Windows 10 No Sound: How to Fix Audio Problems

Windows 10 No Sound: How to Fix Audio Problems

/ James Masterson

Many users face the issue of no audio or sound on their Windows 10 system. This problem often occurs after you have upgraded from a previous version of Windows to Windows 10.

If you are facing Windows 10 audio issues, you need not panic. These issues are easy to solve with our guide. We have given seven simple fixes from which you can use anyone that works for your Windows 10 system.

Windows Automatic Repair Tool
Windows 10
System Information
  • Your machine is currently running Windows 10
  • Fortect is compatible with your operating system.

Recommended: To repair Windows Errors, use this software package; Fortect System Repair. This repair tool has been proven to identify and fix these errors and other Windows problems with very high efficiency.

Download Now
Fortect System Repair
Norton Digicert
  • 100% safe as confirmed by Norton.
  • Only your system and hardware are evaluated.

Note: we have detailed guides that deal with more specific issues including; HDMI audio issues, youtube audio renderer errors, and Audio Service not running on Windows.

Check Your Speaker/Headphone Connections

Ensure that the audio devices connected to your computer are plugged into the correct audio ports. There are multiple audio ports in some laptops/computers that one may mistake for the correct audio port. Look for the speaker icon on the audio ports on laptops, and for desktop computers, the audio port should be labeled green.

Once you have checked all the connections, ensure that your output device is powered on and the volume is at least 50%.

Check Your Speaker Settings

Here are the steps to check the speaker settings:

Step 1:

You can find the speaker icon at the bottom of the desktop. Right-click the speaker icon and choose Playback devices under Open Volume Mixer in the open window.

Playback Devices

Step 2:

Check whether there is a tick in green color against the speakers under the Playback tab. This green-colored tick denotes the speakers remain the primary default output device for audio playback.

If the speakers are not set as default, you must click the speakers, choose the Set Default device option, and press the OK option. Test whether the sound issue has been resolved.

Speakers

If the sound issue persists even after setting speakers as the default audio device for playback, you need to test with different audio formats. Click on ‘Speakers‘ and then the device ‘Properties‘ option on the audio device.

Set as Default

Step 3:

Choose the ‘Advanced tab‘ and in the Default Format section, choose another bit depth and sample rate and click on Test.

Keep repeating this method until you get a format that solves the issue. Click on the OK option. If not, move on to our next solution.

Default Format

Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Drivers

Sound issues on Windows 10 can occur if the audio driver is corrupted, removed, or incompatible with your Windows 10 system. You have to uninstall the audio driver using the following steps:

Step 1:

Press the Windows key and the X key simultaneously. This will open the menu for quick access.

Device_Manager on list

Step 2:

Click on “Device Manager

Step 3:

Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers present under Device Manager. Use right-click on the sound card. Choose the Uninstall option.

Sound

Step 4:

If you are prompted to confirm the uninstall command, check the box with ‘Delete the driver software for this device and choose OK.

Delete the driver software

Step 5:

Now restart the computer to find out whether the sound issue is resolved. If this does not fix the audio issues, move on to our next step.

Check out our guide on How to Update Device Drivers in Windows 10.

Update Audio Device Drivers

If experimenting with different audio enhancements and uninstalling your audio driver didn’t bring back your sound in Windows 10, you’re likely using the wrong audio driver.

Using an incompatible audio driver may also cause the issue. You can perform a manual driver update or the automatic method.

Manually Update Drivers

Visit the sound card manufacturer’s website to find your system’s most recent device driver and the version of Windows 10 you have. Ensure that the installer file is compatible with your sound card to update drivers successfully.

Update Audio Driver Automatically

You can also use software like ‘Driver Easy’ to update the driver. This tool will identify your system, choose the correct driver for the Windows 10 variant and sound card you possess, and install the driver on your system correctly.

See Also: Windows Update Stuck? Here Is What You Need To Do!

Turn Off Audio Enhancements

The audio enhancements feature in Windows 10 is necessary for the sound card to work correctly. But this can obstruct the performance of the driver. So you have to turn off the enhancements by following the steps below:

Step 1:

Open sound settings by pressing both R and Windows keys simultaneously and type Control in the search box. Now press the Enter key.

Step 2:

Under the Large Icons, choose the Sound option.

Step 3:

Under the playback tab in the sound settings option, choose the default playback device, and right-click on it. Choose the device Properties in the drop-down menu that appears.

Enhancement Tab

Step 4:

Choose the Enhancement tab and tick the ‘Disable all sound effects‘ tab.

Step 5:

Check whether the sound has returned. If the sound issue persists, revert his option, repeat steps 2 and 3 with the other default device, and try again.

Fix Realtek Audio

Changing the Realtek high definition audio device driver can also solve the sound issue. Here are the steps for this solution:

Step 1:

Click on the ‘Start‘ menu and type ‘Run‘ in the search box. You will find the ‘Run‘ dialog box displayed on the desktop.

See Also: Windows 10 Search not Working

Run

Step 2:

In the Run box, type devmgmt.msc and click on OK to open the Device Manager.

devmgmt

Step 3:

Expand the ‘sound, video and game controllers under the device manager. Use the right-click option on ‘Realtek high definition audio or ‘High Definition Audio Device.’ If you have a generic audio driver, it should also be indicated. You will see a pop window with a context menu. Choose the Uninstall option to uninstall device drivers.

Realtek sound card

Step 4:

You will see a pop-up box for Realtek Audio or a Generic Audio Driver. Check the box beside “Delete the driver software for this device” and choose OK.

Delete

Step 5:

To make the changes effective, you have to reboot the system. Once the system restarts, it will reinstall the Realtek driver. Now check if all the audio issues have been fixed.

Check the Audio Troubleshooter

You can also resolve the issues in the Windows 10 operating system itself. The built-in audio driver troubleshooter feature in Windows 10 can help identify the audio or network issues you face with the upgraded operating system version.  

Here are the steps to run the audio troubleshooter:

Step 1:

In the sound icon in the taskbar, right-click and choose the ‘Troubleshoot sound problems‘ option from the right icon menu. The audio troubleshooter feature will be activated and automatically scan and identify any errors present.

Troubleshoot sound problems

Step 2:

If the troubleshooter identifies a problem, it will send you a notification or try resolving it automatically if possible.

If it does not automatically fix the issue, it will inform you about the problems found in detail and provide you with steps to follow to resolve them on your own.

If it does not find any visible fault, it will just say that the device did not identify any issues and provide you with other options.

Step 3:

If the troubleshooter indicates unplugged audio devices, you must check the connection between the speakers and the physical link. You need to verify the link for a proper connection.

Restart Windows Audio Endpoint Builder Service

The WAEB service is in charge of managing audio endpoint devices in the Windows 10 operating system. The speakers in your equipment and on a computer or a remote multimedia device may be used by the WAEB. Sometimes, it may need to be refreshed to fix audio issues.

Restart Audio Services

In some cases, a disabled audio device in Windows 10 may cause sound and audio issues. In such a situation, you must disable and re-enable the audio device services.

Here are the steps involved in restarting your audio devices:

Step 1:

Press the Windows key and R key to open the Run feature.

service

Step 2:

Type “service.msc” to help launch the ‘Services‘ option.

Step 3:

Select Windows Audio service and ensure the status of the service as ‘Running.’ You can also right-click the ‘service‘ option and use the ‘Start‘ feature from the menu to initiate the service.

Windows Audio Service

Step 4:

You have to restart the system to fix any issues. You need to right-click the service’s mouse and choose ‘Stop’ to disable the service.  

Now right-click again and choose the ‘Start‘ option to make the service function. Restart your computer and check if the audio issues have been fixed.

Stop Audio Service

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my Sound Back on Windows 10?

No sound issues can occur if the sound driver is corrupted, removed, or incompatible with your Windows 10 system. You have to uninstall the audio drivers.

Why does my PC have no sound?

You usually have to fix sound problems after upgrading your computer to a new operating system; most of the time, it happens with new Windows 10 installations.

James Masterson
Meet the author

James is a software engineer and an information architect with a keen eye for detail. Among his key interests are enhancing the usability of our Windows 10 content, troubleshooting errors, and tech news.