how to turn on headphone sound

Question

The system sound window says there are no devices. How can it recognize the built in devices on the pc?

Answer 1

Hi Williams, Les,

When the Sound settings show no available devices, it usually means Windows can’t currently detect the built‑in audio hardware. This can happen if an audio device is disabled, a required service isn’t running, or the audio driver needs to be refreshed.

In addition to Q&A Assist, please try the following steps to restore detection:

1, Show and enable hidden audio devices

• Go to Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings
• On the Playback tab, right‑click and enable:
  • Show Disabled Devices
  • Show Disconnected Devices
• If speakers appear, Enable and Set as default

2, Restart audio services

• Search for Services in Start
• Restart:
  • Windows Audio
  • Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
• Ensure both are set to Automatic

3, Reinstall the audio driver

• Open Device Manager
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers
• Right‑click the audio device > Uninstall device
• Restart the PC to allow Windows to reload the driver

4, Download and install the latest Audio and Chipset drivers from the PC manufacturer’s support site

• Restart after installation

If the issue persists, please consider running the Windows audio troubleshooter

• Open Get Help
• Search for Fix audio issues
• Apply any recommended fixes

These steps resolve most cases where audio devices aren’t detected. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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Does your headphone have a standard audio connector (Jack connector) or a USB connector, or is it connected via Bluetooth?

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Also, share a screenshot of your system information.

• Press "Windows + R", type msinfo32 and press Enter.

Maximize the window and use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

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I await your reply.

Answer 3

Use these steps to get Windows 11 to recognize and use the built‑in audio (including headphones):

1. Check physical connections and volume
   • Make sure headphones are fully plugged in (correct jack or USB port).
   • If using a USB headset, try a different USB port.
   • Ensure speaker/headphone volume knobs and Windows volume are turned up and not muted.
2. Check audio hardware and volume controls in Windows 11
   • Check cables and jacks, especially if there are multiple 3.5 mm jacks; use the one labeled “headphone” or the green output jack.
   • Confirm the device’s power is on.
   • Verify mute is off and turn up all volume controls (some apps and speakers have their own volume).
   • Unplug headphones to see if built‑in speakers work; then plug them back in and test again.
3. Set the correct output device (when it appears)
   Once devices show up again:
   • Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   • In Output, select the built‑in speakers or headphones as the output device. This also sets it as the default.
4. Run the audio troubleshooter
   • Go to Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
   • In the Audio section, select Run to start the audio troubleshooter and apply any fixes it suggests.
5. Fix “No audio device is installed” / missing devices
   If the Sound window shows no devices at all:
   • Open Device Manager and check under Sound, video and game controllers that an audio device is listed and working.
   • If missing or with an error, install or update the audio driver from the PC manufacturer’s support site.
   • If a recent update broke sound, try rolling back the audio driver to a previous version.
   • Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter from Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and review its report.
6. If devices still do not appear
   • Reinstall the audio driver completely (uninstall from Device Manager, then install the latest driver from the manufacturer).
   • If audio inputs/outputs suddenly disappeared and driver reinstall restores them, keep that driver version.

If, after driver reinstall and troubleshooting, Windows still shows no audio devices, the issue may be hardware‑related and require manufacturer support.

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References:

• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• How to fix this. no audio device is installed - Microsoft Q&A
• My audio inputs and outputs suddenly disappeared, how do i fix this? - Microsoft Q&A