Q I have a Toshiba Satellite M35X-S349 laptop that has no sound either through the PC speakers or exterior speakers. I had the laptop looked at, but the repair person was not able to pinpoint the problem. Do you have any suggestions? I am considering junking it for a new one.
PAT AUGHE, CANNON FALLS
A You're at a point where you don't want to spend too much getting your PC fixed, because it's technologically outdated and a new Toshiba laptop can be purchased for $600.
But if you want to give fixing it another try, read about a potential software solution at www.laptops-drivers.com/toshiba-drivers/how-to-fix-sound-error-on-satellite-m35x.html.
If the problem is the PC's sound board, you can buy a replacement online for about $30. There's an illustrated website on how to remove the old sound board at www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaM35X/satM35X_1.htm.
However, it may make more sense to junk the laptop than to fix it. A new Toshiba laptop will have a faster processor, six times more RAM and three times more hard disk capacity than your current PC. New software will be written to take advantage of the improved processor and memory features, and that can cause the same software to run more slowly on older PCs.
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