Published 2023-12-05 by TechNet New England
No sound on Windows is usually caused by the wrong output device being selected, a muted volume, or a driver issue. ## Check the Basics 1. **Is the volume up?** Click the speaker icon in the taskbar and check the volume slider. Make sure it is not muted. 2. **Is the right output device selected?** Click the speaker icon, then click the arrow next to the volume slider to see all output devices. Make sure headphones, speakers, or the correct monitor is selected. 3. **Are headphones plugged in?** If headphones are connected, sound goes there instead of speakers. ## Fix 1: Check Sound Settings 1. Go to **Settings > System > Sound**. 2. Under **Output**, select the correct device. 3. Click the output device and check the volume is not set to zero. 4. Click **Test** to play a test tone. ## Fix 2: Run the Audio Troubleshooter 1. Go to **Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters**. 2. Click **Run** next to **Playing Audio**. 3. Follow the prompts. ## Fix 3: Restart the Windows Audio Service 1. Press **Win + R**, type `services.msc`, press Enter. 2. Find **Windows Audio** in the list. 3. Right-click it and select **Restart**. 4. Also restart **Windows Audio Endpoint Builder**. ## Fix 4: Update Audio Drivers 1. Open **Device Manager** (right-click Start > Device Manager). 2. Expand **Sound, video and game controllers**. 3. Right-click your audio device and select **Update driver > Search automatically**. 4. If that does not help, visit your computer manufacturer's website and download the latest audio driver. ## Fix 5: Check Application Volume Windows lets each application have its own volume level. 1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar. 2. Select **Volume mixer**. 3. Check that the specific application you are using is not muted or set to zero. ## Fix 6: Set the Default Audio Device 1. Right-click the speaker icon > **Sound settings**. 2. Scroll to **Advanced > More sound settings**. 3. In the **Playback** tab, right-click the correct device and select **Set as Default Device**. ## HDMI or DisplayPort Audio If you connected a monitor via HDMI or DisplayPort and lost audio: The audio may be routing to the monitor instead of your speakers. In Sound settings, select your speakers as the output device instead of the monitor. ## When to Contact IT If no audio devices appear in Device Manager or Sound settings, the audio hardware may have failed or a driver is missing. Contact your IT provider.