I chuckled when you said the speakers won't work if they aren't turned on...my husband will click, click, click without reading and then say my computer isn't working right, will you fix it for me. I always try (most times I succeed) but I will only work on it when he is not in the house because it is usually something silly he has done and I want him to keep thinking I am smart about these things. When he had no sound, it was because he hit the mute button. This man has an MBA and can do amazing things with our money, is a VP of an International Engineering firm, can do just about anything with spread sheet but he always looks for the worst possible reason why the computer isn't working.