Resolve No Sound on Windows Computer

There are few things more frustrating on a Windows computer than losing audio. There are a bunch of different factors that could be causing your loss of sound, from hardware to software. After checking all of your physical connections, you can use the built-in troubleshooting tools to try to track down the problem. If the troubleshooting utility fails, you can manually install new drivers for your audio hardware.

Steps

Checking Your Connections

  1. Ensure that you aren't muted. The Windows Sound icon is small, and it can be tough to see if you are muted or not. Click the Sound icon in the System Tray and then click the Speaker button in the pop-up that appears to toggle the mute.[1]
    • If you don't have a sound icon, then your sound drivers are likely not installed correctly. Resolve-No-Sound-on-Windows-Computer.
  2. Inspect the speaker or headphone connection to the computer. A bad connection is one of the most common causes of no sound, and is also one of the easiest to fix. Make sure that your speakers or headphones are plugged in completely, and that the cables and connectors aren't damaged.
  3. Ensure that your speakers are connected to the right port. Make sure that your speakers are plugged into the correct port on the back of your computer. The green port is most commonly used for external speakers, while the orange and black ports are used for surround sound systems and subwoofers. The pink port is for microphones.
  4. Make sure your speakers are powered and turned on. Many speakers require a power connection, and may need to be turned on in order to work. Check the volume controls on the speakers as well to make sure that they're turned up enough to hear.
  5. Reconnect your HDMI cable. A common problem for HDMI users is that no sound comes out of the speakers that the HDMI cable is connected to. A simple fix for this is to unplug and then replug the HDMI cable, which should switch the default playback device to the HDMI device.

Selecting the Correct Speakers

  1. Right-click on the Speaker icon and select "Playback devices". If you have multiple speakers plugged in (such as headphones, speakers, and a TV), you may have the wrong output selected. You can select your playback device in this menu.
  2. Select the speakers you want to use in the .Playback tab. Connected devices will say "Ready" beneath the icon. Ports that don't have anything connected will say "Not plugged in". The current default device will have a green checkmark.
    • If you are connected via HDMI, select the (HDMI) device from the list of options. It will need to be turned on in order for it to appear.
  3. Click the .Set Default button. This will set the selected device as the output device for your computer. Test your sound again to see if you can hear anything.
  4. Reset your speaker settings. Restoring your speakers to the default settings may fix your problem.
    • In the Playback tab, select the speakers that are connected to your computer.
    • Click the Properties button and then click the Advanced tab.
    • Click Restore Defaults and test your speakers again.

Installing Windows Updates

  1. Open Windows Update. Microsoft often releases update files for Windows that may be able to fix the problems you are having with your audio. Ensuring that you are up to date will help your troubleshooting process.
    • You can open Windows Update by opening the Start Menu or Screen and searching for "Windows Update".
  2. Check for available updates. Click the "Check for updates" button if there aren't any listed updates. Windows will scan for updates that you haven't yet installed.
  3. Click the "View available updates" link. Windows will only force you to install mandatory updates, but there may be multiple optional updates available. When you're troubleshooting an audio problem, it's recommended that you install every available update. Check the box at the top of the list that selects all of the available updates.
  4. Click the "Install updates" button. If Windows finds new updates available, you'll be able to start installing them. Click "Install updates" to begin downloading and installing the available updates. Depending on the number of updates you are installing, this could take a while to complete. You'll likely need to reboot your computer after installing the updates.
  5. Run your manufacturer's update tool (optional). If your computer was made by a manufacturer, such as HP or Dell, you may have a software update utility that will grab drivers specific for your computer model. Run this update tool, which can usually be found in a Start menu group with your manufacturer's name. Install any updates that it finds.
  6. Test your sound again. Try playing audio from your computer again after installing the updates.

Using the Windows Troubleshooter

  1. Open the Control Panel. Windows has a troubleshooting utility that can detect and fix a variety of hardware problems, including your computer audio.
    • You can find the Control Panel in the Start menu. If you're using Windows 8, right-click on the Start button and select "Control Panel".
  2. Click the "Find and fix problems" or "Troubleshooting" option. Which one you see depends on the view settings for your Control Panel.
  3. Select "Troubleshoot audio playback". This will launch the audio troubleshooter.
  4. Choose the output you are trying to troubleshoot. The troubleshooter will display the different outputs available on your computer. Select the one that you are having problems with and click Next.
  5. Wait for the troubleshooter to complete. The troubleshooter will scan your system settings and look for problems with the audio. Any errors will be automatically fixed, and a report will be displayed with the changes that were made.[2]

Reinstalling Audio Drivers

  1. Open the Device Manager. The Device Manager is a Windows utility that allows you to see and manage all of your installed hardware. Devices that aren't working properly will be marked, allowing you to quickly pinpoint problems with your hardware.[3]
    • Press ⊞ Win+R and type devmgmt.msc to quickly launch the Device Manager.
  2. Expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" category. Double-click your audio device. If your audio device isn't working properly, it will have a small "!" or "?" icon.
  3. Click the .Driver tab and click Update Driver. Select "Search automatically for updated driver software" to have Windows search online for the correct drivers. If drivers can be found, they will be downloaded and installed automatically. If Windows can't find anything, read on.
  4. Determine the sound device's manufacturer and model. If the Device Manager doesn't display the name of the device, you can use the device's Hardware ID to find the model and manufacturer. Click the Details tab in the device's Properties window. Select "Hardware Ids" from the drop-down list. You will see one or more entries appear in the box. Right-click on the top-most entry and select "Copy". Paste this into a web search to find your audio device model.
  5. Find the correct driver from the manufacturer. Visit the manufacturer's support page and enter in your device's model into the search box. This will display a list of downloads for the device. Below are the support sites for some of the most common audio device manufacturers:
    • Realtek - realtek.com.tw/downloads/
    • Creative - support.creative.com/welcome.aspx
    • Logitech - support.logitech.com/
  6. Download the driver. Some drivers will come in installers, while others will come in ZIP or INF format. If there are multiple options, download the one for your version of Windows.
  7. Run the installer (if applicable). If the driver came in an installer, run the installer and follow the prompts. This will automatically install the driver for you. You may be prompted to reboot your computer.
  8. Install the driver manually. If the driver came in ZIP or INF format, you'll need to manually install it through the Device Manager.
    • Extract the files from the ZIP file by double-clicking and selecting "Extract".
    • Open the Device Manager and double-click the audio device.
    • Click the Driver tab and then click the Update Driver button.
    • Select "Browse my computer for driver software" and then select the INF file that you either downloaded or extracted from the ZIP file. Reboot your computer after installing the file.

Adjusting Permissions

  1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. There's an odd error in Windows 7 that can cause your computer to no longer give permission to any programs to access the audio device. This prevents anything from playing back audio. The quickest way to fix this is by performing a few commands in the Command Prompt. Be warned that this method will make your computer a little less secure, and you may be better off Reinstall-Windows.
    • Click the Start button, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator". If you're using Windows 8, right-click on the Start button and select "Command Prompt (Admin)".
  2. Type .net localgroup Administrators /add networkservice and press ↵ Enter.
  3. Type .net localgroup Administrators /add localservice and press ↵ Enter.
  4. Reboot your computer. Try playing sound again to see if the problem has been fixed. If it hasn't, you'll likely need to Reinstall-Windows.[4]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01884922
  2. ↑ http://www.thewindowsclub.com/no-sound-on-windows-8-7
  3. ↑ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/no-sound-help#no-sound=windows-8&v1h=win8tab4&v2h=win7tab1&v3h=winvistatab1&v4h=winxptab1
  4. ↑ http://www.pcgamer.com/the-most-frustrating-windows-7-audio-problem-solved/
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