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Asked: 2024-09-26T00:33:12+05:30 In:

I’m experiencing issues with audio on my Lenovo ThinkBook 14s G2 while using Ubuntu 20.04. Can anyone provide guidance on how to resolve this no-sound problem?

I’ve been dealing with this super frustrating audio issue on my Lenovo ThinkBook 14s G2 ever since I switched to Ubuntu 20.04, and I’m really hoping someone out there can help me figure this out. I mean, I’m not a total noob when it comes to tech, but this audio problem has me kind of stumped!

So here’s what’s been happening: I’ll be sitting at my desk, wanting to blast some tunes or watch a video, and suddenly—no sound. Like, none at all. It’s as if my laptop has just decided that sound is no longer part of its life goals. I’ve checked the volume, muted and unmuted to see if that would do the trick, and even tried different applications like VLC and YouTube to see if it’s app-specific, but nothing changes!

I dug into the sound settings and everything seems fine. The output device is correctly set to “Speakers,” and the sound levels are up there. I even tried playing around with the sound settings in the PulseAudio Volume Control, but no luck. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just clicking buttons and hoping for a miracle. I even ran some terminal commands I found online, but still, nothing seems to work.

Oh, and here’s a weird thing: when I plug in headphones, I can hear sound just fine. But as soon as I disconnect them, it’s back to silence. It’s like my laptop is playing favorites or something!

I’ve looked around on forums and Reddit, but a lot of the advice I’ve come across just doesn’t seem to fit my specific situation. Some people suggest reinstalling ALSA, while others mention kernel issues, but I honestly don’t want to mess around with the system too much and potentially make it worse.

If anyone has experienced similar problems or has any ideas on what I can do to get the audio working through the speakers without relying on headphones, I’d really appreciate it! Thanks a million in advance!

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    2 Answers

    1. Sounds like you’re in a real pickle with your audio issues on the ThinkBook! I totally get how frustrating that can be. Here are some things you might want to try that could help sort it out:

      1. Check alsamixer settings

      Open a terminal and type this:

      alsamixer

      Once you’re in there, make sure that the “Master” and “Speaker” channels are turned up and not muted (look for “MM” and “00”; if you see “MM,” just press M to unmute).

      2. Reload ALSA

      Sometimes a quick restart of the sound system can work wonders. Run the following commands:

      sudo alsa force-reload

      3. PulseAudio Configuration

      If you’re using PulseAudio, try restarting it. In the terminal, type:

      pulseaudio -k

      This kills the PulseAudio process, and it will restart automatically when you play some sound again.

      4. Check for Updates

      Run a system update and check for any available updates for your audio drivers:

      sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

      5. Look for Device Settings

      Sometimes, the system just needs a little nudge to recognize the built-in speakers. Go to Settings > Sound and see if changing the output device back and forth between speakers and headphones helps.

      6. Configuring PulseAudio

      If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you can check the configuration files:

      cd ~/.config/pulse && ls

      And look for any files like default.pa that might need editing.

      7. Last Resort

      If all else fails, consider trying to reinstall ALSA or PulseAudio, but make sure you back up your settings:

      sudo apt remove --purge alsa-base pulseaudio
sudo apt install alsa-base pulseaudio

      Just remember to reboot your system after changes. Hopefully, one of these tips will get your audio booming again! Good luck!

    2. This audio issue on your Lenovo ThinkBook 14s G2 running Ubuntu 20.04 sounds quite perplexing, especially considering that sound works perfectly fine through headphones. Since you’ve already checked your audio settings and everything seems to be configured correctly, one possible culprit could be the PulseAudio server, which may not be detecting your laptop’s speakers properly. You might want to restart PulseAudio by opening a terminal and running the command pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio --start. This action will terminate and then restart the PulseAudio server, which can sometimes resolve detection issues with audio output devices. Additionally, ensure you have the latest updates installed for Ubuntu, as they may contain important fixes for hardware compatibility.

      If the problem persists, consider exploring the ALSA mixer for any muted channels that might not be visible in your regular sound settings. Open a terminal and type alsamixer to launch the mixer interface. Use the arrow keys to navigate and see if there are any channels muted (marked with “MM”) that should be unmuted (marked with “OO”). In some cases, manual adjustments here can push the sound output to the speakers. If none of these steps yield results, as a last resort, a thorough investigation into the kernel’s audio modules might be appropriate. However, proceed with caution—back up your current settings and configurations before making any substantial changes to your system.

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