• Please explain why, after reinstalling Windows 7, I have a Realtek sound card, I installed the sound drivers from the motherboard CD, the Realtek manager is installed and there is sound in the operating system. But I connect the headphones to the front panel and there is no sound, there was sound before reinstalling the operating system. George.
• Letter No. 2 Answer this question, I recently reset my BIOS to default (default) and now I have front soundbar does not work, on the network they say it is necessary to install the Realtek dispatcher, but I have never had one, so the matter is in something else, probably in the BIOS settings. Anton.
• Letter No. 3 Why do I have no sound from headphones in Windows 7 when connecting them to the front panel? Sound card Realtek. On one of the forums on the Internet, I was advised to go to the Playback Devices and just turn on the headphones, but I can't, since it says on them High Definition Audio device Not connected and if you click on them with the right mouse, then such a menu will come out and as you can see they can be Disabled, not Enabled. I also read on one site that you need to go through Start-> Control Panel-> Sound - on tabs Playback or Record select the correct device and click Default, but it doesn't help either. Christina.

Front soundbar does not work

This article, friends, is suitable for both the Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows XP operating systems, if there is a difference, I will definitely show you where.
Answer to the first question. Let's deal with the non-working front soundbar, firstly, in most cases, for it to work, you must have the Realtek manager installed. If you have it installed, then its icon should be on the taskbar,

if it is not there, go to Start - Control Panel- Realtek dispatcher. On Windows 7

if it is not there too, try to find it in the folder

C: \ Program Files \ Realtek \ Audio \ HDA RtHDVCpl.exe file and run it, you should see the main Realtek manager window, if you do not have a Realtek folder in the C: \ Program Files folder, then you need to download the updated driver version for your sound card on the Realtek website and install it as to do this, it is written in detail in our article.
When you start Realtek Manager in Windows 7, click the Speakers button, then click on the yellow folder in the upper right corner and a window appears Connector parameters,

we see a warning If front panel slot detection does not work as expected, check the box next to Disable front panel slot detection., put a tick on this item and click OK.

After these steps, the front soundbar should work.
In Windows XP, Realtek Manager looks slightly different, but the essence is the same. Left-click on the button with a wrench

and in the window that appears, tick the parameter Disable front panel slot detection and ok,

the front soundbar should work.

We can also press the button Additional settings devices in this window and adjust everything as we need, for example, mark the item -. This means that when headphones are connected to the front soundbar, the speakers connected to the back of the motherboard will be disabled immediately.

On Windows 7

Now I answer the second letter. There are friends that the drivers are installed on the sound card and the sound is present in the system, but the front sound bar does not work, there are usually two reasons for this.

Firstly: your front soundbar works according to the slightly outdated AC "97 standard and the cable coming from it is connected to the connector on the AAFP motherboard analog audio front panel ( specially designed for connecting the front panel audio connectors).

• Note: AC'97 is an outdated standard audio codec, a veteran one can say, it was developed by Intel in 1997, it is used in motherboards, as well as cases with front panel audio solution. But the sound subsystem built into your motherboard works according to a newer standard - High Definition Audio or HD Audio, this may cause the front soundbar to not work... Intel High Definition Audio is a relatively new specification for audio codecs developed by Intel in 2004, featuring improved digital audio quality, more channels, and a higher bandwidth than AC "97.

You can solve this problem using the BIOS, it is there that you can set the principle of operation of the front sound panel. There are usually two options: default HD Audio and more.
Reboot and enter the BIOS. Go to Advanced, then Onboard Devices Configuration

and finally, the option responsible for the Front Panel Type soundbar, it can also be called like this:
Front Panel Support Type, High Definition Front Panel Audio, Legacy Front Panel Audio, it is set to HD Audio by default,

move it to the position, save the changed settings and exit the BIOS. After rebooting, the front soundbar should work.

Also, if your front panel works in HD Audio, then in the BIOS you need to switch it from position to HD Audio position. Experiment anyway.
Friends, if you connect the front soundbar AC "97 to the AAFP connector on the motherboard of the High Definition Audio specification,

Then everything will work fine for you, only in some cases, when you connect headphones to the front soundbar, in speakers the sound will not be muted, even if you disable in the settings of the Realtek manager item Mute the rear output when connecting the front output headphone.

All this is due to the fact that the manufacturers of the front sound panel use a simplified wiring diagram for the cable and the front panel outputs of the AC97.
There are two exits, the first is to solder (not so easy), the second is to buy a new case, with support for the front HD Audio soundbar, and if you purchase a new computer, check with the seller, do not be surprised if, when buying a new system unit in a non-specialized supermarket, face the complete ignorance of the consultants in this matter.
Well, and the last thing to check if the front soundbar does not work for you is whether it is connected to the motherboard with a cable, sometimes it is simply forgotten to connect it when assembling the computer, as in this screenshot.

We forgot to connect the AC "97 front soundbar cable to the AAFP analog audio front panel connector on the motherboard.

Well, and to Christina from the third letter, we installed a new version of the driver from the official website and set up the front soundbar in the Realtek manager, everything is written in our article How to install a sound driver in detail.

The power supply is an integral part of any personal computer. Thanks to the block, electricity is sent to the motherboard, central processor and any other peripherals.

When installing this unit in no case do not connect it to the power supply.

To connect, you need a cable with connector 24pin however, older models use 20+4 pin... This connector is always included with your power supply and does not need to be purchased separately.

Standard 24 pin connector

Connector 20 + 4 pin

This cable has a small retainer on one side, which allows the connector to be correctly positioned when connected to the motherboard.

When connecting the module it does not follow use great force so as not to damage any of the devices. However, it is necessary to achieve a snug fit into the socket on the board, as well as make sure that the latch clicks and is securely fastened.

Fixed 24 pin connector

Thus, we have interconnected the two main devices, which will allow us to supply power to the motherboard.

Next, you need to supply power to central processing unit... Responsible for this function 4 pinconnector... For more powerful processors, use 8 pinconnector.

Standard 4 pin connector

8 pin connector for more powerful processors

Connecting this module similarly the contact stubs mentioned above. You need to plug the connector into the jack until you click a retainer that provides a snug fit to the cable.

Thus, we have installed the power supply not only to the motherboard, but also to the central processor.

We connect the front connectors

Standard system units usually have buttons nutrition and reboots personal computer, as well as indicators(light bulbs). Them connection to the motherboard is carried out through 1-2 pins connectors that need to be connected correctly. These cables contain hints, in the form of inscriptions that allow you to understand what each of the connectors is responsible for. To connect them, you need to find a special panel on the motherboard ( F— panel) and connect the loops, placing them correctly.

F-panel

Pins responsible for the front connectors of the system unit

• Power SW responsible for the power button of your personal computer
• Reset SW for the reset button
• Power LED- these are the power indicator cables (lights that come on when the computer is turned on)
• D.D.LED- hard drive load indicator cable

When installing these cables, you must adhere to strict order... Each pin should be connected so that the inscription looks up... The location of their connection is often indicated in the prompts near the F-panel on the motherboard itself. However, for convenience, it is recommended to use following scheme.

Connector layout

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the connectors Power LED divided into two 1 pin cables and subdivided into "+" and "-". It is necessary to arrange these pins so that as indicated in the diagram.

With the standard arrangement of the F-panel, the result should look like this:

The final result

However, this is not the end of the process.

Often, the front panel of the system unit also contains interface connectorsUSB and ports 3.5mm for connecting audio devices and a microphone.

USB and 3.5mm connectors

These cables also contain hints, and it is quite difficult to make a mistake, because on the motherboard are also present signatures near the jacks required for connection.

Pins responsible for 3.5 mm connectors

Pin responsible for the USB connector

Connection sockets

How to connect video cards

Before installing this device, you need to determine in which port it should be installed.

Video card connectors are three types:

• Standard AGP(Deprecated and no longer used in modern models)
• Standard PCI(Used by previous generation cards)
• Standard PCI— Express(Used by modern graphics cards)

Because standard AGP is already outdated, we will consider only connectors PCI and PCI— Express.

PCI-Express slot

AGP connector

It should be noted that connecting a video card with an AGP connector to a PCI-Express slot and vice versa - impossible... These standards differ not only in size, but also in cut.

Comparison of AGP and PCI-Express standards

Having dealt with the type of port to which you need to connect the video card, you can proceed with the installation.

First you need remove the plug from the back of your system unit. This can be done by unscrewing the mounting screw.

Plugs

After the plugs have been removed, you need to carefully insert video card in the port you defined earlier. It is not necessary to apply force to the connection, the card fits into the slot very easily, and a latch will help to make sure it is correctly and tightly installed. click... Also, when connecting, the interface panel of the video card should go to the rear panel of your case - to the place where the plugs were previously.

Installing a video card into the slot

After the video card is firmly inserted into the connector, and the latch is fully latched, it is necessary fix her bolts that remained from the removed plug. It happens this way:

Fixing the video card with bolts

Make sure the card is securely attached and does not stagger in the nest.

After that, you need to navigate to this device power supply.

Graphics card power connectors

Power supply of the video card

The power cords of the video card are included in the complete set on expensive models. On cheaper, such a cable not included... Therefore, you will need to check if there is such a connector on power supply.

Module needed connect into the power socket on the graphics card. This is done in the same way as connecting the power connectors of the motherboard and the central processor.

The connection is made close to the moment click retainer. The other end of the cable is routed to the power supply.

Connecting a sound card

Installing an internal sound card is very similar to video card connection... The only difference is ports followed by connect this device.

It will be difficult to connect a sound card to the wrong port, and more likely even impossible... Length of PCI and PCI-Express x1 slots dramatically differs.

It is also necessary to remove stub from the back of the system unit, then carefully insert the sound card into the desired port. Most motherboards do not have a retainer on these connectors, so there will be no click when firmly connected.

After the actions taken, you need fix the sound card with the mounting bolt remaining after the removed plug. It is recommended that you make sure the sound card is securely connected and does not wobble in the slot.

Additional power supply is not required (except for professional models).

Connecting a floppy drive

Before installing this unit, you must define the type connections.

The disk drive must be placed in a specially designated place inside the system unit. This is the upper front part of the body as standard.

Connecting a floppy drive with an IDE interface type

After installing the drive inside the case, you need to to plug to it a power cable and a data cable.

Data loop

Drive power cable

The power cable is connected in the same way as the power connectors of the CPU and video card.

Plume data must be inserted carefully, without using force, into the slot on the back of the drive.

Connecting a data cable to a floppy drive

The other end of the loop must be connected to one of the channels IDE controller on the board.

Location of IDE controllers

• The number 1 in the figure shows IDEcontroller, which can accommodate two devices with jumpers Master and Slave.
• Under the number 2, the IDE controller can also include two devices... In Master mode, this is the Master jumper, and in Slave mode, this is Slave.
• Number 3 - controller floppy drive.

To select the required jumper (Master or Slave), you need to inspect the drive case. The jumper position is indicated there.

Left fix drive to the system unit with 4 screws that are included in the package.

Connecting a SATA Type Drive

Installing a SATA drive (used by modern devices) identical installing a floppy drive with an IDE type. The difference lies in the connector that needs to be connected to the floppy drive and the motherboard.

SATA cable

SATA ports

It is worth noting that the power connector of modern drives is different from the power cable mentioned earlier. Below is a photo of the connection SATA-cable and a new power cable to the drive.

Left - power cable, right - SATA

It also happens that the drive has an old power connector, but it uses the SATA interface type. Such drives are used very rarely, but they exist.

All that remains is anchor drive in the housing with 4 bolts and check if it is securely fixed.

How do I connect the front panel?

Assembling a modern personal computer at home is a fairly simple process that anyone can handle. You must purchase all the components of the device, such as the motherboard, hard drive and disk drives, processor and RAM, as well as the power supply and chassis.

Most new desktop PC cases have a front panel that is equipped with a variety of interfaces to make it easy to connect to peripherals. Thanks to it, you do not have to climb under the table or pull out the system unit to insert a USB flash drive, headphones or an additional microphone into it.

How to connect the front panel of the system unit?

Typically, the front panel of the PC is equipped with:

• USB connectors;
• Audio connectors;
• HDMI output for connecting a TV or additional monitor;
• Power indicator;
• Hard disk or system bus load indicator;
• Reset and power up buttons.

In addition, various auxiliary elements can be displayed on the front panel, such as a quick mute button or a volume control.

The process of installing the front panel to the case:

1. Install the block with functional elements on the front panel of the case. To do this, insert it into the corresponding hole on the panel until it clicks (if the case was disassembled).
2. Bundle the wires from the front panel with plastic harnesses;
3. Route the entire harness through the hole in the bottom of the chassis (front).
4. Apply the panel evenly to the body and press it until it clicks (some panels need to be screwed on).

Now you should connect all the wires to the computer, it will not take much time, but you will need instructions from the motherboard, on which the pinout (purpose of the contacts) of the connectors will be indicated. Typically, the connector for these pins is marked on the motherboard itself as "F-Panel". The bases of the contacts are often painted in the color of the wires that are connected to them.

Connecting indicators and buttons to the front panel of the PC:

• Find the wire on the connector which says "Power SW" - it is responsible for the power button. It must be connected to two pins ("PW +" and "PW-") located on the lower right side of the motherboard (all other connectors for the front panel are located here as well).
• Two separate wires "Power LED +" and "Power LED -" are also connected in the lower right corner of the main board to special pins (small metal pins). They are responsible for the operation of the power indicator, which glows after pressing the power button.
• The two-pin "HDD LED" connector is responsible for connecting a light indicator of the load on the hard disk. It connects to the corresponding pins on the board.
• The "RESET SW" connector is also connected to two pins at once. He is responsible for the quick reset button.

Next, you can proceed to connecting USB ports and audio output. Their pins can also be found in the lower right corner of the motherboard, they are designated as "F-USB1", "F-USB2" and "FP-AUDIO". The connectors that are connected to them have a rectangular shape and are equipped with appropriate inscriptions. When connecting them, there should be no problems, since they have unique dimensions that do not coincide with the rest of the interfaces.

Connecting additional elements of the front panel

In addition to the components already described, many other different devices can be connected to the motherboard, which are integrated into the front panel.

Signal speaker connection:

• Install the speaker to the front panel;
• Connect the 2-pin connector to the "SPEAKER" output on the motherboard.

Connecting an additional HDMI output:

• First you need to check in the instructions if your video card supports HDMI;
• If the video card is equipped with this output, you need to purchase a special cable, it has a length of about 40 centimeters and 2 connectors: one for output to the front panel, and the other for connecting to a video card;
• Now you need to fix the connector on the front panel;
• After that, run the cable inside the case and connect it to the video card.

It should be noted that the front panel can also include a connector for connecting standard hard drives (SATA).

All of these parts can be plugged into the same location on the motherboard. It will not be difficult to find it - look, on the motherboard, in the lower right corner, a row of small slots signed with the word PANEL(or others similar). Most often, everything is signed on the board, where and which connector should be connected. The following figure, for clarity, shows and signs how all the elements are connected. This is done in the same way on any other computer.

Everything is quite simple and rarely causes any difficulties. Just see how it is shown in the figure and repeat by analogy with yourself.

The USB ports on the front of the computer connect to the type of connectors shown in the following illustration. Usually, they look the same everywhere. The main task will be to connect to such a slot the connector coming from the board with ports on the front panel. Here, errors and difficulties in connection should not arise any more. All connectors are located in such a way that they can only be connected in one position, and usually everything is signed there.

As a rule, you can connect everything to any connector you like. But recently, connectors have also begun to be encountered. USB 3.0... Therefore, in order not to get confused and not to choose at random, it is better to try to find the instructions for the motherboard and familiarize yourself with the connection diagram.

As with the USB ports, similar connectors are used here (although the pins will be positioned slightly differently). They should be signed something like this: AUDIO, HD_AUDIO or AC97... They can often be found near the audio chip.

As always, for the correct connection, carefully look at the labels both on the connectors themselves and on the connectors - they should roughly match. But usually, manufacturers anticipate the possibility of an incorrect connection and do everything in such a way that it can only be connected correctly and nothing else.

If, after connecting, they are not detected on the computer and do not work, then in addition to the correct connection, you must make sure that the sound settings in Windows are correct. This is described in more detail in the article at the link above.

Finally

The front panel can accommodate many other elements. Cooling coolers can be found most often. They also connect to the motherboard and these connectors are signed something like (or something like that).

In addition, there may be completely non-standard additions, for example, regulators of the intensity of the cooling system. In such cases, it is better to refer to the instructions of this system unit.

The peculiarity of the front panel is that this element of the system unit is not connected with other system components. What are the consequences of this? If you manually disconnect the element for its subsequent cleaning, replace the motherboard yourself, then you will have to connect the front panel to it yourself in the future. How to do this is difficult for most users. That is why we consider it important for readers to step by step disassemble the connection of the front panel to the motherboard. We pass to the first stage of action.

Step # 1: ribbon and plugs

How is the front panel connected to the motherboard? First of all, on it (panel), you should find a loop with 4-6 multi-colored plugs - their number depends on the specific model of the device. Item names and colors may also vary slightly.

All of the above is not a problem if you have instructions for the motherboard in front of you. The document will help you connect the plugs quickly and accurately. If you have not preserved the instructions, then we suggest that you figure out the colors, name and purpose of these elements below.

Step # 2: assigning plugs

We continue to disassemble the connection to the motherboard of the front panel. Consider the plugs:

• POWERSW, PWRBTN. This element will activate your actions with the on / off key on the case of the system unit.
• H.D.D.LED, HDLED. The same light that blinks when the hard drive is functioning.
• POWERLED + and -, PLED. A light that comes on next to the activation and deactivation button of the system. Accordingly, it lights up when the system is running. Some models have a separate plug.
• RESTARTSW, RESET. An element that will activate the restart key of a personal computer.
• SPEAKER. This is a small speaker that emits a beep when your computer is not working properly.

It should be noted that many, even experienced users, when connecting the front panel to the motherboard, often ignore the last plug. And in vain. This sound effect alerts the user to important faults:

• Incorrect connection of one of the motherboard plugs.
• Connecting any of the plugs to the wrong socket.
• Critical motherboard related issues.
• Monitoring the general state of the system.

Step # 3: The Ultimate Guide to Action

The plug names may differ depending on the motherboard model. However, this is not a strong discrepancy: for example, instead of RESTARTSW, the manufacturer indicates RES, and POWERSW is often replaced by a shorter PW. Even so, by comparing the first letters of the names, you can logically recognize "who is who."

Let's also pay attention to the color coloring of the elements when the front panel is connected to the computer motherboard. Identical cables and jacks are often marked with the same color by the manufacturer. But we still recommend that you first pay attention to the names, and only then compare the colors.

Step # 4: plugging into the socket

And then about connecting the front panel to the computer motherboard. All of the above plugs are connected to one large socket, which you will see on the "motherboard". Its "official name" is FRONTPANEL or F_PANEL. Usually located at the edge of a component.

The connectors on the socket are marked with multi-colored areas - according to the shade of the connected cables for the convenience of the user. How do I connect the wires to them with the correct side? Take a look at the plug itself. If it lacks one contact (the iron "spoke" is visible), then this part is connected to a suitable connector on the motherboard.

Often, the side mounts also help in orientation (they are observed both on the plugs themselves and on the connectors). They, accordingly, must be on the same side. In addition, when connecting the front panel to the masters, they are guided by the shade of the connectors, shiny contacts, as visual clues. The plugs will be connected with the inscription "towards themselves" in the direction of the inscriptions applied to the motherboard itself.

If none of the above is present, then the plug is connected to the jack by either side. However, in this process, it is worth abandoning the use of brute physical force. Actions are performed smoothly and accurately. If a small effort is not enough when connecting the front panel wires to the motherboard, then there is only one output. Exactly - you are connecting unsuitable connectors and plugs.

Step # 5: help with supporting documentation

You are connecting the front panel connectors to the motherboard. What else can you rely on when carrying out work?

Often, under the colored connectors on the "motherboard", places are signed or schematically indicated where the plugs should be connected. Here's an example: the plug responsible for turning on the computer (its name is POWERSW) must be connected to a red socket on the motherboard. Let's say the top, the second on the left side. It will be definitively signed: PW. According to this scheme, the master also connects all other wires.

Pay attention also to the accompanying documentation for the motherboard. In particular, the user manual. Often, a detailed diagram is placed in the document, according to which it is easy to connect the front panel buttons to the motherboard. Often, the images are so detailed that the manufacturer even marks the decoding of the purpose of a particular plug.

Step # 6: connect the USB plugs

Today, most of the front panels of system units are equipped with USB connectors for the convenience of users. Connecting them is a little different and even somewhat simpler.

Let's define the names of the connectors for this type of plug:

• USB1 or USB2.
• F_USB1 or F_USB2.
• All jacks suitable for connecting the plug are labeled the same - USB.

Step # 7: USB 3.0 connection features

When connecting the front panel to the Asus motherboard, it is important to know the following: all USB sockets are identical, so it makes no difference where you connect this or that plug.

An exception will be a faster (than standard 2.0) USB 3.0 interface. If there is a similar plug on the front panel of your system unit, then you need to connect it to the corresponding "high-speed" socket on the motherboard. Most often it is easy to find it - it has a similar name. For example, USB 3.0. Sometimes something similar can be spelled out: F_USB30.

Here the reader may have a question. What happens if you connect the 3.0 plug to the standard 2.0? Later, the connected device will work properly - charging from a computer or synchronizing data. The difference is visible only in the "speed" of information transfer - data exchange will be carried out at standard, and not at high speed. By the way, this feature of USB connectors helps to connect 3.0 plugs to the motherboard, even if there are no separate connectors for them.

Step # 8: connect the audio output

We are already moving on to the final stage of connection. This is the connection of the audio output plugs - speaker and / or headphone. The process is similar to the above: you decide on the name, color of the cable of the plugs, then look for a suitable connector on the socket of the motherboard, based on its shade, name, schematic image in the instructions.

How do I locate the audio output jack? It can be distinguished by the following name:

• AUDIO.
• A_AUDIO.
• AAFP.

Step # 9: troubleshoot audio output connections

And an important point that many users note. If you have correctly connected the required ports, the sound may still not appear. The problem lies in the wrong BIOS menu settings. We proceed as follows:

1. Reboot your computer.
2. Using the required key when starting the system (each model has its own - find out its name in the user manual) go to the BIOS menu.
3. Here you should check both the state of the front panel itself and its specified characteristics. Common problem: When you plug in the HDAUDIO plug, the system will recognize it as AC 97. Because of this, there is no sound.
4. How do I resolve the problem? It's simple: change the incorrectly selected driver in the BIOS settings to the one that corresponds to the device connected to the front panel connector.

The video that we have placed below illustrates all the steps described above. It is worth noting that the standard instructions are suitable for motherboards of all manufacturers common today. The only difference is in the spelling of the names, the color scheme, and the peculiarities of the location of the nests.

You have made sure that it is possible to connect the front panel of the system unit to the motherboard yourself. The main difficulty: to figure out how to correctly correlate the plugs and their corresponding connectors on the "motherboard".