Hi George,
I understand your concern. Let me help you further.
Did you notice any hardware or software changes prior to the issue?
The issue might occur if the sound and audio drivers are outdated. I suggest you to follow the steps below and check if the issue persists.
- Press Windows key + letter 'R.'
- Type "Devmgmt.msc" and hit OK.
- Expand "Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right click on the sound driver and select Uninstall.
- Put a check mark to the box which says “Delete the driver software for this device”.
- Press OK.
- Restart the computer.
- Check if the issue persists.
Hope it helps. Please reply to us with the status so that we can help you further.