No Sound on Computer? The Definitive Fix Guide for Windows 11 & 10

There are few things more annoying than sitting down at your computer, opening a video, and being met with absolute silence. Usually, this is caused by Windows updates, accidentally changed sound output settings, or a stubborn driver conflict. Don't worry, there is no need to format your PC. Based on the experience I've gained from solving hundreds of sound issues over the years, if you follow these steps from simplest to most technical, you will likely solve the problem.

Most of the time, the issue is not hardware-related but software-related, and can be fixed with just a few correct clicks.

First Response: Hardware and Connection Checks

Before diving into deep technical settings, let's eliminate the simple errors that are most often overlooked. Sometimes the solution is as simple as plugging the right cable into the right place.

First, if you are using an external speaker or headset, make sure the cable is plugged into the correct port. On desktop computers, the green jack is usually for audio output. If you are using a USB headset, try a different USB port.

When you click the sound icon in the bottom right corner of the taskbar, make sure the volume level is turned up. However, the main point to pay attention to here is whether the sound output device is selected correctly. You must click the small arrow next to the sound icon and select the correct device (e.g., Speaker - Realtek Audio) from the list. Sometimes your monitor's speaker is selected as default, and if your monitor doesn't have speakers, you won't get any sound.

Screen showing how to change the sound output device and select the correct speaker on the Windows 11 taskbar.

Disable Windows Audio Enhancements

Windows 10, and especially Windows 11, use various software enhancements to make audio sound better. However, these features can conflict with old hardware or certain drivers, causing the sound to cut out completely. Turning this off often provides an instant solution.

1. Go to Settings > System > Sound.
2. Select your speaker from the All sound devices or advanced properties section.
3. In the properties window, go to the Audio Enhancements section (or the Enhancements tab in the old menu).
4. Set it to Off or check the Disable all enhancements box and click Apply.

If you are using Windows 11 and want to dive deeper into system settings, you can also check other settings affecting system components like enable Hyper-V Windows 11, but for sound, this is where you need to focus.

Solving Driver Issues at the Root

We have reached the most critical point. 80% of users solve the problem in this step. Usually, everyone tells you to update the driver, but Windows brushes you off by saying "The best driver is already installed." Here, we will apply a different method: We will change the driver manually.

1. Right-click the Start menu and open Device Manager.
2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
3. Right-click on your audio device (e.g., Realtek High Definition Audio) and select Update driver.
4. Click Browse my computer for drivers, then click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.

A list will appear here. If you see the High Definition Audio Device option in the list, select it and click Next. This is Windows' own universal audio driver, and it is the most guaranteed method to restore sound when the manufacturer driver (Realtek, etc.) is corrupted. You will hear the sound come back when you restart the computer.

Restarting Windows Audio Services

Sometimes there is no problem with the hardware or driver; simply the audio service running in the background of Windows is stuck. Restarting the computer might solve this, but without dealing with reboot Windows CMD commands, you can solve the problem just by resetting the relevant service.

1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find the Windows Audio service in the Services list that opens.
3. Right-click on it and select Restart.
4. Do the same for the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.

This process forcibly closes and reopens the audio services and clears any stuck software processes.

Process of finding and restarting the Windows Audio service in the Windows Services window.

BIOS and Chipset Checks

If none of the steps above worked, the problem might be in a deeper hardware setting. Especially on computers that have recently been formatted or had a BIOS update, the Onboard Audio on the motherboard might have been set to Disabled in the BIOS.

Enter the BIOS screen by pressing F2 or Del while the computer is booting up, and make sure the sound card is set to Enabled under the Integrated Peripherals or Onboard Devices menu. Also, downloading and installing the Chipset drivers from the manufacturer's site according to your motherboard brand and model ensures that the sound card is correctly recognized by the system. If you are also having trouble with your network and internet settings, you can rule out connection issues by looking at our DNS probe finished nxdomain error guide; because sometimes online driver updates can get stuck on DNS blocks.