Samsung X05 laptop sound problem

digitaldr

hi, I've got a Samsung X05 laptop which I (foolishly) bought in of all places Dixons! Anyway I now have a problem in that the sound volume is extremely low this happened a few months after buying it. It was never great but now I have to but my ear to the speaker to hear anything. I've tried all the obvious things like making sure the volume mixer settings are set to max, updating the sigmatel audio drivers etc. I've also tried inserting and reinserting a headphone plug a few times in case it's a problem with the socket. When I phoned Samsung they said they don't support their Samsung products purchased in Dixons. While it's still under warranty I'm loath to go back to Dixon's as I know whoever is working there won't have a clue and will probably send it away for repair leaving me laptopless for weeks/months. It's more than 28 days since I purchased it so I guess I wouldn't be eligible for a refund/replacement
I guess I could try reinstalling windows but I'd prefer not to as it's a lot of hassle. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. By the way I'm otherwise very happy with it - it may getting a little old now but is fast enough for my needs and very thin and light for the price

leeroybrown

Have you looked through all the levels (including ones not currently shown) in the volume control in Windows. Perhaps someone or some piece of software you installed set one these levels down.

Short of that or finding something with google that explains the problem re-installing windows is probably the only definitive way to sort out the problem.

digitaldr

Thanks for the advice I'm afraid that I've checked all the levels with no joy - probably will have to the reinstall

Fenster

digitaldr wrote:

While it's still under warranty I'm loath to go back to Dixon's as I know whatever spotty teenager is working there won't have a clue and will probably send it away for repair leaving me laptopless for weeks/months. It's more than 28 days since I purchased it so I guess I wouldn't be eligible for a refund/replacement

I happen to work for Currys...

Only PC World actually has the facilities in-store to look at laptops. With Dixons, you simply don't have the space to put in a Mastercare desk and have service staff onsite the whole time. What those stores do with faulty laptops is to simply send them off to PC Services in England to be looked at and repaired.

Its the same in Currys, again due to facilities, staff and company policy, which is something I really can't go into here.

If you want to get your laptop look at, bring it into PC World tomorrow or Monday. They might hmm and haw over it being purchased in Dixons, but at the end of the day, we're all the one company, so they'll have a look at it then and there.

As its over 28 days old, you won't be eligable for refund/replacment, but all repairs in the first year are covered by your warranty.

Like I said, bring it into the store and get it looked at. However, if its not something that's fixable there, they'll probably have to send it to England, in which case you're talking 3-5 weeks.

Jammer

you should have got the cover plan!!! I'm sure someone tried to sell u it in Dixons...and you just didnt listen

Fenster

Coverplan is actually worthwhile as far as laptops go.

You're covered in case of theft, which happens quite frequently, especially amongst college students.

And more importantly, laptops are *very* expensive to repair. If you ever do something like crack your screen you'll get it repaired under coverplan, no quibbles.

Jammer

drop it on the last day of the third year and get a shiney new lappy...well worht the 700 odd extra! not as worthwhile with desktops, but still handy to have!

digitaldr

Thanks for the replies lads. I suppose it's too late to go for the coverplan now?!

Fenster

digitaldr wrote:

Thanks for the replies lads. I suppose it's too late to go for the coverplan now?!

Yeah, you've two weeks I believe. Not to mention it looks dodgy buying coverplan and then coming in the next day with a bollixed laptop.

strat

I got an X05 of PC World about a year ago and the sound died on mine too a few months back. What you describe sounds exactly like what happened to mine. I had invested in the cover plan though. I left it into them, told them not to bother with blasting the hard drive, it definatly wasn't a software issue. After a few weeks of me calling them and them telling me they hadn't haeard any word back from their repair crowd in the UK, I was getting a bit fed up.
After twenty eight days I got a call from them telling me that seen as it had been four weeks I could get a replacement instead of waiting for my own one to come back from the shop. However they stoped selling X05s (I wonder why) but I was lucky because there was one coming in that a customer specifically ordered and I got offered it instead, I jumped at it because none of the other laptops there were anywhere near as light as the X05.
As an added bonus the model I got in the end was the new edition with a 1.5ghz chip over the 1.4 I had. At the start I was dubious about signing up for the cover plan but it has already paid for it self