No Sound on Windows 11/10

1. Press a volume-up key and check the speaker icon in the taskbar is not crossed out.
2. Check the physical speaker: power light on, volume knob up, correct input selected.
3. Unplug and replug USB or 3.5 mm cables; try another port.
4. Restart the PC. It sounds trivial but it reloads the audio driver.

Click the speaker icon → the arrow next to the volume slider → pick your speakers or headphones. Windows often switches to a monitor (HDMI/DisplayPort) or a disconnected Bluetooth headset. In Settings → System → Sound, you can also set the default output.

Settings → System → Sound → Volume mixer. Each app has its own slider; make sure your browser is not muted or at zero. On a website, also check that the browser tab itself is not muted (right-click the tab).

Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Audio (Windows 11 may open “Get Help”). It restarts services and fixes common configuration problems automatically.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and choose Restart. Set both to Automatic.

Right-click Start → Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click your device → Update driver. If sound stopped after an update, use Properties → Driver → Roll Back. As a last resort, Uninstall device and restart so Windows reinstalls it. Laptop makers (Realtek, Conexant, Cirrus) often provide better drivers on their support site.

Control Panel → Sound → Playback → your device → Properties. On the Enhancements or Advanced tab, disable enhancements and untick “Allow applications to take exclusive control”. Also try a different Default Format (e.g. 24-bit, 48000 Hz).

In the Playback tab, right-click empty space → Show Disabled Devices. Enable your speakers if they appear greyed out.

Monitors with no speakers still appear as outputs. If sound goes to them, switch back to your speakers. For TVs, also check the TV is not muted and its input is set correctly.

Remove the device in Settings → Bluetooth & devices and pair again. If the headset shows both “Headphones” and “Headset/Hands-Free”, choose Headphones for music: the hands-free profile is mono and low quality.

On desktops, front-panel jacks need the HD Audio header connected, and onboard audio can be disabled in the BIOS. Try the rear jack to rule this out.

Plug headphones into the same PC and a phone into the speakers. Whichever fails is the faulty part. Once sound is back, use the speaker test to confirm both channels.

• Audio Test
• Speaker Test
• Sound Test