5-Minute Fixes - Part 2

Stop AutoPlay From Bugging You

2 MINUTES
These days, you're probably plugging all kinds of devices into your PC-thumb drives, cameras, smartphones, and so on-each of which opens a Windows AutoPlay pop-up. This can get annoying, fast.
To disable AutoPlay for an individual device, first plug the device into your computer and allow any drivers to install completely. The AutoPlay window will pop up for the first time. Simply close it by clicking the red X.
Disconnect the device, and then plug it back in. The Auto­Play window will pop up again. Click View more AutoPlay options in Control Panel. At the bottom of the screen, you will see your newly connected device. Change 'Choose a default' to Take no action. Click Save. This option will not be available the first time you connect a device, hence the requirement to plug in, disconnect, and reconnect it.
To turn AutoPlay off for all devices, in the 'View more AutoPlay options' screen, at the top, simply uncheck the box for Use AutoPlqy for all media and devices.

Troubleshoot Audio Problems

5 MINUTES
If your computer abruptly refuses to play sound, try the following simple steps.
.
First, reboot. Then, ensure that the computer isn't muted via hardware. Press any external mute buttons, con­firm that the speakers are turned on, and turn the volume all the way up. Test by playing a song or using the Sound control panel (click the Sounds tab, select Asterisk, and click Test).
.
If that doesn't work, check Windows.
Left-click the volume icon in the system tray and verify that the audio is not muted and is turned up. Right-click the volume icon and click Open Volume Mixer. Ensure that all options are on and turned up.
Internal speakers still not working? Plug headphones into the audio jack and test again. If the headphones work, re­move them to continue troubleshooting the internal speakers.
Next, right-click the volume icon again and choose Playback devices. Confirm that your audio device (likely 'Speakers') has a green checkmark next to it. Click Properties and make sure that 'Use this device (enable)' is selected.
If your sound still doesn't work by this point, you may have a missing or corrupt driver for your audio controller. Uninstall the driver by opening the Device Manager (type device manager at the Start menu search box), going to Sound, video and game controllers, select­ing the audio controller, and pressing the <delete> key. Reboot the system and allow Windows to reinstall the driver, which it should do automatically. If it doesn't, download the driver from your PC maker's site or audio card manufac­turer's site, and reinstall it manually.