How to Fix Sound Issues on a Windows Computer

This Mytour article guides you through fixing common issues that can cause sound loss on computers running Windows. Keep in mind that the problem you're dealing with might be too complex to identify and fix on your own. In such cases, it’s best to take your computer to a qualified technician for repairs.

Make sure your computer's sound is not muted. It's possible that you unintentionally lowered the volume. Before trying any other methods, press the "Volume Up" button to see if the volume increases.

• If the volume is already at maximum and there’s still no sound, proceed to the next step.

Check the audio device's connection. If the speakers or headphones are loosely connected, there will likely be no sound at all.

• Make sure the audio device is plugged into the correct port.

Identify the malfunctioning audio device. The best way to test is to play a song while plugging and unplugging the device. If you hear sound from your computer's default speakers instead of your audio system, the issue likely doesn't originate from the computer itself.

Restart your computer. Before attempting more drastic measures, you can try restarting your computer to restore sound. If the sound issue is resolved after rebooting, you won't need to do further troubleshooting.

Right-click the volume icon. This icon looks like a speaker and is located at the bottom right of your screen. Once you right-click, a drop-down menu will appear.

• If you're using a laptop, use a two-finger tap on the touchpad to open the drop-down menu.
• If the volume icon is missing from the taskbar, right-click on the taskbar, click Taskbar settings, then select Select which icons appear in the taskbar and toggle the switch next to Volume to "On".

Click Open Volume Mixer. This option is located at the top of the drop-down menu.

Review the volume levels of open applications. Each open application has a hexagonal slider under its icon. If this slider is at the bottom of the Mixer window, the volume for that specific application has been muted.

Click and drag the volume slider up. This will increase the volume for the desired application.

• If you want to raise the system volume, click and drag the "Speakers" volume slider up.

Click X. This button is located at the top right corner of the Mixer window. If the Mixer was the cause of your sound issue, then the problem has been resolved.

Disconnect all audio devices from the computer. This includes headphones, speakers, and anything else that could be plugged into the computer’s headphone jack.

• If Bluetooth headphones are connected, they should also be disconnected.
• If using a desktop computer, make sure the speakers are securely plugged in.

Right-click the sound icon. The icon can be found at the bottom right corner of your screen.

• If using a laptop, you need to tap the touchpad with two fingers to open the drop-down menu.
• If the volume icon does not appear in the toolbar, right-click the toolbar, select Taskbar settings, then click Select which icons appear in the taskbar and switch the toggle next to Volume to "On".

Click Playback devices (Playback Devices). This option is located in the middle of the drop-down menu.

Double-click Speakers. This step will open the properties of the speakers integrated with your computer.

• If you're using a desktop computer, click on the name of the connected speakers.

Click Advanced (Advanced). This tab is located at the top of the window.

Click on the drop-down menu under "Default Format". This option is usually labeled as "24-bit, 44100 Hz (Studio Quality)" or "16-bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality)".

Select a new audio frequency. If the current option shows "24-bit", change it to 16-bit, and vice versa.

Click Test (Sound Test). This option is located on the right side of the window. By clicking it, the speakers will play a sound to check if they're functioning properly.

Repeat the test with a different frequency. If a frequency produces sound, you have successfully resolved the computer’s audio issue.

Click OK. Press this button to save your settings.

Open the Start menu. To open this menu, you can click the window icon at the bottom left of the screen or press the ⊞ Win key.

• If you're using Windows 8, move your mouse to the top right corner of the screen and click the magnifying glass icon.

Type Device Manager into Start. This will open the Device Manager icon located at the top of the Start menu.

Click on the Device Manager icon. This icon looks like a printer and a camera placed next to each other.

Scroll down and click on the button to the left of Sound, video and game controllers (Sound, video, and game controllers). This option is near the bottom of the Device Manager window. It helps display a list of the computer's audio devices and programs.

Right-click on the "High Definition Audio" option. This option is often labeled as "[Brand] High Definition Audio" (for example, Realtek High Definition Audio).

• If you click on the volume icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen, you'll see the name of the audio system you're using.

Click on Update driver. This option is located at the top of the dropdown menu.

Click on Search automatically for updated driver software. This option is at the top of the Driver Update window. Clicking this will make your computer search for the latest driver files.

Install the new driver if prompted. You might need to confirm your decision by clicking Yes or Install. However, new drivers will often be automatically downloaded.

• If your drivers are already up to date, it means the issue with your computer’s audio is not related to the drivers.

Restart your computer. Once the driver installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer to apply the changes. If the driver was the cause of the audio issue, the problem should now be resolved.

Launch the Start Menu. You can either click the Windows icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen or press the ⊞ Win key.

• If you're on Windows 8, hover the cursor to the top-right corner of the screen and click on the magnifying glass icon.

Type command prompt into the Start Menu. You should see the Command Prompt icon appear at the top of the Start window.

Right-click on the Command Prompt icon. The icon looks like a black box. A drop-down menu will appear.

Click Run as Administrator (Run as administrator). This option usually appears at the top of the drop-down menu.

• If you don’t have administrative rights on the machine you're using, you can simply click the Command Prompt icon.

Click OK if prompted. The Command Prompt window will appear.

Enter net localgroup Administrators /add localservice. This command reduces the security level of the system to allow the creation and execution of system files, including computer sound drivers.

Press ↵ Enter. This step runs the command you just entered.

Restart your computer. After the command has been executed, you need to restart your computer to apply the changes.