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Sound won’t work on PC

8 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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If there isno soundon your Windows 7, 8, 10 PC/laptop, follow the troubleshooting steps listed in this article.Sound issueson PC/laptop are very common, yetthe solutionis not always that obvious or easy to find.

Sound won’t come out of computer

There are many possible explanations as to why there is no audio on PC/ laptop. Generally speaking, sound is missing due to hardware of software issues. As a result, in order tofix sound problemson PC/ laptop, you need to first make sure that your hardware is working properly. If you haven’t identified any hardware problems, focus on finding and fixing the software-related issues.

Without further ado, here are the steps to follow to fix sound problems on PC.

Fix sound issues on PC/ laptop

Solution 1 — Check your cables and speakers

First things first, make sure that you plugged your cables the right way and turned on thespeakers. Maybe youtripped over the cablesand you unplugged them by mistakes or you forgot that you turned off the speakers five minutes ago.

Also, if there is no sound when you launch a particular program, test the sound in other apps and programs to make sure that is not a program-specific issue.

Solution 2 — Use Microsoft’s audio troubleshooter

Before you dive into troubleshooting, use Microsoft audio troubleshooter to fix the sound problems you’re experiencing on PC.

You candownload itfrom Microsoft’s support page. You can also use the Windows built-in audio troubleshooter:

Solution 3 — Make sure that your audio device is enabled

Solution 4 — Update your audio input/ output driver

Make sure that your audio driver is up to date. Oftentimes, if your driver is obsolete, you may experience varioussound bugs.

Solution 5 — Roll back audio drivers

Sometimes, various drivers and especiallyGPU driversmay override audio drivers. Try rolling back audio drivers and check if sound is available when using a previous driver version. Additionally, disable any audio enhancements and use only standard settings.

Here are the steps to follow to roll back audio drivers:

If the problem persists, move down to the next solution.

Solution 6 — Update your sound card driver

If there is no sound coming out of your PC after installing the latest audio drivers, check yoursound card. Here’s how you can do that:

Solution 7 — Change the audio output device

Sometimes, GPU drivers change the default audio output device. Here’s who you can enable the default settings:

Solution 8 — Change the default sound format

This is actually a very common issue that causes sound problems on speakers orheadphones. If your default sound format is wrong, you can’t play any sound on your computer.

Here’s how to change the default sound format:

It is worth mentioning that these settings aren’t the same for all users. Enable various sound formats, test them and select the one appropriate for your device.

Solution 9 — Download the SigmaTel Audio Driver

If you have no sound on yourDell computer, try downloading the SigmaTel Audio Driver. Many users reported that after installing this driver, sound came back.

The only problem is that there are many SigmaTel Audio Driver versions available depending on your Windows version. Second, this fix works only for older Windows versions.

For example, theSigmatel STAC 975X AC97 Audio Driverprovides the necessary audio support for the Inspiron Notebook, Latitude, Precision and XPS Notebook models running Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Search for the appropriate Sigmatel audio driver, install it and check if the issue persists.

Solution 10 — Another program is controlling your sound

If there is no sound on your PC, another program may be controlling your sound. Some apps and programs tend to seize exclusive control over your computer, turning off sound on speakers.

To fix this, you need to block apps from taking exclusive control over your audio device:

If you’re running Windows 8, uninstall KB2962407. Many users reported that this old cumulative update breaks audio. Go to Windows Updates, check the Update history and simply remove this update from the list.

Solution 11 — Check Windows Audio and Audiosrv

Make sure that the Windows Audio and Audiosrv services are running:

Solution 12 — Run SFC

This action allows you torepair corrupt system filesthat may be causing audio issues.

Solution 13 — Install the latest Windows updates

Make sure that you’re running thelatest Windows OS updateson your machine. As a quick reminder, Microsoft constantly rolls out Windows updates in order to improve the system’s stability and fix various issues.

To access the Windows Update section, you can simply type “update” in the search box. This method works on all Windows versions. Then go to Windows Update, check for updates and install the available updates.

Solution 14 — Configure on-board sound in BIOS

Before you proceed, keep in mind that this solution is a complex one and the steps to follow require advanced technical skills. If you’re not comfortable with tweaking your PC’s BIOS, skip this solution.

You’ve reached the end of your troubleshooting guide. We hope that one of the workarounds listed above helped you fix the audio issues affecting your PC.

For more information on how to fix specific audio problems, check out the articles below:

Sound won’t work on PC#

Sound won’t come out of computer#

Fix sound issues on PC/ laptop#

Solution 1 — Check your cables and speakers#

Solution 2 — Use Microsoft’s audio troubleshooter#

Solution 3 — Make sure that your audio device is enabled#

Solution 4 — Update your audio input/ output driver#

Solution 5 — Roll back audio drivers#

Solution 6 — Update your sound card driver#

Solution 7 — Change the audio output device#

Solution 8 — Change the default sound format#

Solution 9 — Download the SigmaTel Audio Driver#

Solution 10 — Another program is controlling your sound#

Solution 11 — Check Windows Audio and Audiosrv#

Solution 12 — Run SFC#

Solution 13 — Install the latest Windows updates#

Solution 14 — Configure on-board sound in BIOS#