Sound not working on Sony Vaio, with Windows XP

My sound isn't working on my laptop. It's a Sony Vaio with Windows XP. I couldn't find any settings off or warning markers in Device Manager or anywhere else. All the default settings appear to be in proper order, but there's simply no sound coming through. I've done scans with Malwarebytes and Microsoft Security Essentials, and nothing has come up. Please help.
--Jake

Hi Onefistgel

This may be really stupid, but it is often the simplest things that get overlooked ! You haven't got the 'Mute' switch on have you ?

I think there is a physical switch for this on the Vaio, above and to the right of the keyboard. Failing that, there is normally a little loudspeaker symbol at the right hand end of the task bar which, if you click on it, will show you the state of the mute switch and volume level. And if that doesn't work, 'Control Panel' - 'Sound'.

Best of luck,

Chris Cosgrove

Thank you, but no. If there is a mysterious mute switch physically built onto the computer, I cannot find it. And the mute under volume control is not engaged.

I finally found my headphones and pulled them out, and it turns out that I can hear through the headphone jack just fine. Hope that brings greater clarity to why it could not be coming out of the laptop's speakers.

Hi Onefistgel.

OK, it's not one of the silly things of life !

This sounds like it is connected with your headphone socket. Most - not all - headphone sockets incorporate a switch that isolates your speakers when you plug in your headphones. This is quite logical - if you want the privacy of headphones, the assumption is that you don't want your speakers blaring at the same time. This switch is usually a simple mechanical switch that breaks the lines to the speakers when you plug the cans in,and if it doesn't 'make' again when you unplug them, you get no speaker output.

You could try squirting a little switch cleaner into you headphone socket and then plugging and unplugging the headphone jack rapidly a few times and then see if this has fixed it. Thst's the only possible solution I can think of short of dismantling the casing to physically get at your headphone socket to see if there is a bit of dirt or something stopping the switch from 'making'. I'm sorry I can't be more precise, as yet I haven't had to go as far as to dismantle my friend's Vaio.

Switch cleaner is highly volatile and doesn't leave a residue.

Best of luck,

Chris Cosgrove