My technology's turn'd against me..? (Mac users?)?

Question

So I'm not THAT technology savvy && this may be slightly long wind'd, so bare with me....

Anyway... Something's up with my Mac && I don't know how to fix the problems.

First thing, the volume on my Mac won't work. The settings seem to be where I can only hear something if there are headphones in, but it won't let me turn the volume up, down, or off unless the headphones. I dunno how that could've happen'd but knowing me, I probably press'd/push'd something on accident. I tried fixing it in System Preferences but couldn't find out how. It's been this way for a while.

Second thing, it can't read my camera or flash drive. The USB jack on the side just completely stopp'd working all of a sudden. Yesterday it was fine (had my drive in it) then it kept telling me I was taking it out without ejecting && then nothing.. It stopp'd working. I thought it was the flash drive but I put my camera in this morning && the icon didn't come up. 

So I'm asking, is there any way to fix these problems? Any advice would be great. && I own a MacBook if that helps. =/

Thanks.

macdudeosx · Accepted Answer

1) Sound.
There is a chip in the headphone jack that tells the computer to turn off the laptop speakers when headphones have been plugged in. Sometimes this chip gets jammed and constantly tells the computer that there are headphones plugged in where they really are not. If there is a red light coming out of the headphone jack, this is the problem.

This is an easy fix. Just take a match stick (or something similar)  and gently rub up and down the sides of the jack to un-jam the chip. When it has been un-jammed, the red light will go off and the speakers in the laptop will work. Be patient with this fix, some times its immediate, sometime it takes a while.

2) Mounting drives.
 Go to Applications --> Utilities --> Disk Utility. Select your hard drive then click "Verify Permissions" then click "Fix Permissions".

Reset NV-RAM and P-RAM http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

Reset SMC http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

Anonymous · Answer

If the chips in a flash drive. pen drive, thumb drive are left in an open state, no computer will read it, this includes memory cards from cameras. An easy way to find out if this is the issue, plug it in and shut down the computer. Once off remove it, boot back up and then insert it again. If it is working you know what happened, if not it may be a different issue. Can't help with the sound issue. You don't use Windows fixes to fix MAC issues.

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My technology's turn'd against me..? (Mac users?)?

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