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how do I eliminate the little white "x" in the black dot that sits on my audio icon on the bar at the bottom of the screen?

Mark Zier 0 Reputation points
2026-04-29T01:41:03.96+00:00

I get no sound on the computer, and the "speaker" icon at the bottom of the screen is overlaid with a white "x" in a black dot.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers
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  1. John DeV 164.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-04-29T02:18:15.7033333+00:00

    Hi, good day!

    The white “X” on the speaker icon usually means Windows isn’t detecting any audio device or the audio service might be off.

    • When was the last time it worked properly?
    • Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
    • Have you tried the AI suggested solutions?

    Here are some of the things you can try.

    Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: services.msc

    Press Enter

    Double-click Windows Audio

    If the Startup status lists Stopped, click Start and then click OK. If the status is Running, right click then select Restart

    Open Device Manager

    Click View > Show hidden devices

    Expand the Sound, video and game controllers

    Find the Realtek Audio driver in the list

    Right click it and select Update

    Click "Browse my computer for driver software"

    Select "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer"

    Make sure to put a check mark "Show compatible hardware"

    Select an older driver from the list

    Click Next then restart your computer

    If this does not work, right click Realtek Audio driver again then select Uninstall

    Tick "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" box

    Click Uninstall

    Restart your computer

    If the issue persists, what is the exact make and model of your computer?

    Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: msinfo32

    Press Enter

    Please take a screenshot of the System Information window and post it in your next response. Note: Don't include any personal information or sensitive data.

    I look forward to your update and am happy to continue working with you until the issue is resolved. If you find the answer helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and consider upvoting it. Otherwise, please keep me posted by clicking "Add comment" below instead of selecting Yes or No.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-29T01:41:15.93+00:00

    The white “x” on the speaker icon means Windows detects no working audio output device or that output is muted/disabled. Use these steps in Windows 10 to clear it and restore sound:

    1. Check that sound isn’t muted or disabled
      1. Right-click the Speakers icon on the taskbar and select Open Volume mixer.
      2. In the Volume Mixer, make sure none of the sliders show a red circle with a line through it. If they do, click the icon to unmute.
      3. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
      4. Under Output, select the device you want to use, then select Device properties.
      5. Make sure the Disable check box is cleared for the output device.
    2. Set the correct default audio device
      1. In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel and open it.
      2. Select Hardware and Sound > Sound.
      3. On the Playback tab, select your speakers or headphones.
      4. Click Set as Default Device, then OK.
    3. Turn off audio enhancements (if audio device is present but still not working)
      1. In Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound, go to the Playback tab.
      2. Right-click the Default Device and select Properties.
      3. On the Enhancements tab, select Disable all enhancements (or Disable all sound effects), then select OK and test sound.
    4. Run the audio troubleshooter
      1. Select Start > Settings > Update & security.
      2. Select Troubleshoot from the left menu.
      3. Under Find and fix problems, select Playing audio > Run the troubleshooter and follow the prompts.

    If the “x” remains after these steps, update or reinstall the audio driver via Device Manager as indicated in the referenced articles, then restart the PC and recheck the speaker icon.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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