No sound from 3.5mm jack after formatting to Windows 11 — only USB headset works

Hi Kenco123_99,

Thank you for posting here in Community.

That sounds incredibly frustrating—I can definitely understand how inconvenient it must be to have your audio jacks suddenly stop working after a clean Windows 11 install. But don’t worry, we’ll troubleshoot this together and get your sound back up and running!

Is this a PC tower desktop?

When was the last time it works?

Based on what you’ve tried so far, it looks like your system isn’t recognizing the Realtek audio device at all. Here are some steps that might help:

Step 1: Check Hidden Devices in Device Manager

1. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Select Device Manager).
2. Click View → Show hidden devices.
3. Look under Sound, video and game controllers for anything related to Realtek.
   • If you see Realtek devices, right-click and enable them (if disabled) or uninstall and reinstall the driver.

Step 2: Install Realtek Drivers Properly

Since your motherboard uses Realtek audio, let's ensure the correct drivers are installed:

1. Download the latest Realtek audio driver from your motherboard’s official website.
2. Before installing, do this:
   • Open Device Manager.
   • If you see any Realtek audio devices, uninstall the driver (check the box for "Delete the driver software for this device").
   • Restart your PC.
3. Install the downloaded Realtek driver.
4. Restart once more and check if the issue persists.

Step 3: Enable Audio in BIOS (Double-Check)

Even though you mentioned onboard audio is enabled, let’s confirm:

1. Boot into your BIOS (Del or F2 during startup).
2. Look for Integrated Peripherals or Onboard Devices.
3. Ensure HD Audio Controller (or something similar) is set to Enabled.
4. Save and exit, then reboot into Windows.

Step 4: Try a Generic Realtek Driver

1. Press Win + X, then select Device Manager.
2. Right-click any audio devices listed under Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Select Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list.
4. Choose High Definition Audio Device (instead of Realtek) and click Next.
5. Restart and test audio jacks again.

Step 5: Check Realtek Audio Console

If Realtek drivers are installed but there’s no Realtek Audio Console, download it from the Microsoft Store.

• If the console still doesn’t appear, it could indicate missing dependencies—sometimes manually installing Realtek UAD Drivers can help.

Step 6: Try a Windows Update

1. Go to Settings → Windows Update.
2. Check for Optional Updates, especially under Driver Updates.
3. Install any Realtek-related updates and restart.

Hopefully, one of these steps gets your audio back on track! Let me know what happens—I’m here to help troubleshoot further if needed. You’ve already done a great job troubleshooting, so we’re close to figuring this out. Hang in there!

Best regards,

Bo | Microsoft Community

Hi Kenco123_99,

We have noticed that you have not replied to our last response. We would like to know if the issue you have raised to us is still on-going. If yes, please reply to the thread so we can continue troubleshooting your concern. 

Thank you.

Hi Kenco123_99,

Thank you for the response.

I totally agree with you. For this, my suggestion is to locate the brand and model of the motherboard and hoping you can search the model of your motherboard then after searching it on website, you need to look on their website about the drivers. All the drivers in your computer PC are handled by the system manufacturer. Once you get on the brand and model of the computer's website, there should be a software tab thing where drivers are stored, or technical support. You may try to contact the system manufacturer for them to help you as well locating the exact driver for Audio.

Best regards,

Bo | Microsoft Community

Hi Bo A,

Thanks for your suggestions. I’ve already tried all the steps you mentioned, but unfortunately, nothing has worked so far. The main issue is that I can’t find anything related to Realtek under “Sound, video and game controllers” or anywhere else in Device Manager — so I’m unable to uninstall or update the Realtek driver.

I also checked the BIOS, and the HD Audio Controller is already enabled. As for switching to the generic driver, I’m unable to do that either because there’s no Realtek driver listed to begin with.

Appreciate any further suggestions you might have!

Hi Bo A,

Thanks for your suggestions. I’ve already tried all the steps you mentioned, but unfortunately, nothing has worked so far. The main issue is that I can’t find anything related to Realtek under “Sound, video and game controllers” or anywhere else in Device Manager , so I’m unable to uninstall or update the Realtek driver.

I also checked the BIOS, and the HD Audio Controller is already enabled. As for switching to the generic driver, I’m unable to do that either because there’s no Realtek driver listed to begin with.

Appreciate any further suggestions you might have! thank you