Optical drive and sound

[Giraffe]

About 18 months ago I built a new PC and fitted a DVD/CD drive that had a sound output.
Early this year I built a similar box for a friend and fitted an optical drive that was similar to mine, only to find out that it had no sound connection! It was (or as close as i can get after 10 months)

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Samsu...SATA-Black-OEM

Now, how is it possible to tell if there is sound (seems daft having a CD/DVD player with no sound)? Scan's site doesn't mention it and it's not on a couple of other suppliers' sites that I've looked at.
Trying to find out from the manufacturer is slow, laborious and, given the minor variations, not necessarily accurate.

[kmac]

SATA drives don't have a separate audio cable to motherboard as older optical drives did.

Check that you have the drivers for your audio card or on-motherboard sound.

[t4ct1c47]

Any audio data can just as easily be sent along the IDE, or SATA cable so there is no need for the seperate audio cable. Infact, In the past 10 years I've never connected an audio cable to any optical drive I've owned.

[Giraffe]

SATA drives don't have a separate audio cable to motherboard as older optical drives did.

Check that you have the drivers for your audio card or on-motherboard sound.

OK, thanks, I didn't know that.

The sound is integrated and I loaded all of the drivers for the mobo; I don't know how to enable the sound via SATA and the PC is 60 miles away Any tips, please, as to how to do this (the chap knows nowt about computers, so it'll be quite difficult via 'phone).

[kmac]

Okay if the audio drives are loaded, then just to check the basics I assume your mate has plugged in some speakers or headphones as sound tends not to work without those.

And if he has plugged said items in - check in Control Panel, Sound and Audio Devices and ensure that non are set to "mute" and volume levels are non-zero ("volume" tab in Win XP)

[Giraffe]

There are speakers in the monitor - his internet radio is OK.

Good point about the volume controls - mine sometimes zeros Wave 'all by itself', so I'll ask him (this is going to be hard work by remote control, I just know it!).