No audio using external monitors with laptop closed

[niemikw]

Hello,
I don't have audio using two external monitors with my laptop closed. Mute is off and the volume is turned up. I have external speakers plugged into the headphone jack of my closed laptop. I have Windows XP. Any tips you have would be appreciated - not much luck searching the net so far.

 

[rolltide101x]

Is it going into sleep mode when you close it?

 

[niemikw]

No. It stays on and will play video.

For instance, with the laptop closed, I can play a song through media player or itunes. The volume indicator will be all the way up, with mute off shown on the external monitor, but no audio is heard. In the middle of a song, if I open my laptop, the laptop screen will show that the audio is muted. If I unmute, it will play audio until I shut my laptop again.