No Sound in Windows 10 and 11: How to Fix It
Windows audio not working? Step-by-step fixes for no sound, audio device missing, or sound cutting out — from checking mute buttons to reinstalling audio drivers.
No sound in Windows is almost always caused by one of four things: wrong output device selected, muted audio, driver issue, or a stopped audio service. Here's how to diagnose and fix each.
Step 1: Check the Obvious
- Volume not muted: click the speaker icon in the taskbar — make sure volume is up and not muted
- Headphones/speakers plugged in: try a different port
- Physical volume controls: some speakers and headsets have hardware volume wheels
Right-click the speaker icon → Open Volume Mixer — check that the specific app isn't muted.
Step 2: Check Output Device
Right-click speaker icon → Sound settings → Output — make sure the correct device is selected (speakers, headphones, monitor speakers, etc.)
Sometimes Windows switches to a wrong output device after an update or when plugging in a new device.
# List all audio output devices
Get-WmiObject Win32_SoundDevice | Select-Object Name, Status
Step 3: Run Audio Troubleshooter
Win + I → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Playing Audio → Run
This fixes the most common issues automatically — wrong default device, stopped services, driver problems.
Step 4: Restart Windows Audio Service
Restart-Service -Name "AudioSrv" -Force
Restart-Service -Name "AudioEndpointBuilder" -Force
Or: Win + R → services.msc → find Windows Audio → right-click → Restart
If the service is Disabled, change Startup type to Automatic first.
Step 5: Update or Reinstall Audio Driver
Update:
Win + X → Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers → right-click your audio device → Update driver → Search automatically
Reinstall (more effective): Right-click → Uninstall device → check Delete the driver software for this device → Uninstall → restart
Windows reinstalls the basic driver automatically. If sound works after this, the driver was corrupted.
Install manufacturer driver: For better quality and features, download the audio driver directly from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's website — not Windows Update.
Step 6: Check Default Format
Sometimes Windows picks an audio format the device doesn't support.
Right-click speaker icon → Sound settings → scroll to More sound settings → Playback tab → right-click your device → Properties → Advanced tab → change Default Format to 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality) → Test
Step 7: Disable Audio Enhancements
Audio enhancements can cause no-sound issues on some hardware.
Right-click speaker → Sound settings → More sound settings → Playback → right-click device → Properties → Enhancements tab → check Disable all enhancements
Or on Windows 11: Advanced tab → Audio enhancements → set to Off
Step 8: Check HDMI/DisplayPort Audio
If using a monitor with speakers via HDMI:
Right-click speaker → Sound settings → More sound settings → Playback tab → look for your monitor listed as an audio device → set as Default Device
If it's not listed: right-click in the empty space → Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices
No Sound After Windows Update
Updates sometimes reset audio settings or install incompatible drivers.
# Check recently installed drivers
Get-WinEvent -LogName System | Where-Object {$_.Id -eq 7045} |
Select-Object -First 5 TimeCreated, Message
Roll back the audio driver: Device Manager → audio device → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver
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Summary
Check output device selection first — Windows often switches to wrong device after updates. Then restart Audio service. If still no sound: reinstall the driver. Download from manufacturer for best results. Disable audio enhancements if driver reinstall doesn't help.