SuperDuper the external drive on to the main drive.
There's probably a better solution, hopefully someone can improve on this.
Ok, so I tried this yesterday and I’m running into an issue where it will not let me boot from the usb. Is it possible that because it’s a fusion drive system it won’t allow me to do this? Or should I be doing something different. The only options it lets me boot from is the main drive. Or if I create a partition, it gives me that option as well. But no option for the usb. I even tried a usb hard drive, same results. When i boot in recovery, shouldn’t there be an option to select the usb?
I do actually have a large enough external to back the system up. I’ve never done that before, but I assume I should back it up. Then start fresh with an external install of OSX? I think issue I’ll run into there is the fusion drive won’t let me completely wipe it, I could be wrong, but I’ll see.
Option 1) If you can wipe an external drive and then install a fresh copy of OSX you could then test with a browser. If your problem doesn't appear there, then your problem is probably software and not hardware. Not a solution, but a step forward.
Option 2) If you could duplicate your entire setup on an external drive, then you could boot from that external drive, and then safely screw around trying all kinds of things without fear of damaging your existing setup.
BACKUPS: Ideally you would be backing up your entire system. That's easy with SuperDuper. Can discuss if you want.
Here's an example usage. Say something goes wrong with your main setup. You could then boot in to your backup to confirm the problem doesn't exist there too. If not, then you can copy the backup over your main setup, thus erasing the problem.
Ideally you might backup daily on to one external drive, and weekly on to another. Daily backups safeguard your daily work, and the weekly backup preserves a copy of your setup prior to the emergence of some problem.
Ok I understand what you’re saying. However, if I can’t boot from an external drive to try the OSX install, I won’t be able to boot from external drive to try running the system software copy. So I might be at a dead end…. Unless I’m doing something wrong. I’ll keep trying later this evening.
Well it looks like I may have to send it in for repair. I copied my drive for a back up. Then I found a walk through specifically for the fusion drive to wipe completely clean. I then loaded a brand new install of OSX that I had downloaded off my Mac mini to be safe and after I did the setup, still no sound and still no options for internal speakers.
It’s still very odd to me that if I load windows, the sound and volume work with no issues.
Thank you for your help, but I may just send it in to Apple.
It’s still very odd to me that if I load windows, the sound and volume work with no issues.
Thank you for your help, but I may just send it in to Apple.
So you installed OSX on a 2nd drive, booted from that drive, and problem persists on that drive too? If yes, that does sound like a hardware issue.
But, like you said, it works in Windows, so how could it be a hardware issue?
Boot from Windows when you want to watch videos?
Yes, that’s correct. I booted from a 2nd drive and still have no sound.
I have not installed windows again since erasing the main drive. I will try this today to see if windows still has sound again.
Yes I can use windows to watch videos. I use windows to play Age or Empires III and it always worked.
I have not installed windows again since erasing the main drive. I will try this today to see if windows still has sound again.
Yes I can use windows to watch videos. I use windows to play Age or Empires III and it always worked.
I have tried chrome and safari. There’s no sound at all in OSX. No options for speakers, I can’t even connect a Bluetooth device and get sound. The sound is just not there. And when I check the hardware options in settings, audio is blank. I can post pictures.
When I boot in windows, everything works perfect. Safari and chrome work perfect on youtube. My games play all sound. And music files play fine also.
i talked to a local repair shop that is certified Apple repair and they think I have to replace my motherboard…. Does that sound right?
When I boot in windows, everything works perfect. Safari and chrome work perfect on youtube. My games play all sound. And music files play fine also.
i talked to a local repair shop that is certified Apple repair and they think I have to replace my motherboard…. Does that sound right?
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Have you tried resetting the NVRAM and SMC ?
Have you tried booting into 'Safe Mode" ?
Have you tried booting into 'Safe Mode" ?
Yes, I’ve reset the NVRAM and SMC, and booted in safe mode, no change. I called Apple a while back and they walked me through that. Their last step was to reinstall OSX and I never contacted them again after that.
Last night, I installed windows again via boot camp to see if the audio worked again after wiping the hdd. Audio started working immediately when Cortana starts walking you through setup. Tried YouTube and audio works perfect.
Last night, I installed windows again via boot camp to see if the audio worked again after wiping the hdd. Audio started working immediately when Cortana starts walking you through setup. Tried YouTube and audio works perfect.
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Very strange indeed, looks like a software or setting error rather than hardware.
I'm sorry, I have no idea on that one. I can only guess here, but my guess would be that replacing the motherboard would be expensive enough that it might be better to just get another (new or used) Mac.
I'm no Mac repair guy, but the fact that everything works perfectly when booted from Windows sure suggests the hardware is working. I hate to see you spend a wad of cash on something you might not need. But again, I'm no Mac repair guy.
All I can think of at the moment is to try installing a different version of OSX on an external test drive.
How do you feel about Windows? Ignore OSX and move your life over in to Windows until it's time to buy another machine?
If your needs are pretty basic, as many people's are, a $300 Chromebook might get the job done?
Sorry, I know this isn't very helpful...