Problems with PC functionality can arise for various reasons. However, there are many solutions to solve this or that problem. But recently, many users are increasingly searching for articles in search engines with the query: No sound on the computer, what should I do? in a similar situation?
Let's look at 10 reasons that directly affect sound reproduction.
The sound may not be played for a trivial reason: the volume slider is at minimum or even at 0. Click on the speaker icon located in the tray and make sure that the volume level is not set to minimum.
Also, you can immediately pay attention to the button located at the bottom of the slider. It allows you to turn off the sound completely. Perhaps this is the reason, because even if the volume level is at maximum, there will be no sound coming from the playback devices.
There may also be playback problems in one or more specific programs. In this case, you need to open the volume mixer and also move the slider from minimum.
Don’t forget also that if your headphones are connected through speakers, playback will only be played through them, and nothing will sound from the speakers.
Setting up playback devices
If you have multiple playback devices connected to your computer, the problem may be that the specific speakers are not selected as the “default” device. To do this, right-click on the same speaker icon and select the “Playback devices” line.
Take a close look at the list of displayed devices and make sure that the speakers have a green check mark indicating that this device is the default.
If there is no checkmark, right-click on the speakers (or on another device that should act as playback equipment) and click on the “Use as default” line.
If the speaker icon is displayed in black and white, this means that the device is disabled. To enable it, you also need to right-click and click on the Enable item.
If the required device is not in the provided list, you need to enable the display of all disabled devices. To do this, right-click on any free space and check the box “Display disabled devices”, after which you can enable them and set them as the default device.
Checking the functionality of the sound card
If the sound still does not play, you need to check whether the sound card is turned on? To do this, Right-click on “My Computer”, then click on “Manage” and select “Device Manager”.
Expand the Sound Devices menu and make sure your sound card is enabled. If this is not the case (the icon shows a down arrow), right-click and select the “Engage” line.
If there are no sound devices in the list at all, find the “Other devices” item, where most likely, in this case, the device you are looking for will be displayed, but without installed (irrelevant) drivers.
The issue of driver installation is discussed in the next paragraph.
Installing the sound driver
The most suitable way is to automatically search for a driver. To do this, right-click on the device and click “Update Drivers”, then select automatic search. If the system finds a suitable one, it will automatically install it and you only need to wait. If the search is unsuccessful, you need to download it from the official website. To do this, you need to know the full markings of the sound card. You can find it out from the documentation of this device, or use the special AIDA64 application, where a list of all connected devices will be presented.
Having received the full name of the sound card, find the latest version of the driver for your operating system on the official website and download it.
Right-click on the unidentified device again and search directly on your PC.
In the search folder selection field, enter the address where you downloaded the driver.
After this, the installation will start.
Note: For audio cards manufactured by Realtek, you can download Realtek High Definition Audio Driver, which will help not only restore sound, but also easily connect other devices, such as a microphone, in a special application window.
To open this window, just click on the icon in the tray (shown in the screenshot).
If the drivers were previously installed, but there is no sound, you need to update the drivers. To do this, right-click on the speaker icon in the device manager and open the “Properties” item, then, in the driver tab, click on the “Update” button.
Checking the physical connection of the speakers to the computer
Turn the system unit so that you can clearly see all the connected wires. Make sure the speaker connections are stable and firmly seated in the jack. Also pay attention to which connector the plug is inserted into, because, in 99% of cases, it should be connected to the green connector.
Enable Windows Audio Service
Sometimes after critical failures, some services are disabled, including the one responsible for sound playback. To restart it, follow these steps:
- press the Win+R combination and enter services.msc in the window that appears;
- Find the Windows Audio service and make sure that the “Status” column shows “Running.” If this is the case, you can close the window, but if not, the service must be resumed. Right-click on it, and then “Properties”;
- in the “Startup type” field, set the value to “Automatic”, then “Run”;
- save changes.
Checking the functionality of playback devices
It’s clear that you’ve probably already checked your speakers or headphones, but still, connect them to another computer, TV, or player to make sure they’re working. If there is no sound when connecting to other devices, then the problem is with the speakers (headphones).
BIOS setup
If you changed the BIOS settings, you may have accidentally touched the audio settings, disabling playback. Find the High Device Configuration line in the Advanced tab and if it is not set to Enabled, do so.
Virus attack
And although viruses rarely affect services and sound drivers, this also needs to be checked. Scan your system with an antivirus program and, if found, delete any malicious files. Next, you will have to go back and start checking from the first point.
Restoring or reinstalling the OS
This extreme step can only be performed if you have lost sound at a certain point (day). This could happen, for example, due to an OS update. Open the “System Restore” window and select the restore date when you were sure the sound was working.
If none of the solutions mentioned helped restore sound, most likely your audio card is broken, and in this case you will not be able to do without a service center or purchasing a new one.
In contact with
Quite often, users encounter the loss of sound on a computer running Windows 7. There are many reasons for this. Some are quite simple. And sometimes it takes several days to find a problem. This short review is dedicated to how to find and fix the problem.
Non-working speakers
Let's consider possible failure options:
These measures are basic, but you shouldn’t forget about them. If the check didn't yield anything, then it's time to move on.
Hardware audio settings
After obvious faults have been checked, you should pay attention to the software sound settings. It is quite possible that the sound in Windows is turned down or completely turned off. If it is reduced so much that it is barely audible, then the user will most likely assume that the computer itself has broken down.
It’s best to see visually how the sound is configured using Windows 7 as an example; on Windows 8 and 10 the operating principle is the same:
Let's look at the functions of the window that opens in more detail:
If you are unable to play the test sound, you should check to see if the sound is turned down to the minimum value or turned off altogether:
Check Device Manager
If there is no sound on a computer running Windows 7, as well as operating systems Windows 10 and other versions, you should check the status of the mini-programs (drivers) for the sound card. Most likely, they need to be updated or they are not there at all.
You can check the status of the equipment and its drivers in “ Device Manager", which is easy to find in Control panels on the " System». 
Systematically displays all devices that are present on a computer or laptop, as well as the status of their drivers. If a yellow triangle is lit nearby, you should pay attention to it first. This means that the sound card is not working at all or is not working correctly. In our case, we are interested in the item “ Sound, video and gaming devices». 
If a problem is identified due to which the sound does not work, you need to download and install a driver that is compatible with this PC. The current state of your computer can be maintained using special utilities for automatic updating and searching for the latest version of drivers for any equipment on a PC or laptop. For example, the program Everest will determine the sound card model, check all drivers for relevance and tell you where to find the necessary drivers for sound on Windows 7.
When you monitor the current state of your computer and carry out regular updates, you may encounter the problem of no sound during the next automatic driver update. The source of the problem may be an updated driver. "" will help restore the working situation. On the " Driver» of your sound card, you must click the Rollback button. 
If the problem disappears, it is better to disable automatic driver updates for this device.
Updating drivers in Windows 10
The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:
No codecs for audio/video
If there is sound in the browsers, but there is no sound when you start the video on the PC, then you should look for the problem either in the media player itself or in the audio codecs.
To constantly watch videos, it is recommended to use KMR player. He has already proven himself and is showing good results. The creators of the program have provided a lot of different codecs for video playback. And, as a rule, most films are successfully reproduced in this program.
The problem with codecs can be radically solved using the package K-Lite Codec Pack. It can solve the missing sound problem. It has a full set of current codecs that open almost all popular formats, both video and audio files.
Viruses and adware
Problems with sound on Windows 7 may mean that a virus has appeared in the system. There are many types of viruses and they can negatively affect the operating system.
What to do if the sound on your computer disappears and you suspect a virus:
- Take a close look at how your computer works as a whole. If it often freezes or slows down unexpectedly, then most likely the PC has undergone a virus attack. If the installed antivirus program failed and missed the virus attack, then it is best to check the system with a third-party antivirus with up-to-date virus databases. For example, you can use the utility Dr.Web CureIt. This healing utility successfully cures an infected system.
- You can try checking your computer using Live CD(emergency boot disk). With its help, you can download a lightweight version of the operating system with a ready-made antivirus. If you boot the restored system from Live CD sound appears, then most likely there is a malfunction in Windows 10 itself. Most often, you will have to reinstall it or perform a system restore using restore points, if this mode was enabled and restore points were created.
Checking the BIOS settings
If your computer or laptop has a built-in sound card and there is no sound even in headphones, then you can look BIOS.
This is an extreme measure - AC97 is enabled by default in the factory settings. If the settings are lost, the sound device in the Windows operating system will not work.
Each computer logs into the BIOS differently. For example, for ACER computers, before booting the system, you must press and hold the Del key. In general, before loading the operating system, you must indicate how to enter the BIOS.
After pressing the Del key, the following dialog box will open, in which you need to select the item “ BIOS Setup».
In the window that opens, you need to find an inscription like AC 97 Audio, use the arrows on the keyboard to highlight this inscription and click on the Enter key. A dialog box will appear to select which function to activate HD Audio or AC97. We are interested in the AC97 “Auto” inscription. Confirm your choice and use the ESC key to exit this section. Exit the BIOS, saving the settings.
If you can’t get the sound back after changing the BIOS settings, then the last option is to replace or send the sound card for repair.
Laptop owners often encounter the problem of no sound in the Windows system. Due to frequent overheating of the sound chipset, the computer begins to malfunction. And all the rest of the electronic stuff simply suffocates with dust, unless, of course, you do regular cleaning, and gradually breaks down, which can also lead to loss of sound on the laptop.
Conclusion
Of course, these are not all the reasons why there may be no sound, but the main, most common versions are revealed.
So, we told you how to restore sound in Windows 10, 7 and 8. And our main advice is not to despair, but to try all the options step by step.
Video on the topic
Updated: 06/04/2019 Published: 2016 or earlier
Description
- There is no sound after installing Windows.
- The sound suddenly disappeared.
- Sound does not work on the Internet (browser) or games.
The problem is typical for various operating systems and computers (desktops, laptops, all-in-one PCs).
Cause
Problems may be software:
- Driver not installed.
- The audio service is disabled.
- Disable the playback device.
- Incorrect system settings or system failure.
- Disabled with a special button.
- Incorrect installation of the update.
- Virus.
Or hardware:
- Sound card failure.
- Malfunction of speakers or headphones.
- Broken cable.
Solution
The solutions to the problem presented below are arranged in order of frequency of occurrence and ease of implementation. If one method does not work, move on to the next.
As practice shows, it is not always possible to solve a sound problem the first time - you can lose sight of something or not pay attention to an important detail. Go through all the points carefully, and if they don’t help, go through them again.
1. Reboot
Before you do anything, just restart your computer - in some cases this will be enough.
2. Device and driver
Very often, the sound may not work due to an uninstalled, disabled or crashed driver. For example, you may encounter this problem after installing a new system or updating it. In this case, in the lower right corner of the screen we will see a sound icon with a red cross or a prohibition sign:
In Windows 10, if we hover over the icon, we can see the error “Audio output device is not installed”:
To solve the problem, go to Device Manager. To do this, in Windows 10 (8), right-click on Start - device Manager:
* in previous versions of Windows, right-click on “Computer” (“My Computer”) - “Manage” - go to the “Device Manager” section.
Check for yellow warning signs. In the “Sound, video and gaming devices” subsection there should be your audio playback device:
If you see that there is a device with an exclamation mark:
You can also see a device with a down arrow. This means the device is disabled. To enable it, right-click on it and click Turn on device:
You can also try removing the driver and installing it again.
3. Sound service
In the case of a disabled service, we will also see in the system tray (lower right corner) a sound icon with a red cross or a prohibition sign:
But at the same time, everything will be fine in the device manager.
Right-click on “Start” - “Run” (or win + R combination) - enter the command services.msc- "OK"
* in Windows 7 (Vista, XP) you need to click Start - Run.
In the window that opens, find the “Windows Audio” service. Its status should be "Running". If this is not the case, double-click on the service, set the startup type to “Automatic”, click “Apply” and start the service;
4. Mute the keyboard
If your keyboard has a mute key (most commonly on laptops or gaming keyboards), try pressing it. It is usually located in the area of the F1 - F12 buttons. To press it, sometimes you need to use a combination with the Fn key.
Also, on some keyboards, this may be a separate button - look carefully and find a picture of a speaker.
5. Operation of speakers and headphones
Check that the playback device itself is turned on. For bells, this can be a special button; for headphones, it can also be a special button or the battery level in a wireless headset.
If the sound suddenly disappears, check the functionality of the speakers or headphones, as well as the wiring. Check the tightness of the speaker or headphone plug. Try connecting other speakers or headphones to your computer. Or you can try them on another computer.
If the sound stops after moving the computer or disconnecting the speakers, check the connections and connections. The playback device should be connected to the green connector, the microphone to the red:
Also try simply pulling the wires out of the connectors and reinserting them.
If you are using monitor speakers, you must turn on the sound in the settings of the monitor itself.
6. Codecs and DirectX
In case of problems with software components, the problem may occur on some sites, applications or games.
Install or update codecs, for example, K-Lite Codec Pack or VLC media player; reinstall DirectX.
If the system has several audio devices, for example, an audio device and a video card with HDMI, then the latter can be set as the audio playback device. In this case, the audio stream will not go to speakers or headphones, but to a monitor/TV connected to the computer.
Go to Control Panel(team control) - Sound. Make sure the default audio device is set to the correct one:
To do this, right-click on the device - Use as default.
8. BIOS setup
The integrated sound adapter can be disabled in the BIOS. In this case, we will not see our sound device in the device manager.
To check this setting, go to BIOS. We find the option to enable the sound card - it can be called differently, for example:
- HD Audio.
- HD Audio Controller.
- High Definition Audio.
- Onboard HD Audio.
- and so on...
* you need to navigate by words Audio And Sound. The section in which the desired option is most often found is called Advanced or Integrated Peripherals.
Having found the required section, we check that it is enabled - Enabled. If it is enabled, sometimes it helps to first disable the sound card, then enable it. Then we boot the computer and check that the sound card appears in the devices.
9. Sleep mode
If the sound disappears after the computer exits sleep mode, turn off the headphones or speakers - put it back into sleep mode - connect the headphones or speakers - turn it on.
10. Proprietary utility
Try playing with the sound utility settings. It is installed with the sound card driver and launched from the control panel (command control) or system tray (icon in the lower right corner);
11. Sound volume
The sound may disappear due to turning the volume to a minimum. Check that the speakers are not set to minimum volume. Also make sure that the volume in the sound settings is not set to low:
The volume down button on your laptop may be stuck, so it will always turn down the volume without letting you turn it up. In this case, you can tap the volume down button (among the F1 - F12 buttons, near F7).
Also, due to the incorrect volume level, some applications may have sound and some may not. Open the volume mixers - to do this, right-click on the system icon in the lower right corner - select:
In the window that opens, check that the volume is set to non-zero for all programs and devices:
* it happens that the sound in the headphones works on the laptop, but the built-in speakers do not work. The problem may just be that the level for the speakers is set to 0.
12. Turn on sound in a program or game
Some programs and games also allow you to control the volume level and mute settings. In this case, you can accidentally turn it off - there will be no sound in this program, but other applications will work with sound.
The settings of each software product must be dealt with individually.
Let's give an example for the Google Chrome browser. In its settings go to the section Additional - Site settings - Sound- check the position of the switch “Allow sites to play sounds (recommended)”:
13. Virus check
In some cases, checking your computer for viruses helps. To do this, you can use any antivirus utility, for example, CureIt.
14. Autoload
If the system reports “The device is being used by another application,” we try to disable one application from startup and restart the computer. If sound appears, turn on programs other than the one that is causing the conflict.
15. Active monitor
If the computer is additionally connected to the TV via HDMI, make sure that the regular monitor and not the TV is active - otherwise the sound may be transmitted to the TV rather than the speakers. You can switch the screen using the Win + P key combination.
16. System error
Any problem with system settings or files can have unexpected effects, such as loss of sound.
If the sound worked before, try checking the system files for damage:
If the system finds corrupted files, restart your computer and check the sound.
17. Error Troubleshooter
Use the Windows Error Troubleshooter. Click on the sound icon in the lower right corner - Troubleshoot audio problems. Follow the error resolution options that the system offers. Windows can automatically find and fix the problem.
18. Rollback updates
If the sound disappears after updating Windows, you can simply roll it back. To do this, go to the control panel (command control) - in the “Programs” settings group, click on Uninstalling a program:
In the menu on the left, click on View installed updates:
We sort the updates by date, so that the latest ones are on top:
We remove the latest updates, after which the sound stopped working. To do this, right-click on update - Delete:
19. Sound card
It is possible that the sound malfunction may be due to a broken sound card. To check this, you can buy an inexpensive USB sound card (about 400 rubles) and connect it to your computer (don't forget to install the driver for it).
20. Reinstall Windows
If the methods described above did not help solve the problem, the only option left is to reinstall the system. It's not the most elegant method, but if all else fails, it's the way to go. After reinstalling the operating system, do not forget to install the sound driver.
If this does not help, then with almost 100 percent probability we can say that the problem is hardware. Check the speakers, wires, connectors, and sound card again.
The reason for the loss of sound may lie in both software and hardware. If the problem is in the hardware, it means that some component has failed.
If the reason for the loss of sound lies in the software environment, then something needs to be corrected either in the system or in individual programs.
If you are doing poorly with the software part, then no matter how high-quality your components are, there will still be no sound.
Many people also ask questions on the Internet such as why the sound in headphones on a computer does not work. The causes and solutions for both speakers and headphones are almost the same.
First check
Before taking your computer for repair, you need to check the cause of the breakdown. If it is software, then, in principle, you can solve it yourself.
Volume control
The volume control can be either software or hardware. The software is located in the lower right corner of the screen.
If you want there to be sound, then the speaker image should not be crossed out, and the slider should not be at the very bottom. You can see how it shouldn't be in the picture below.
The sound can be turned off not only in the system, but also on the speakers. There are a lot of models that have a sound adjustment slider (like on headphones for a computer). You can see a similar slider in the picture below.
The solution to the problem is simply simple. You just need to turn up the sound both on the speakers and in Windows XP or another operating system.
Physical connection of audio output devices
The sound may be lost due to the fact that the speakers or headphones are not connected to the network or computer. Check that the plug is inserted into the audio output of the personal computer, and the plug from the speakers is inserted into the socket.
If the tips listed above do not help, and in 90% of cases they do, we advise you to check the functionality of the speakers with other laptops or computers.
- If you still can’t reproduce something through them, then it’s time for the speakers to either be scrapped or repaired. It's up to you to decide.
- Configuring Audio Settings
- A Windows 7 user can get to the audio settings in several ways, but we will describe the simplest one below.
- go to “Start”;
select “Settings”;
go to the “Control Panel”;
select the “Sound” tab.
If everything in the above listed settings is correct, you did everything according to the instructions, but the sound did not appear, then read the article further.
Is the Windows Audio service running?
Finding the Windows Audio service is quite difficult even for Windows 8 users.
Go through the sections in this order:
If everything is as in the photo above, that is, the service is “Working” and is in “Auto” mode, but the sound still does not work, then this is not the problem. If something is wrong, then you need to turn it on. To do this, right-click on Windows Audio and click “Properties”.
There we set the following parameters:
Setting in BIOS
If you tried all of the above, but still haven’t figured out why the sound disappeared, then most likely the problem lies in the BIOS settings, that is, somehow the sound card was turned off directly in the motherboard settings. What to do next? Everything is described below.
Video: No sound on the computer
First, you need to go into this BIOS. This is done like this:
Speaker problem
If all of the above did not help, then the problem is 100% not software, that is, either the speakers or the sound card are broken.
Check if they are enabled. In most cases, the indicator should be lit to indicate that the speakers are on.
As mentioned above, try connecting the speakers to another computer. If sound does not play back, it means the speakers are broken.
Sound driver
The lack of a sound driver is also a common reason for the loss of sound on a computer.
In order to check the relevance of the drivers and the ability to update them, you need to:
If the audio device driver is installed correctly, you won't notice anything special there.
If there is an exclamation mark next to the audio device, it means there are either no drivers at all, or they do not work correctly. Either search the Internet for your driver, or right-click on it and update.
Sound card hardware failure
If after reinstalling the drivers the sound still does not appear, then the problem is in the sound card itself. Most likely, it simply malfunctioned.
As you can see, problems with sound are most often software rather than hardware. If you can’t get the sound back on your own, contact a specialist.
Do not try to change the sound card yourself; you may damage the motherboard, which is ten times more expensive than the audio card. But still, in 90% of cases the failure is software; the tips listed above should help.
One day, when trying to watch a movie or listen to music, we may encounter the problem of no sound on the computer. In this case, you need to determine why there is no sound on the computer in order to eliminate this problem.
There may be no sound due to hardware or software reasons. The problem may lie in faulty components such as speakers, audio card, or in operating system settings or settings of certain programs. Sound loss can occur on any computer operating system.
Stages of problem solving
- If there is no sound after turning on the computer, this may indicate a malfunction of the operating system. Restart your computer, this will update the operating system and restore sound.
- If the sound is not restored after a reboot, you need to check the audio system connected to the computer. Check whether the audio system is connected to the power supply, as well as directly to the computer. Check to see if the plug is inserted into the correct connector. The sound card has a separate output for a microphone and for speakers (or headphones). Typically the microphone output is pink and the speaker output is green. If you mix them up, there will be no sound.
- If you have an additional computer or laptop, you can try connecting an audio system to it and check it for correct operation. The same can be done by connecting an ordinary mp3 or CD player to the speakers.
- On computers that have been in use for a long time, these connectors may wear out. Therefore, they should be adjusted a little, the audio system wires should be removed and reinserted.
- Then you need to check whether the audio system itself is turned on. There is a power button on the audio system body that must be turned on. When turned on, the LED on the audio system lights up. After this, you should check the functionality of the volume knob.
- If after checking the audio system the sound does not appear, you need to click on the speaker icon on the desktop. If it is crossed out, it means the sound is muted. You will need to click on the icon and adjust the volume.
- If sound is heard on another computer, this means that the computer being tested may have problems with the audio card, or with the sound source program itself, or other problems.
- The computer will need to be scanned for unknown devices. To do this, you will need to click on the “My Computer” icon, then “Properties”, the “Hardware” section, “Device Manager”, and select the “Sound, video and gaming devices” tab from the list. An exclamation mark may appear among audio devices. This may indicate that the device is unrecognized and there is a driver problem. The drivers could have crashed, which sometimes happens after a reboot. To fix this problem, the drivers corresponding to this audio card are reinstalled.
- If the drivers are ok, this means there is a problem with the sound card. To check, it is recommended to test it on another computer. If it is damaged, then you need to buy a new sound card. If you have an audio card that worked initially, you can try installing it in a computer that has no sound. If the speakers produce sound, this may mean that the problem lies in a broken audio card that needs to be changed and installed on the computer.
- In Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can perform a system restore. This is done to return system files and parameters to their original state. You can restore the previous restore point in this way: go to “Start”, then go to “All Programs”, section “Accessories”, section “System Tools” and click “System Restore”.
- The problem of sound disappearing can also occur due to a software conflict. For example, the sound could disappear due to some new program installed on the computer. To do this, check the program settings; the sound may have been muted there initially. Or you may need a special software add-on from the Internet. Otherwise, it is recommended to remove it.
If you hear poor sound, crackling, wheezing, or interruptions in the sound signal from the computer, this indicates a breakdown of the hardware or sound card.