Sound ICON missing in Menu Bar and No Sound other than Start-up

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the forum.

You should have an application in the Utilities folder called Audio Midi Setup. It may need to be configured for how you want your computer to output sound. Once the app is launched, of the two radio buttons at the top of the window, select 'Audio Devices'. As far as I can discern the input and output radio buttons should all be displaying 'Built-in Audio'. You may need to click on 'Configure Speakers' and follow the logic. The audio input button gives you a choice between internal microphone or line in. Choose what you need. The audio ouput should be line out. Set the sample and bit rate according to what you need; adjust the volume(s) and you should now have sound.

Hope this helps you,

Paul

Message was edited by: PaulMN

One other thing I forgot to mention; in System Preferences, select sound and you can add the volume control to the menu bar by checking the command at the bottom of the window.

No sound? iTunes won’t play? I first noticed that the sound icon is missing from the right side of my menu bar--mine showed a blank space where the sound icon used to be. Go to System Preferences and open SOUND. If the mute is checked, uncheck it. If it is greyed out and says that the iMac isn’t able to recognize its internal sound input or output devices, you may need to reset your system. I just fixed mine within the hour-yippee!!!

In the event the system needs to be reset--
1. First, log out and shut down system.

2. Unplug all peripherals and power cord and wait at least 15 seconds.

3. Plug in the power cord only, and turn power on.

4. Once on, plug in the keyboard & mouse. When you are back to your login screen or desktop, PREPARE to restart. WHEN THE TIME COMES, you will need to hold down the specific keys to reset in a timely manner. The keys are Control (the Apple icon), Option, and the letters “p” and “r”, and you hold down these four keys simultaneously.

5. Restart your computer and IMMEDIATELY following the startup chime, HOLD DOWN the four keys.

6. Once you hear the chime again, you may let the keys go. Hopefully, you’ll have your system’s sound restored.

Good luck!
Tina HB

OK...I seem to have found a helpful solution after thoroughly searching Google. Someone on another forum suggested restarting the computer and as soon as you hear the startup sound, press and hold OptionCommand+PR. I did this and heard the startup sound a couple of times before I let go of the keys and when the computer restarted my sound was back. Yay!

wow. This JUST happened to me and I had no idea what had happened.

same deal. audio start up sound, but then no icon and a banned symbol over the audio symbol when I tried to turn the vol. up or down.

the command option p & r worked like a charm.

easy to find solution to a very quickly frustrting problem. thanks!

Hi!

What Baby Boomer is referring to is not the same problem. I also have this problem with my iMac G5. No speaker symbol, no sound driver, after the startup sound it's like there isn't even a sound card installed. Opening GarageBand or the Audio-MIDI-Setup won't work because there is nothing to adjust.

And if it were set to MUTE there would be a speaker symbol, but there is none.

Resetting PRAM occasionally resolves this issue on my iMac but it seems to return after a few start-ups. Maybe we should compare the installed software?

thanks for your help. i'd tried everything else, but hadn't gotten around to resetting the PRAM.

Have you tried the fix in [this|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300832] Apple article?

lukerays



System Preferences>Sound
Click on the following buttons: Sound Effects, Output, Input

In each window at the very bottom, make sure Show volume in menu bar is checked/enabled.

Repair permissions & restart your computer.

Did you check System Preferences>Sound to make sure Mute is not checked/disabled?

Another Trick/Tip: Open up GarageBand if installed then, open a program (optional).
Quit out of the GarageBand app.

Hello,

This happens to me fairly often (twice a month maybe), I have to reset the PRAM everytime. It's completely random, and I don't remember this happening under Tiger...I think it started when I upgraded to Leopard. Smells like a glitch to me.

Hi Henning!

If your signature showing "iMac CoreDuo 20" is correct then you don't have G5 iMac.

I would suggest you start your own thread in the Intel imac forum:

http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=189

I was about to post a request for help with this problem, but I tried BobaFettFiend's solution. It worked for me. One difference: I heard no startup sound. But I held down the keys and the startup light remained on. When I released the keys, the startup routine continued; when the restart was completed, sound had returned. Thanks!

Sound icon missing in menu bar. Can get on restart. But dislike having to restart to obtain sound. Running 10.5.2. New experience with Leopard. Have 3d party keyboard: F4 and F5 do not affect sound on-off feature.

Hi~

I'm having the same problem. I hear the sound at start up but then dead silence. I tried the Command Option+RP and it didn't work. I did the MIDI Devices and under Audio Output it says "Output is not supported." Help. I'm not sure I can live without my iTunes.

Sorry, forgot to change that!

I also have an iMac G5 and my post here belongs to the G5!

Henning