How to resolve No sound in Windows

Step 1: Check hardware

Many sound problems are caused by hardware that isn't set up properly. This step covers checking your sound card, plugging cables into the correct locations, making sure the hardware has power, and checking the volume.

1. Check your sound card

Check to make sure your computer has a sound card, or sound processor, and it's working properly.

1. ‌Open Device Manager by clicking Start, pointing to Control Panel, clicking System, clicking the Hardware tab, and then, clicking Device Manager.
2. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category. If a sound card is listed, you have one installed. If no sound card is listed, check the information that came with your computer to see if there's supposed to be a sound card installed. If there should be a sound card installed, you'll need to install one according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   Notes

   • If you think you have a sound card installed but you don't see it under the Sound, video and game controllers category, expand the Other devices category and check the devices listed there.
   • Laptops don't usually have sound cards. Instead, they have integrated sound processors, which appear in the same category in Device Manager.

If there's a yellow question mark next to the name of the sound card in Device Manager, there might be a problem.

1. Right-click the name of the sound card, and then click Properties.
2. Click the General tab, and then look in the Device status box to identify problems with the sound card.
   If there's a problem, you might need a new driver for your sound card. For more information, see Step 3: Update drivers.

2. Check if the cables are connected properly

Speakers and headphones

If you're using external speakers, make sure that they are correctly connected to the computer.

Many computers have three or more jacks that connect to a sound card or sound processor, including a microphone jack, line-in jack, and line-out jack. Your speakers should be plugged in to the line-out jack. If you're not sure which jack this is, try plugging your speakers in to each of the jacks to see if any of them produce sound.

Microphone, line-in, and line-out jacks on a typical computer

If you're using headphones, make sure they aren't plugged into the line out (headphone) jack of your sound card or computer (unless you want to be listening with headphones rather than speakers). When you plug in headphones, most computers automatically cut the sound to the speakers.

USB audio devices

If you’re using a USB audio device and also have an internal audio device installed, try these basic troubleshooting steps:

• Unplug the USB audio device and restart your audio program. Test for sound using the internal audio device. If you hear sound, there might be problems with the USB audio driver or with Windows not using the USB audio device as the default audio device.
• Close all audio programs, unplug the USB audio device, wait for the USB driver to be uninstalled (this should happen fairly quickly), plug the USB audio device back in to the USB port, wait for the driver to load, and then start the audio program and check for sound.
• Check that you have the correct audio device set as the default in Windows and in the program.
• Check the audio device manufacturer’s website for updated drivers.

3. Check power and volume

If you have speakers, make sure they're plugged into a working power source and turned on.

Make sure that your speaker volume or headphone volume isn't muted or turned down too low. This is particularly important for laptops, which often have small speakers that can be hard to hear.

1. Click Start, point to Control panel, and then click Sounds and Audio Devices.
2. Under Device volume, move the slider to the right to increase the volume.
   Make sure the Mute check box isn't selected.
3. Click Speaker Volume, and make sure the sliders aren't set to Low.

Note

• Some laptops have an external volume control on the outside of the case. If you're using a laptop, check the external volume control to make sure it's not turned all the way down.

In some cases you might have several volume controls to check. For example, if you're using Windows Media Player it has its own volume control, Windows has a volume control, and your external speakers have their own volume control. If any of these volume controls are set to their lowest setting, you won't hear any sound.

Step 2: Use a troubleshooter

A troubleshooter is an automated tool that can find and automatically fix some problems with your PC. The audio troubleshooter can diagnose and fix common sound playback and hardware problems.

Step 3: Update drivers

For Windows to recognize your sound card or sound processor, you need a compatible driver. Most sound cards and sound processors require driver software to work properly. Outdated, incompatible, or damaged sound card drivers can disrupt communication between the computer and the sound card.

If you recently upgraded from one version of Windows to another, it's possible that the current sound card driver was designed for the previous version of Windows. If you've had recent power outages, viruses, or other computer problems, it's possible that the drivers have become damaged. Downloading and installing the latest sound card driver for your sound card can help resolve these types of problems.

Here are three ways to find and install a driver:

• Use Windows Update. You might need to set Windows Update to automatically download and install recommended updates. Installing any important, recommended, and optional updates can update system features and other software that might help fix your sound problems.
• Install software from the device manufacturer. If your device came with a disc, that disc might contain software that installs a driver for the device.
• Download and install the driver yourself. You can search for a driver on the manufacturer's website. Try this if Windows Update can't find a driver for your device and the device didn't come with software that installs a driver.

Follow the steps below to update drivers.

To automatically update drivers using Windows Update

1. ‌Open Automatic Updates by clicking Start, pointing to Control Panel, and clicking Automatic Updates.
2. Click Automatic, and then select the day and time to download updates.
3. Click Apply.

Notes

• Windows will automatically download available updates and drivers on the next day and time you selected. Check to see if your sound problems are resolved after that first update takes place.
• You might need to update Windows XP to the most current version available before you can use Windows Update. For more information about updating Windows and resolving problems with Windows Update, see Windows Update.

To download and install a driver yourself

If Windows can't find a driver for your sound card or sound processor, and the device didn't come with driver software, you can look for a driver on the manufacturer's website. Driver updates are often available in the support section of such websites.

To locate the driver, find the manufacturer and model name or number of your sound card, and then visit the Hardware and software vendor contact information website. Once you find your manufacturer, go to its website and locate and download the latest driver for your sound card.

If you can't find the manufacturer and model name or number of your sound card, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type dxdiag, and then click OK.
3. Click the Sound tab.
4. In the Device section, next to Name, copy or write down the name of the device. In the Drivers section, next to Provider, copy or write down the manufacturer of the device.
5. Click Exit.
   Once you know the name and manufacturer of your sound card, you can look for a driver on the device manufacturer's website. Driver updates are often available in the support section of such websites.
   If you find an updated driver, follow the installation instructions on the website. Most drivers are self-installing—after you download them, you usually double-click the file to begin the installation, and then the driver installs itself on your computer.