Turned on MacBooPro (mid 2009 running OS X 10.8.5) and was surprised to find no sound coming from built-in speakers. Had sound cominf from the internal speakers in the past, but now there is none. Checked System Preferences/Sound/Output and find there is no option present for using internal speakers. What happened? What to do to get sound back?
OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), iMac, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air
1.Plug in and remove the headphone.
If you see red light in the headphone port, plug the headphone
in and out of the port 5 or 6 times to flip the microswitch inside.
Sound output may be stuck in the digital mode.
2. Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
3. Reset SMC. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Choose the method for:
"Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
4. Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
Audio Devices window
Side Bar
Click the Built-in Output.
Under Mute any of the boxes checked? If so, uncheck it.
Looks good, Dominic23. I followewd your Step 1. and plugged the headphones in and pulled them out 6 times in a row and the sound came back on through the internal speakers. Also, the "internal speakers" abd "built-in" listings in System Preferences/Sopund/Output have reappeared.
I did not go on to Steps 2 and 3, but did check Step 4 and found the settings to be as you recommended (no boxes muted).
Residual questions:
1) Should Steps 2 and 3 be taken now that the Sound function is listed and operating properly?
2) What caused the Sound "malfunction" and turn off?
Thank you.
Glad to hear that internal speakers are working again.
No need to proceed with other steps now.
There is a microswitch inside the headphone port flipping between
internal speakers and headphone analog/digital modes.
Sometimes the switch gets stuck with headphone.
Inserting and removing the headphone releases the switch from the stuck position.
Best.
Hi,
I had the same problem, My internal speakers were not showing in system preferences, but when you turn on the MacBook pro, you hear the gong, so I know my speakers was working ok
so I used compressed Air in the jack port...Nothing
tried to clean the jack port...Nothing
Poked things in the jack port...Nothing
reset the VRAM...Nothing
so I thought outside the box, So I squirted some good old WD40 into the jack port (the Macbook Pro was switched off) then I pushed in and out a 3.5" jack in the port a couple of times and then left the Macbook Pro powered off for about 40 mins, then when I powered the Macbook Pro back on
BINGO, my internal speakers are now working OK....YIPPEE
So I am guessing that the WD40 freed the stuck switch in the jack port.
Thanks dominic23 - really helpful!
I just had this happen to my macbook. I followed all of the steps and it worked after the SMC reset.
Thank you.
Internal speaker option missing from System Preferences
