Lost all sound output

[earlywirgit]

Recently made the mistake of installing Mojave, not realizing it was still in beta. Had sound output as I always have for music and videos. I then plugged the ear pods into the 'Line In' port. I never got them to work, probably because they are not powered (amplified). Now the problem starts. I unplugged the ear pods from the Line In port. Now I have no sound from my external speakers which were operating just fine before. I looked at 'Sound' in System Preferences and I have two choices for output device: 1) Headphones, with the Type being 'Headphone' port, and 2) Acer H236HL, with the type being HDMI. My external speakers are plugged in the 'Line Out' port

Of those 2 choices, I have it on headphones (no HDMI devices connected to my Mac mini (late 2012). The 'Mute' box is not checked, and 'Output volume' is sufficiently high. I checked the external speaker input voltage (after the transformer), and it is 12 VDC.

I will appreciate help that any of you can offer.

 

[earlywirgit]

Addendum to my note: I plugged ear pods into the external speaker. Still no output. Somehow the external speakers are not being recognized by the system.

 

[earlywirgit]

2nd addendum: I just restarted the machine, and the problem is resolved. Just one more way Mojave is slapping me around for not paying better attention. I didn't know it would get this bad at 70-years old.

 

[honestone]

Recently made the mistake of installing Mojave, not realizing it was still in beta..

It seems you downloaded and installed OS 10.14.1, which is still in beta testing.

 

[earlywirgit]

It seems you downloaded and installed OS 10.14.1, which is still in beta testing.

 

[earlywirgit]

'About this Mac' shows 10.14, not 10.14.1

 

[honestone]

'About this Mac' shows 10.14, not 10.14.1

OK, but your first post stated "Recently made the mistake of installing Mojave, not realizing it was still in beta.". Hence, you must have downloaded and installed OS 10.14 prior to September 24th, as that is when OS 10.14 was released. Is that true?

Also, it is best to stay away from betas of software, unless you are experienced and properly prepared to use it.

 

[earlywirgit]

OK, but your first post stated "Recently made the mistake of installing Mojave, not realizing it was still in beta.". Hence, you must have downloaded and installed OS 10.14 prior to September 24th, as that is when OS 10.14 was released. Is that true?

I guess my statement was misleading. I'm guessing I installed 10.14 about a week or two ago. I can't figure this out. I have the problem of having to unplug the power and plug it back in for the computer to respond. After a long sleep, whether initiated by me or after having left the machine for long enough to go into a long sleep on its own. That's when I have to unplug it, replug it, and then on its own it makes the familiar startup tone, asks for my password, and then goes through a complete startup. I have to log in for both 'Send' and 'Receive' in Thunderbird, log in to my external hard drive, and reopen all applications that i was using.

Do you think that somehow I downloaded the third version of the beta Mojave, and it is just called 10.14 until it comes out with 100.14.1 ? Would it be possible and advisable to load a fresh version of 10.14 ? I loaded the original from the App Store. Is it possible that one of the Mojave "features" is to shut down after a preset time in sleep?

 

[honestone]

If you downloaded Mojave, OS 10.14, from the AppStore, then it should be a "true" release version of Mojave, not a beta version. Your initial post stated "Recently made the mistake of installing Mojave, not realizing it was still in beta". So how did you initially come to the conclusion that it was "still in beta"?

Also, what Mac OS were you using previously, and did you just upgrade "in place", ie, basically let Mojave over write what was on your machine before?

I have not installed Mojave yet, as I am waiting for one of my critical applications, Tech Tool Pro, to have a Mojave-compatible version available, which will be no later than early December. Based on prior experiences, I suspect that the second version of Mojave, OS 10.14.2, will be out by then also. Hence, I really don't know about Mojave possibly shutting down after a preset time in sleep. No one else here has reported the issue you are having.

Need to ask you some questions:

1. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective? You can actually do quite a lot of disk cleanup on your own, and there are some excellent products available (both free and commercial) that can help you with that

2. This is critical: are you making backups to an external device? If (hopefully) so, what software are you using for that?

If I were you, I would wait until OS 10.14.1 is released, which could be soon. Then, assuming you are making backups, do a fresh, clean installation of OS 10.14.1, and then "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

 

[earlywirgit]

When I started experiencing problems, I started researching information regarding the problems. Somewhere in the researching I ran across an article about the 'beta testing' and 'came to regard' my installation as a beta version. At my age, I notice that I get 'mixed up' often, not to mention significant problems with short-term memory. But let's not dwell on that. Suffice it to say that I mentally "screwed-up". Those screw-ups are happening more frequently concerning any number of things. That's a not-very-satisfying answer to your question in the first paragraph, but it is an accurate answer. Sometimes I don't even attempt to do things on the computer if my mind feels like it is absent of reasoning and clarity. After my heart attack I'm circulating about half the blood of a normal adult. That means half the blood per time going to my brain as well as the rest of my body. At times I can sense a lack of accuity; other times it just happens without my knowledge until i see the results.

The answer to your second question (paragraph 2) is: I was using High Sierra, latest version, and I upgraded "in place".

Now, to your numbered questions:

1. I have recently performed disk cleanup using Onyx. I also use Grand Perspective to visually identify the large files and visit them personally to see what I no longer need and delete it. Also I did a lot of cleanup on my own. I was a "packrat" with files in the same way that I'm a packrat in my shop.

2. I use Time Machine to backup to an external drive.

When you say "a fresh, clean installation of OS 10.14.1, does an "in place" installation count as fresh and clean? If not, What is the type of installation that IS fresh and clean?

Thank you for your help with all of this!

 

[honestone]

OK, thanks for the reply.

Good that you are using Onyx (I assume the Mojave-specific version), and GrandPerspective is good also. And excellent that you are doing disk cleanup on your own. Another resource "hog" is deleted EMails. If you delete an EMial, it does not get removed from your machine. Depending on which EMial program you use, it can be done. I do see you use Thunderbird, as do I, That permanent removal of deleted EMails is easy to do with Thunderbird: once you have deleted EMails, they are in your Trash folder. Right click on the Trash folder, and one of the choices is "Empty Trash". Select that one, and all those deleted EMails are permanently removed.

I actually have seen definitive word as to whether of not Thunderbird is compatible with Mojave. I do see that you are having issues with Thunderbird, as you stated above "I have to log in for both 'Send' and 'Receive' in Thunderbird". I am having no issues with Thunderbird and High Sierra. Did that issue start after you installed Mojave?

It's also good that you are making backups. A number of folks come here for assistance, but they don't have a backup.

I need to take a break and eat dinner, but when I get back, I'll explain how you would do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of Mojave, and then "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

 

[earlywirgit]

OK, thanks for the reply.

Good that you are using Onyx (I assume the Mojave-specific version), and GrandPerspective is good also. And excellent that you are doing disk cleanup on your own. Another resource "hog" is deleted EMails. If you delete an EMial, it does not get removed from your machine. Depending on which EMial program you use, it can be done. I do see you use Thunderbird, as do I, That permanent removal of deleted EMails is easy to do with Thunderbird: once you have deleted EMails, they are in your Trash folder. Right click on the Trash folder, and one of the choices is "Empty Trash". Select that one, and all those deleted EMails are permanently removed.

I actually have seen definitive word as to whether of not Thunderbird is compatible with Mojave. I do see that you are having issues with Thunderbird, as you stated above "I have to log in for both 'Send' and 'Receive' in Thunderbird". I am having no issues with Thunderbird and High Sierra. Did that issue start after you installed Mojave?

It's also good that you are making backups. A number of folks come here for assistance, but they don't have a backup.

I need to take a break and eat dinner, but when I get back, I'll explain how you would do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of Mojave, and then "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

 

[honestone]

OK, I am back. I am going to try and explain this as best as I can, as I would go about it a somewhat different way, given that I use SuperDuper! for my backups. So, when you are ready to do a clean, fresh installation of Mojave (I'm going to assume it is when V 10.14.1 comes out), here are the steps:

1. First, download the Mojave OS 10.14.2 installation file from the AppStore. Do not install it. Instead, there will be a copy of the file entitled "Install macOS Mojave" (or something like that) in your Applications folder. Immediately make a copy of that file to another location on your internal drive.

2. Run Onyx, along with doing as much additional disk cleanup as possible.

3. Have Time Machine make a FULL backup (so that you can also have that copy of the Mojave installation file I mentioned above).

4. Restart your Mac from the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. This link explains how to do that, and what that partition can do:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

5. Choose the option entitled "Disk Utility", and let it Erase and Format your internal drive.

6. Choose the second option entitled "Reinstall macOS". This will retrieve the Mojave installation file from the AppStore, and then proceed to do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of OS 10.14.2. This will take some time, so be patient!

7. At the completion of #6, you'll be offered the opportunity to "get stuff from a backup" (not exactly phrased like that, but it will be clear) Point to that last Time Machine backup you did above, and all your account settings, Applications, Documents, etc. will be "migrated"/copied from that backup to your internal drive. This will also take some time.

That's it. You can then restart your Mac, and be good to go.

 

[honestone]

Oops! Supposed to say " First, download the Mojave OS 10.14.1 installation file from the AppStore".

 

[earlywirgit]

Thanks so much for your very clear instructions. The folks who write the articles usually referenced for 'how to do this or that' could benefit from Number 1 in your standard closing, the Kiss philosophy. I sometimes wonder if they intentionally make their instructions just a bit oblique to maintain their exclusivity. But that might just be my frustration talking. They are probably all well-intentioned, but just don't realize that another instruction placed here and there would simplify the subject task for someone so pedestrian as I.

I was just ready to ask you about the 10.14.1 vs. 10.14.2 when I signed-in and saw you had caught it yourself.

Also, I bought a thumb drive yesterday and loaded it with essentially all of the files pertinent to me alone. I'll do that once again before I proceed with your instructions. It can't hurt anything to have one more backup!

 

[honestone]

You're most welcome. I know that this computer jargon can be intimidating and confusing to some folks, so I try and explain everything as clearly as possible. And as Denzel Washington said in the excellent movie Philadelphia:

"Explain this to me like I'm a 6 year old"

That's not meant to be demeaning, not at all. As II'll bet you've encountered, one sees a lot of things that need to be explained in a clear, concise fashion, without all the "fluff". That is, as you stated, KISS! (Two examples of this are when one visits a doctor, and also visiting a dentist. Some of the terminology they use goes WAY over my head!).

Just want to clarify something. You are still making frequent backups to an external drive with Time Machine, correct? That will be the main source for the "migration"/copying of needed "stuff" to your internal drive after the clean, "virgin" installation of Mojave. Such a backup contains all your account settings, applications, documents, etc. Putting some things on the flash drive is fine, but again, it is important that you have a very recent Time Machine backup. I don't do incremental backups, and when I do my SuperDuper! backups for each of my Macs once a week, the prior backup gets wiped clean, and then the new one is there.

Finally, as I stated, OS 10.14.1 is still in beta testing, #5 to be exact. I would suspect OS 10.14.1 to be released soon, and thus available at the App Store. As long as you can hold on a little longer, you'll be good to go.

Would appreciate the information I asked about Thunderbird. Except for your "log in" issues with it, how is it performing otherwise with Mojave?

 

[earlywirgit]

I have been a Mac owner since the first Mac Plus became available. I've probably owned 7 or 8 Macs in that time. I bought my first Mac because I wanted to accomplish work with it, compared to PC users who seemed, to me at least, more interested in writing code and fiddling with the PC to learn the most obscure ways to arrive at something. I bought Macs because they were, and are the best way to accomplish real work, rather than diddling with the machine just to learn how to navigate it. So I open the Mac to create a document, spreadsheet (not really a spreadsheet in the accounting sense), a 3-D rendering, an email, a text, or to manage my lists (grocery, to do, etc.). Then, I get busy working.

As a result of my orientation to getting work done, and seeing the Mac as a tool to accomplish that work, I have rarely taken the time to delve very deeply into its operation. I do so when I absolutely need to, and that generally leaves me at quite a disadvantage to those who take a more balanced view of operating their computers.

Yes, Time Machine saves to my external drive whenever my computer is on.

I can wait quite patiently now that I've identified how to overcome the apparent flaws in my installation of 10.14.

Thunderbird seems to work exactly as it did in High Sierra. I've experienced no problems whatsoever, and I handle a lot of mail and attachments (both outgoing and incoming) every day.

Regarding doctors and their lingo, I began educating myself at the time my second son was born with multiple congenital heart problems that resulted in 5 open heart surgeries. That provides a great impetus for learning all one can understand. That my best friend is a retired physician really helps in my pursuit of medical knowledge. Also, that I had a serious near-death heart attack about 5-1/2 years ago has given me yet one more reason to be most interested in learning all I can about the pertinent medical issue. When I read the official write-ups of my visits or procedures, I immediately look up the meaning of any word that I don't understand. But this is no different than anyone else's interest in innumerable things. You learn about what interest's you.

 

[honestone]

Understand. Myself, I started with an Apple IIE back in the early 80's, upgraded to an Apple IIGS, and happily used that machine for quite a while. I was a computer programmer prior to my retirement, and I was around PCs at various employers just about every day. But I managed to be very productive with my Apple machines (I was on call), and I also cringed at having to use a PC. I made the switch to Macs back in 1996, and continue to be way more than pleased. In actuality, the bank I was employed at back in 1984 was one of the first corporate customers to purchase the original Mac, so I became familiar with Macs.

I don't handle that many pertinent EMails each day, but I sure get a lot of junk, and junk-related, EMails a number of times during the day. Hence, I am constantly busy having such EMails permanently removed. Thunderbird is easily equal to the task. But could you let me know if you are still having issues with Thunderbird regarding you needing to log in for both 'Send' and 'Receive'? Hopefully that has to do with you upgrading "in place", versus a clean Mojave installation.

Just to confirm: you do not have a beta version of Mojave. The version you have now, OS 10.14, is the result of you downloading it from the App Store (maybe happened via an "automatic" upgrade, ie, you clicked on an upgrade "option" someplace), and then just upgraded from High Sierra to Mojave.

 

[earlywirgit]

The issue is not with, nor has it ever been with Thunderbird. I was originally complaining about Mojave locking-up after a prolonged sleep. The only way I can recover after that is by unplugging the power and plugging it back in, at which time the startup chord is heard, and you go through the startup procedure just the same as you would with a "Restart" chosen from the Apple menu. And like any startup of the machine, Thunderbird requires the password for the Incoming Server and the Outgoing Server in order to to receive and send emails, respectively. I was simply complaining at how many times I had to do that because of the apparent "bug", probably originating from the undesirable way I loaded Mojave. So, again, there is no problem with Thunderbird.

Although "About this Mac" indicates that I am running 10.14, I am convinced that I have a singular, evil, mutant version of Mojave with no numbers or versions associated. Rather than Mojave, Mo-problems is the appropriate name for this abomination! I will celebrate the day that I wipe this "OS from Hell" off my HD and properly load the new version using the clear instructions you have so graciously provided.

 

[honestone]

Thank you for the reply. But not sure why your would need to enter/re-enter the password for the Incoming Server and Outgoing Server in Thunderbird. The settings for that are usually done via the Account settings choice under the Tools menu. I set mine after I first installed Thunderbird, and it works fine.

Not sure what is going on with your "version " of Mojave, and especially the server "issues" with Thunderbird. It will be good to see what happens in your case when you upgrade to OS 10.14.1, via a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of OS 10.14.1.