What to do if your laptop's sound isn't working

🧰 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (Mostly easy, sometimes not)

⏱ Time involved: 10–20 minutes

⚠️ Risk level: Low—unless you start uninstalling drivers you shouldn’t

💡 Pro insight: Most “no sound” issues are muted speakers or driver glitches—hardware fixes require a special touch.

⚙️ Get the sound back on—come see us at a nearby uBreakiFix® by Asurion for a quick, free diagnostic.

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From video calls with coworkers to streaming our favorite shows, we use our laptops to stay connected. So when there's no sound on your computer—and you have to shout, “Can you hear me?" into a void—it can be aggravating.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to solve the problem. Here at Asurion, when tech breaks, we know how to fix it—whether it's an overheating laptop or a battery that won't charge. Here's our guide to why your sound may not be working on your Windows™ laptop and how to get it back up and running.

Why is there no sound on my laptop?

There are several reasons your laptop's audio may not be working:

• The volume could be muted.
• The internal speakers could be malfunctioning.
• Windows may be sending sound to the wrong audio device.
• Audio enhancements may be causing a disruption.
• An operating system update may be conflicting with the audio drivers.

We'll walk you through the troubleshooting process.

How to fix Windows 11 audio issues

Is your computer audio not working? We'll get you back up and running. Our tips cover what to do if your sound isn't working on Windows 11.

Check volume

No shame—everyone occasionally forgets to unmute. So your first step should be to click the Speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and make sure your volume is on and turned up.

Try headphones

Plug headphones or a headset into the headphone port in your computer. If the audio works, obviously, you've got sound. You'll also know the problem is with your laptop's built-in speakers.

Change audio devices

No audio on Windows? Your laptop may be sending sound to the wrong device, like a monitor or a Bluetooth speaker in another room.

1. Click the Speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
2. Click the arrow icon ($\rightarrow$) to the right of the volume slider to see a list of connected audio devices.
3. Select the device you want to use (e.g., "Speakers" or "Headphones"). If you hear a chime, you’ve found the right one.

If your device isn't on the list:

1. Go to Settings > System > Sound.
2. Scroll down to the Advanced section near the bottom and click directly on All sound devices.
3. Under Output devices, click on your missing speaker or headphones.If the properties show an Allow button next to Audio, click it to re-enable the device.

Disable audio enhancements

Audio enhancements are background software filters designed to boost bass or normalize sound layers, but they frequently conflict with hardware drivers.

1. Go to Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under the Output section, click directly on your active playback device (e.g., Speakers).
3. Scroll down to the Audio enhancements line item, open the drop-down menu, and select Off.

Install or update audio drivers

Is there still no sound on your laptop or computer? Try updating the drivers—the software that allows your PC to communicate with its hardware. Here's how:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click your audio device (like Realtek Audio) and select Update driver.
4. Choose Search automatically for drivers. If that fails, select Uninstall device and restart your laptop; Windows will automatically reinstall the driver for you.

If you have a device equipped with IDT High-Definition audio, you may need to update the drivers associated with it. Follow these steps to update the drivers.

1. Click the arrow next to Sound, video and game controllers.
2. Right-click the IDT High Definition Audio CODEC device from the options and click Update driver.
3. Click Browse my computer for drivers.
4. Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
5. Select High Definition Audio Device from the list and click Next.

Run the Audio Diagnostic Tool

If your sound still hasn't returned, you can use the automated Windows repair system to find and resolve hidden bugs.

1. Right-click the physical Speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar.
2. Select Diagnose audio problems from the pop-up menu.
3. This will launch the automated diagnostic assistant. Follow the on-screen prompts to let Windows automatically scan, re-route, and repair common audio glitches.