No sound from the computer

Nine times out of ten the sound is going to the wrong device or something is muted. Check those before touching drivers.

What you seeA speaker icon with a cross; "No audio output device is installed"; silence

1. Choose the right output

Click the speaker icon on the taskbar. On Windows 11, click the small arrow or sliders icon beside the volume bar; on Windows 10, click the device name above the bar. A list of outputs appears: laptop speakers, headphones, a monitor or TV on HDMI, a Bluetooth device. Pick the one you are listening on. Windows often switches to a monitor or a headset that is connected but silent.

2. Check every volume and mute

• The volume bar itself, and the mute key on the keyboard (often with a crossed speaker and a small light).
• The app's own volume: the video player, the browser tab (right-click the tab › Unmute site), the meeting app's speaker setting.
• Volume mixer: right-click the speaker icon › Open volume mixer. Each open app has its own slider; one may be at zero.
• The speakers' own knob and power, and the headset's inline mute switch.

3. Check the connection

• Wired headphones or speakers: push the plug fully in, in the green or headphone-marked socket. Try them on a phone to be sure they work.
• USB headsets: try another port.
• HDMI to a TV or monitor: the sound follows the HDMI cable only if that display is chosen as the output, and the TV's own volume is up.
• Bluetooth: see Bluetooth not working.

4. Restart

Restarting clears a stuck audio service. It is quicker than everything below.

5. Run the audio troubleshooter

Windows 11: Settings › System › Troubleshoot › Other troubleshooters › Audio › Run. Windows 10: right-click the speaker icon › Troubleshoot sound problems.

6. Check sound settings

Settings › System › Sound. Under Output, click your device.

• Make sure it is not disabled: "Audio: Allow".
• Set Audio enhancements to Off and Spatial sound to Off for a test.
• Under More sound settings (the old Sound window), on the Playback tab, right-click an empty area and tick Show Disabled Devices. Right-click your speakers › Enable, and › Set as Default Device.

7. Restart the audio services

Windows key + R › services.msc. Right-click Windows Audio › Restart. Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. Both should be set to Automatic.

8. Reinstall the sound driver

1. Right-click Start › Device Manager › expand Sound, video and game controllers.
2. Right-click your audio device (often "Realtek Audio" or "High Definition Audio Device") › Uninstall device. Do not tick the box to delete the driver.
3. Restart. Windows installs the driver again.

If sound stopped after an update: the same device › Properties › Driver › Roll Back Driver. For the newest driver, use Windows Update › Advanced options › Optional updates, or the support page for your computer model.

If "Sound, video and game controllers" shows a yellow mark or no audio device at all, and the taskbar says No audio output device is installed, the driver is missing: install it from the maker's support page.

9. Still silent?

• Test with headphones. Sound in headphones but not in the laptop speakers suggests the speakers or the headphone socket's switch have failed.
• Start in Safe Mode is no test here: sound is disabled there.
• Try System Restore to a date when sound worked.

For Windows 11 and Windows 10. Written in November 2026. Menus move between updates; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up important files before any step that resets, repairs a disk or opens the computer. This is an independent guide, not connected with Microsoft.