How to enable my audio devices

Question

My system says all my audio devices are disabled and the system can't find any audio device

Answer 1

Welcome Jim Carlson,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.  

I understand how frustrating it can be when Windows 11 reports all audio devices as disabled and cannot detect any audio device on your system. 

Before moving forward, I’d like to narrow this down a bit: 

• Are you using only the built‑in speakers, or do you also have external audio devices such as USB headsets or HDMI monitors connected? 
• Does the audio device appear at all in Device Manager, even with a warning icon, or is the Sound category completely missing? 

In addition to the previous suggestions, you could also explore these options

Option 1: Verify audio services are running  

• Press Windows key + R > type services.msc > and press Enter 
• Locate Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder 
• Make sure both are set to Automatic and are currently running 
• If not, start them and restart the PC 

Option 2: Check disabled devices in Sound settings  

• Right‑click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sound settings 
• Select More sound settings 
• Under the Playback tab, right‑click in the empty area 
• Enable Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices 
• If any device appears, enable it and set it as Default 

Option 3: Scan for hardware changes  

• Open Device Manager from the Start menu 
• Select Action, then Scan for hardware changes 
• Restart the PC afterward 

Option 4: Install optional driver updates  

• Go to Settings > Windows Update 
• Select Advanced options 
• Open Optional updates and check for any audio or chipset drivers 
• Install available updates and restart 

I really hope that the information I gave above was helpful to you. Please feel free to reply below and let me know if you have further concern on this matter.  

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Answer 2

Hi, good day!

• When was the last time it worked properly?
• Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
• 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 as Microsoft Q&A is a public forum.

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Please try the following methods below.

Run the Troubleshooter

Press Windows key+I to open Settings

Select System > Troubleshoot

Select "Other troubleshooters" then Run "Audio"

If the internal speaker is missing, the driver may be corrupted.

Open Device Manager again

Expand Sound, video and game controllers.

Right-click your audio device (e.g. Realtek Audio, Intel Smart Sound, Conexant, etc.)

Click Uninstall device.

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

Restart your computer.

Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.

If this does not work, it would be best to visit your manufacturer's support page to download and install the latest Audio driver for your device.

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I look forward to receiving your update and I'm willing to collaborate with you till we resolve the issue. Do keep me informed by clicking "Add comment" below.