Typical problems with Windows are mainly related to the fact that it was not possible to correctly configure the hardware in the computer. For example, speakers or speakers may not work. There is no sound on the computer for various reasons, so first you need to put aside panic and try to restore normal operation on your own.
Checking the technique
There is no way to listen to something? Let's dive into the deeper reasons for the lack of sound and try to configure the sound card. You need to be sure that everything works properly on the computer. For this you need:
- Open the Start menu and select the Windows Control Panel there.
- Then click on the System and Security category.
- Then, in the special System section, click on Device Manager.
- If you are prompted for a Windows administrator password, you must enter it.
- After that, you need to double-click on Sound, game and video devices.
Now you should see if there is a sound card in the list that opens. If it is not there, you should read the manufacturer's instructions on how to set it up. It's also helpful to look at the Other Devices tab, the sound card might be there. A laptop is usually easier to set up in this regard, since there is no sound card. A special sound processor works instead.
Windows sound may not work if there are problems indicated by a yellow question mark in front of your sound card:
- You need to right-click on the sound card and select Properties.
- Then you need to go to the General tab and check the Device Status.
Usually, in such cases, the sound in Windows can be restored by simply installing new drivers on the computer. If you don't have time to poke around on the net for a long time to find and install the necessary driver, you can try a good program called Driver Genius.
After this program is launched, it finds all the necessary drivers on the network (including for sound) and can independently install or restore them in Windows.
Checking the connection
If there are speakers, but there is no signal from them, then you need to check if they are connected correctly. In almost all computers, sound is powered by three connectors that connect to the sound card. It is important to understand here that the speakers must be connected to the audio line-out.
But what if you are not sure which connector is responsible for what? In this case, it is worth going through all the options on the computer, alternately connecting to each socket. The same goes for headphones. It is interesting to know that in almost every computer, after connecting the headphones, the sound is automatically muted.
Power check
The speakers may simply not be connected to the power supply, so there is no sound for physical reasons (no current). Naturally, you need to connect the speakers to the network, and the speakers will begin to reproduce the soundtrack. The same applies to the controls through which the speakers increase and decrease the volume. Often on laptops, the volume control is unscrewed to the minus, so that small speakers are simply not heard.
It is necessary to open the volume through the following path:
- Click the Start menu;
- Then select Control Panel;
- Click Hardware and Sound;
- Next item Sound;
- At the end, adjust the volume.
- Then the volume slider needs to be raised up.
It is important to see if the sound is completely muted in the mixer. Also, some laptop models have external wheels in order to adjust the sound to the speakers. We need to check this wheel.
Checking programs
What if, after all these manipulations, it was not possible to set it up? It's okay, you just need to check the volume level in the programs installed on Windows. Perhaps it is simply not reproduced there. Each program has its own controls so that you do not need to switch to Windows settings, but quickly turn down or turn up the volume. So it is better to check the settings everywhere and everywhere (speakers, headphones, settings) in order to exclude all reasons for the lack of sound on the computer and then restore normal operation.
Various operating system errors are directly dependent on users. It is enough to download a malicious program that attaches itself to free files on the network, and problematic malfunctions of normal operation will begin. However, if you keep a record of all the software that is installed and removed, you can keep the system under control. So the speakers will sound, and the picture will be correctly displayed, and the programs will function correctly.
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The most common reason for no sound is to mute it or set the volume to minimum. If your computer is not playing audio, hover over the speaker icon in the tray (at the far right of the taskbar). The tooltip will indicate the current volume value. If the sound is not played in a separate application, check its settings. If enabled in the settings, audio playback in a specific program may be limited in the mixer. To test, right-click on the speaker icon and select "Open Volume Mixer". There you can turn on the sound and adjust the volume level for each program running on your computer.
Check the volume on the playback devices themselves: headphones or speakers. When using speakers, also make sure they are connected to power and the power button is in the active position. Checking your speakers or headphones is pretty easy. To do this, it is enough to connect any other device instead of a computer to the audio output: a smartphone, a player.
Important! Also check your speaker settings. To do this, go to "Playback devices", and in the context menu of speakers or headphones, click "Properties".
Incorrect operation of audio drivers
Another common reason why your computer may not have sound is missing or damaged audio drivers. Hover over the audio icon in the tray to identify this problem. If you see “No Audio Output Device Installed”, the audio drivers are causing the problem.
To eliminate these difficulties, right-click on the same icon and select "Detect problems with sound" from the context menu.
This will open a troubleshooting window. Wait while the sound diagnostics run on your computer. Depending on the speed of the device, the process can take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. If the determination of the cause of the malfunction stops in one place, click "Cancel".
When the audio diagnostics are complete, the system will prompt you to choose which device you want to troubleshoot. In this case, the device used should be noted based not on its type, but on the location of the audio input. For example, if your speakers are connected through the audio input on the front of your computer, check the second box, even though headphones are listed there.
If there is a hardware failure, the diagnostic result will be the following window. It may indicate damage to speakers or headphones, but the most common cause of difficulty in audio devices is broken or damaged connecting cables.
At the last step of the sound diagnostics, the result of its execution will be displayed. If the issues are resolved, close the troubleshooter. If the diagnostics did not help, click "View additional features". You can also find help information about the causes of the malfunction by clicking on the link "View more information".
Incorrect connection or installation of the device
Sound may not work due to improper connection or installation of sound devices. To resolve this issue, check if the correct input is selected to connect the device to the computer. Speakers or headphones may be connected to the microphone input and will not work.
Go to "Control Panel -> Device Manager" and check the status in the "Sound, game and video devices" menu. If a yellow mark with an exclamation mark is displayed next to the name, the cause of the problem is an incorrect installation or malfunction of the device.
Note! If the audio hardware does not appear in the manager at all, update the configuration from the Actions menu.
Right-click on the audio hardware and select Properties, then go to the Driver tab in the window that opens. To update the configuration, click the Update button. Here you can uninstall the driver for its subsequent reinstallation.
In the next step, choose where you want to search for sound drivers. Two options are offered: an automatic search, which includes a search on your computer and the Internet, and a simple search for drivers. We recommend that you select the first option to detect drivers.
Important! If the sound card is outdated and its driver is on a separate disk, first copy it to your computer.
The scan will take about 20-30 seconds, after which a message will be displayed in the search window about the successful installation of the new audio drivers. If the device already has the latest available driver installed, the configuration will not be updated.
If the driver update did not bring the desired result and the device still does not work, it is recommended to remove it from the system. To do this, right-click on the name and select "Delete". Confirm the deletion in the dialog box by clicking "OK".
After that, in the "Action" menu, you need to update the list of equipment. A search will be performed for devices connected to the computer. If the desired device does not appear after searching, restart the manager.
When the speakers are found, installation starts automatically. This process can take several minutes. When finished, a message will appear stating that the speakers are successfully connected and ready to use.
Damaged connecting cables
Standard 3.5 mm connectors may fail as a result of mechanical damage. Usually breakage occurs at the base of the connector - at the point where it connects to the audio cable. The break can also be on the cord itself. The cause of damage is most often pinching by furniture (table legs, chair wheels). Pets can also chew on the cable. You can diagnose a breakdown visually or by connecting another cable to the speakers.
Physical breakdown of audio equipment
Even if the speakers or headphones you are using fail, there may be no sound from your computer. It is not difficult to determine this - it is enough to connect another audio device to the same audio input. If it works, the reason is the broken speakers, not the computer settings.
Disabled Windows Audio Service
Another common reason for no sound is the disabling of the Windows Audio service. This background process is responsible for processing sound data and is always running on a running computer by default. However, when making changes in the system parameters, incorrect Windows Audio settings may be indicated. Also, the service can be disabled by malware.
The reason for the loss of sound may lie in both software and hardware. If the problem is in the hardware, it means that some component is out of order.
If the reason for the loss of sound lies in the software environment, then something needs to be corrected either in the system or in separate programs.
If you have a bad situation with the software part, then no matter how high-quality your components are, there will still be no sound. Many also ask questions on the Internet such as why the sound in the headphones on the computer does not work. The reasons and solutions for both speakers and headphones are pretty much the same.
Check first
Before taking your computer for repair, you need to check the cause of the breakdown. If it is software, then it can, in principle, be solved independently.
Volume control
The volume control can be either software or hardware. The software is located in the lower right corner of the screen. If you want the sound to be, then the speaker image should not be crossed out, and the slider should not be at the very bottom. How it shouldn't be, you can see in the picture below.
The sound can be turned off not only in the system, but also on the speakers. There are tons of models that have a volume control slider (like on headphones for a computer). You can see a similar slider in the picture below.
The solution to the problem is banally simple. You just need to wind up the sound both on the speakers and in windows xp, or another operating system.
Physical connection of audio output devices
The sound may be lost due to the fact that the speakers, or headphones, are not connected to the network or computer. Check if the plug is inserted into the audio output of the personal computer and the plug from the speakers into the outlet.
If the above tips did not help, and in 90% of cases they help, we advise you to check the performance of the speakers with other laptops or computers. If something could not be reproduced through them anyway, then it’s time for the speakers either to landfill or to be repaired. It's up to you to decide.
Adjusting audio parameters
A Windows 7 user can get into the audio settings in several ways, but we will describe the easiest one below.
- go to "Start";
- select "Settings";
- go to the "Control Panel";
- select the "Sound" tab.
After doing the above, a window will appear on the screen containing a list of audio devices. In the photo below, only one device is displayed, in your case there may be several of them.
If the device is working correctly, then you will understand it by the green checkmark and the inscription "Works" next to it. Otherwise, you need to reinstall the device drivers
For a windows xp user, the procedure is as follows:
If everything is correct in the above settings, everything was done according to the instructions, but the sound did not appear, then we read the article further.
Is the Windows Audio service started
Finding a Windows Audio service is hard enough even for Windows 8 users.
Go through the sections in this order:
If everything is as in the photo above, that is, the service is "Running" and is in "Auto" mode, but the sound still does not work, then that is not the problem. If something is wrong, then you need to turn it on. To do this, right-click on Windows Audio and click Properties.
There we set the following parameters:
BIOS setup
If you have tried all of the above, but still have not figured out why the sound disappeared, then most likely the problem lies in the BIOS settings, that is, somehow the operation of the sound card was turned off directly in the motherboard settings. What to do next? Everything is described below.
Video: Missing sound on the computer
First, you need to go into this BIOS. This is done like this:
The problem is in the speakers
If all of the above does not help, then the problem is 100% not software, that is, either the speakers or the sound card are broken. Check if they are included. In most cases, an indicator should be on, indicating that the speakers are on.
As mentioned above, try connecting the speakers to a different computer. If the sound does not play, then the speakers are broken.
Sound driver
The absence of a sound driver is also a common reason for the loss of sound on the computer.
In order to check the relevance of the drivers and the ability to update them, you need:
If the audio device driver is installed correctly, then you will not notice anything special there.
If there is an exclamation mark in front of the audio device, then there are either no drivers at all, or they do not work correctly. Either search the Internet for your driver, or right-click on it and update.
Sound card hardware failure
If after reinstalling the drivers, the sound still does not appear, then the problem is in the sound card itself. Most likely, she just went out of order. In order not to waste money on a new board again, we advise you to consult with a specialist. He will examine your computer and tell you to buy a new one, or an old one that is still usable.
Replacing the sound card should also be dealt with by a specialist, since, most likely, you do not have the equipment you need for this.
As you can see, audio problems are more often software-based than hardware-related. If you can't get the sound back on your own, contact a specialist.
Do not try to change the sound card yourself, you can damage the motherboard, which is ten times more expensive than the audio card. But still, in 90% of cases, the software breakdown, the above tips should help.
There can be several reasons for the loss of sound on a laptop, and you can deal with some of them yourself at home. The reasons for the disappearance of sound can be divided into hardware and software.
The hardware rooms include a malfunction of the sound card (repairs in a workshop will be required), malfunction of speakers or headphones, failure of speakers on a laptop, malfunctioning communications (plugs, connectors, cables, etc.).
Software malfunctions include sound settings in the operating system, player, audio manager, driver updates, etc.
Finding the reason for the loss of sound
If the sound on the laptop disappears, what to do at home, what measures to take.
First . Checking sound level in the notification area... At the bottom right of the working window, next to the clock there is a speaker icon, by clicking on it with the left mouse button, you will see the volume level. Set it to maximum for now. Here you click on the mixer and look at the volume controls, also look at the sound on the speaker icon.
How to turn on the sound on a laptop using the keys. The laptop may have a mute button on the keyboard. Maybe, through the keyboard, the Mute mode (silence) is turned on, the Fn key + the desired key is turned on. Press a couple of times and check the sound. The crossed out speaker should disappear from the screen.
You can adjust the volume (sound) level on a laptop by clicking on the speaker icon in the notification area (tray) and using the "Fn + buttons with the speaker icon" (usually these buttons are the same color as the Fn key). You need to press the Fn button and, without releasing it, press the volume up or down buttons several times.
If the sound on the laptop is quiet, then you need to check all the volume controls, both software and hardware.
Second. Check speakers... To do this, you need to connect an external device (headphones, active speakers, etc.), if sound appears on an external device, you will need to replace the laptop speakers. Internal speakers on a laptop can fail when operating at maximum volume, and for this reason, speakers may begin to wheeze.
If you often used headphones and often inserted a plug into the connector, then the contacts could deteriorate over time. This is especially indicated when, when headphones are connected, the sound reproduction changes (appears, disappears, noise appears, etc.). You need to change the connector in the laptop, you need a specialist.
If the sound card does not work properly, there may be noise, intermittent sound cuts or no sound at all. It is impossible to change the integrated sound card, in which case you can connect an external sound card via USB.
Third . Check Sound Manager(separately installed sound program from the sound card manufacturer). This could be the Realtek High Definition Audio Manager, which is usually located in the notification bar. If it is not there, then you can advise to install the sound driver again, or update it.
Fourth. Check drivers. We go to the device manager and find "Sound devices". If the device is disabled, then enable. If there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the device, then you need to reinstall the driver.
Device Manager
How to enter the device manager: hover the mouse over the "computer" and press the right mouse button, select properties and then "device manager". You can also click "Start" and "Control Panel", in the window that opens, click the "System" item and there will already be a "Device Manager" section.
In the manager, look for your sound card in the sound devices and press the right mouse button, select "update driver". After updating the driver, it is advisable to reboot the system.
If, when updating the driver, the system itself did not find the required driver, then it must be either on a disk to the motherboard with all the drivers, or it can be downloaded from the website of the sound card manufacturer, if the card is built-in, then from the website of the laptop manufacturer.
Sometimes you may need to reinstall the drivers, even if the system says that they do not need updating and everything works fine, but there is no sound.
Fifth. Check Windows "audio" services.
Audio service path: "control panel -> administration -> services -> Windows audio" - this service must be running. If this is not the case, then go to the properties of this service (right-click on the name of the service) and start, as well as set automatic start.
If the audio service is stopped again at the next boot, you can manually add it to autostart.
Sixth. For the built-in sound card, you can check inclusion in BIOS.
We go into the BIOS and find the device item (advanced), find the item with the word audio, for example, “High Definition Audio” and set “Enabled” if it was “Disabled”.
You can enter the BIOS when you turn on or restart the laptop, you only need to periodically (every second) press the key, which is indicated for each system separately. You can see the name of such a key at boot time, when the system itself writes that to enter the BIOS, press such and such a key, such a message reads as "Press F2 to Setup". Instead of the F2 key, it can be DEL, F10, F12. Going into the BIOS, find the section "Devices Configuration", or "Integrated Peripherals", or "Onboard Devices Configuration", or "Advanced", and already there you need to find the settings for our sound, the name of the item may contain the word "Audio". The item "High Definition Audio", or another name for your card, should be Enabled.
1) If the sound disappeared after installing programs or updates, then try roll back the system at the time when the sound worked normally. If the sound is restored, then the problem may be in conflict with a new program or updates.
2) If the sound in the laptop stops working and the system writes that device is being used by another application, then you need to look in the tray (next to the clock) which of the applications are running. You can also look at the running applications in the task manager. Try turning off those that can use sound (players, record players, etc.). If you find such applications, after disabling which sound appears, then you need to remove them from autorun.
3) The sound on the laptop disappeared.What to do: if in sleep mode laptop went with the headphones, then the headphones were taken out and the laptop was taken out of sleep mode. And there is no sound. It helped: go into sleep mode again, but go out with the headphones inserted. That is, repeat the operation in the reverse order (we put it into sleep mode without headphones, and take it out of the mode with headphones already). This can be the case when connecting other interfaces using sound, such as HDMI.
4) If you right-click on the volume icon in the tray, you can see the items for selecting playback devices. Choose playback devices and see if the device is selected for audio playback. You need to choose speakers for listening to sound on your laptop. If you connected a TV, for example, via HDMI, then another device may be selected.
5) If there is no sound only in the video or when playing individual files, then there may not be the necessary codecs. You can download the codecs and install, it's easy to do. Popular set of codecs K-Lite-Codec... You can download and install it.
6) Check if the sound disappeared only in one application or on some website, or there is no sound at all on the laptop when using any programs. Maybe on the site or in one of the applications, the volume control is removed to a minimum, but on other applications everything works fine. For example, both on “YouTube” and when listening to music on the “VKontakte” website have their own sound controls.
Speakers can fail for a variety of reasons. This may be a breakdown of the equipment, but it is quite possible that you can cope with the problem on your own, without calling the master and / or replacing the equipment. It should be understood that there can be a lot of reasons due to which the speaker may stop playing sound. Depending on the identified cause, you need to look for a way to solve it.
About the reasons for the lack of sound
As it was written above, there can be many reasons due to which the sound on the speakers disappears, but for convenience they are divided by classification:
- Hardware. It is almost impossible to fix them on your own. They will also be associated with various expenses, for example, for the purchase of new equipment and / or payment for the work of a specialist;
- Software. Here we are talking about problems in the software component of the computer. They decide on their own quite easily and do not require any financial costs.
Let's look at solutions to the most common problems.
Option 1: Speaker / Connection Problems
Look for a start if the sound is turned on in the speakers. Sometimes it can go astray to the very minimum, which gives the feeling that the speakers are out of order. When the sound is increased to the very maximum, characteristic noise should appear in the speakers. If they were not found, then run a health diagnostic.
Initially, it is recommended that the column and periphery be inspected for any physical damage. Even minor dents on the case can indicate some kind of damage. Also pay special attention to kinks and kinks in the cables. The ends of the cables must also be free of any obvious damage.
If the external examination did not give any results, then it is recommended to turn off the speakers and reconnect them. Be sure to ensure that all connection cords are plugged in correctly. For example, the green cord (responsible for sound output) must be plugged into the connector on the computer case, which is responsible for sound output. As for the output marked in pink, it is responsible for connecting a microphone. Does not significantly affect the performance of the column.
Provided that this did not help, then try connecting the speakers to another computer. If sound appears there, then most likely they work, and the problem lies in the software component of the computer. If, after connecting, no signs of "life" were found, then these columns will most likely have to be carried for repair.
Option 2: Customize the sound
Occasionally, the sound settings on your computer can be interrupted, causing problems, such as unexpectedly muffling or minimizing sound on the system itself. In this case, it is quite possible that the sound is simply very hard to hear. You can fix the problem as follows:
This is how the instructions for in-depth sound tuning on a computer look like:
Option 3: Installing drivers on a sound card
The problem with outdated or incorrectly installed drivers always remains relevant, therefore if the previous methods did not give any result, then it makes sense to think about the correct operation of the sound drivers.
To check it, as well as reinstall the driver if necessary, use this instruction:
Even if there is no exclamation mark next to the sound card icons, you should still follow the driver update procedure as described in the instructions above. Provided that the devices did not need to update / reinstall drivers, the system will inform you about this. Nothing serious will happen.
Option 4: Install Codecs
Usually, in such cases, the system sounds work correctly, that is, there are still sounds when entering and interacting with Windows. Sounds can also occur when interacting with other programs, for example, when playing music / videos in a browser. However, if you try to play any audio file, you may find that it does not play.
In this case, you will have to install the necessary codecs manually or install a player where the codecs are already built-in. However, the last option is fraught with some inconveniences, so we will consider only the first one:
Option 5: BIOS setup
It is possible that the problem is with incorrect BIOS settings. While working at the computer, the settings could be knocked down accidentally or deliberately. Fortunately, restoring them will not be difficult, especially if you already had some experience with the BIOS.
The instructions below are given in a universal form, but it is worth remembering that some points in it may differ from those on your computer, since the BIOS versions are also different from each other:
Option 6: Malware
Viruses can disable the sound card or set such settings on the computer that will interfere with the sound output. You can eliminate viruses using antivirus software, which is now very much on the market. Unfortunately, because of this, it is difficult to give universal instructions on how to solve the problem, so we will consider the option with Windows Defender. It is a universal antivirus installed on all modern versions of Windows. However, if you have the option of using a commercial antivirus, then it is best to opt for it.
Option 7: Conflicting software
If the sound disappeared after you installed some new software on your computer, then perhaps it is the cause of all the troubles. To get rid of, you will need to remove the "problematic" program. This can be done as follows:
Option 8: Serious software failure
It is possible that there is no sound on the computer due to a serious system failure. In this case, all the previous methods may be useless. Most likely, it will not work to determine exactly where the failure occurred, so it is recommended to use the system restore option.
This can be done using pre-created "Recovery points"... However, quite often they are not available, so the most effective option in this case would be to restore through the installation media. It should contain an image of the Windows that needs to be restored. Having got this media, you can proceed to following the instructions:
Option 9: Hardware Issues
Repair broken wires, connectors, burnt-out sound card, etc. you are unlikely to succeed, so in this case it is better to take the computer / speakers to a service center. This is especially true when the device warranty is valid. If you yourself try to "repair" something in the hardware, then you run the risk of completely being left without a guarantee.
As you can see, there can be many problems, but for each of them there is one or another solution. In most cases, problems can be fixed on their own completely free of charge.
