Laptop sound oddnes...
 

Laptop sound oddness - riddle me this.

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Taken my laptop to the pub to join in a Covid vintage Zoom quiz, (yeah old school pandemic entertainment!) the last couple of weeks. No sound through the speakers of my laptop logged into the pub free WiFi. No basic PICNIC error like having it on mute either. Tried it with on YouTube, also silent. When I get home on the house network, works absolutely fine, (well on YouTube anyway, the quiz has finished now.) 

I can't think of any logical reason it would be silent on a different network. My dad's PC sound is fine on the same pub network to further confuse matters. Your best guess is.... 

Thanks.  


 
Posted : 29/07/2025 11:34 pm
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Is there a hidden setting that you can't see?


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 12:30 am
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Did you check your audio out settings?, I’ve not used windows machine for 25 years so can’t help much 


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 12:37 am
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Posted by: somafunk

Did you check your audio out settings?, I’ve not used windows machine for 25 years so can’t help much 

Broadly what I was going to ask.  What does it show as "output device" in sound settings when connected?  It's plausible that something has 'grabbed' it, but I'd have expected an initial pairing first.  Do you ever use it in the car?  Earbuds in your pocket?


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 1:09 am
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Doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless it connected to a Bluetooth device (but that I assume that would need to be something you'd already paired, although not sure if there's a "try and pair with anything you find" mode for Bluetooth)


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 7:04 am
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No, I checked the audio settings, speakers are selected in Zoom and on system settings. I have paired Bluetooth earbuds with it in the past at that location, but didn't even have them with me on these occasions.

Hmm maybe I'll try turning off Bluetooth altogether next week. 


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 7:20 am
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Is it your new VPN?


 
Posted : 30/07/2025 7:43 am