How to fix the sound on my computer

Hi keith pruitt,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum and I’m really sorry to hear that you’re running into sound issues on your Windows 11 device.

Just to help us pinpoint the cause, do you recall if this started after a Windows update or anything new was installed?

Besides, when you open Settings > System > Sound > Output, do you see your audio device listed there, or does Windows show “No output device found”? This detail helps us determine whether Windows recognizes your audio hardware.

In the meantime, here’s one important step you can try, which is updating your audio driver directly from your device manufacturer’s website. Please visit the official support site for your computer or motherboard manufacturer and download the latest audio driver for your specific model. Installing the manufacturer‑provided driver often resolves issues caused by outdated or incompatible versions bundled with Windows.

If possible, please also try plugging in an external speaker or a pair of headphones. This helps confirm whether sound works through another device, which can tell us if the issue is hardware‑related or only affecting the built‑in speakers.

Let me know what you find, and we’ll take the next step together.

Thank you for your patience.

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Hi ,

If it is a laptop or desktop, if possible, could you provide the laptop model or your desktop configuration?

Access the device manager, take a screenshot, and post it here.

Thanks

To troubleshoot the sound issue on your computer, you can follow these steps:

1. Check Audio Connections: Ensure that your speakers or headphones are properly connected to the audio jack. If you are using a USB audio device, try connecting it to a different USB port.
2. Check Sound Settings: Go to Settings > System > Sound and ensure that the correct output device is selected. You can also check the volume levels here.
3. Show Disabled Devices: In the Sound Control Panel, right-click in the background and select "Show Disabled Devices" to see if your audio device is disabled. If it is, enable it.
4. Update Drivers: Make sure your audio drivers are up to date. You can do this through Device Manager by right-clicking on your audio device and selecting "Update Driver."
5. Run the Audio Troubleshooter: Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can help diagnose and fix audio problems. You can find it in Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Playing Audio.
6. Restart Audio Services: Open the Run dialog (Windows + R), type services.msc, and press Enter. Find "Windows Audio" and "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder," right-click each, and select "Restart."
7. System File Checker: If you suspect system files might be corrupted, you can run the System File Checker tool. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type sfc /scannow, then press Enter.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider checking for Windows updates or reinstalling your audio drivers.

References:

• USB audio device not playing
• Troubleshooting Audio Testing

@keith pruitt

Try to reinstall the audio driver once

Hi all,

If the issue still persists after completing the basic audio/sound troubleshooting, you may want to consider performing an in‑place upgrade (repair install) of Windows, which can help repair system components without removing your files or apps.

*Disclaimer: Let’s try performing an in-place install or in-place upgrade which will refresh your Windows files and operating system without removing files or applications. That being said, we always recommend that if you have important data, you should back it up before making large system changes. If you want to back up your data first, please do so. Once you are done backing up, you can follow the steps in the following guides: How to run In-place upgrade in Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A 

If that doesn’t resolve the problem, a clean installation of Windows would be the next step to rule out any deeper system corruption.

*Disclaimer: At this point, we have exhausted all troubleshooting and I recommend that we try to perform a clean install to get your computer back into a working condition. Please ensure that you backup any important data, including Documents, Pictures, Videos, and more. 

Should the sound issue continue even after a clean install, it’s very likely that the cause may be hardware‑related (such as the audio chip, speakers, or related components). In that case, I’d recommend having the device checked by an authorized service provider or qualified technician.
Best regards.