So finally I decided not to use the setup.exe and instead double clicked on alcupd.exe (the driver update program).
I tried again to install the generic driver I had just downloaded without success. It did not want to install because the driver was not signed. So I finally ended up at the realtek site and downloaded a generic vista/win7 driver. I have a realtek driver loaded and nowhere could I find a mono setting. Going to playback devices and configure for the speaker only had a stereo setting. So started my quest, to set windows 7 up to play sound in mono. So I figured that the pod cast must be playing only out the left channel. I tried playing something else and it played fine. Windows volume meter showed there was infact something playing but it was not coming out the right speaker. But today I wanted to listen to a podcast and there was no sound. Movies and such usually get routed through the headphone jack to the surround sound system. It did not bother me because most games and music seemed to sound just fine with one speaker.
I know this is an old post but people may still be looking for an answer, and I have found itĪbout two or three months ago my left speaker in the laptop died.
If you are going to offer a solution, you should test to make sure it actually works before becoming indignant. I have no idea what the setting does, but if you have stereo speakers it doesn't do squat. Additionally, I just tested your "solution" (with an available XP machine I have, switched to "Mono laptop speakers" using the Left-center-center sound test using the binkster audio test And guess what? "This is the left channel" was spoken out of my left speaker, the right speaker was silent, and "this is the right channel" was spoken out the right channel. Yes, you mentioned using "Audio Properties" but- and I know this may come as a surprise, but Windows 7 doesn't have the same configuration options. If there was, you no doubt would have mentioned what it was, instead of simply saying "there is a software solution". With the exception of using the balance controls (which many programs override for no reason, which means that each app will have to be configured to use that balance) There isn't a software-based method of doing this.