Quite often, users are faced with the loss of sound on a computer with the Windows 7 operating system. There are many reasons for this. Some are quite simple. And sometimes it takes several days to find a problem. This short review is dedicated to how to find and fix the problem.
Non-working speakers
Let's consider possible failure options:
These measures are basic, but you shouldn’t forget about them. If the check didn't yield anything, then it's time to move on.
Hardware audio settings
After obvious faults have been checked, you should pay attention to the software sound settings. It is quite possible that the sound in Windows is turned down or completely turned off. If it is reduced so much that it is barely audible, then the user will most likely assume that the computer itself has broken down.
It’s best to see visually how the sound is configured using Windows 7 as an example; on Windows 8 and 10 the operating principle is the same:
Let's look at the functions of the window that opens in more detail:
If you are unable to play the test sound, you should check to see if the sound is turned down to the minimum value or turned off altogether:
Check Device Manager
If there is no sound on a computer running Windows 7, as well as operating systems Windows 10 and other versions, you should check the status of the mini-programs (drivers) for the sound card. Most likely, they need to be updated or they are not there at all.
You can check the status of the equipment and its drivers in “ Device Manager", which is easy to find in Control panels on the " System». 
Systematically displays all devices that are present on a computer or laptop, as well as the status of their drivers. If a yellow triangle is lit nearby, you should pay attention to it first. This means that the sound card is not working at all or is not working correctly. In our case, we are interested in the item “ Sound, video and gaming devices». 
If a problem is identified due to which the sound does not work, you need to download and install a driver that is compatible with this PC. The current state of your computer can be maintained using special utilities for automatic updating and searching for the latest version of drivers for any equipment on a PC or laptop. For example, the program Everest will determine the sound card model, check all drivers for relevance and tell you where to find the necessary drivers for sound on Windows 7.
When you monitor the current state of your computer and carry out regular updates, you may encounter the problem of no sound during the next automatic driver update. The source of the problem may be an updated driver. "" will help restore the working situation. On the " Driver» of your sound card, you must click the Rollback button. 
If the problem disappears, it is better to disable automatic driver updates for this device.
Updating drivers in Windows 10
The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:
No audio/video codecs
If there is sound in the browsers, but there is no sound when you start the video on the PC, then you should look for the problem either in the media player itself or in the audio codecs.
To constantly watch videos, it is recommended to use KMR player. He has already proven himself and is showing good results. The creators of the program have provided a lot of different codecs for video playback. And, as a rule, most films are successfully reproduced in this program.
The problem with codecs can be radically solved using the package K-Lite Codec Pack. It can solve the missing sound problem. It has a full set of current codecs that open almost all popular formats, both video and audio files.
Viruses and adware
Problems with sound on Windows 7 may mean that a virus has appeared in the system. There are many types of viruses and they can negatively affect the operating system.
What to do if the sound on your computer disappears and you suspect a virus:
- Take a close look at how your computer works as a whole. If it begins to freeze frequently or suddenly slow down, then most likely the PC has been subjected to a virus attack. If the installed antivirus program failed and missed the virus attack, then it is best to check the system with a third-party antivirus with up-to-date virus databases. For example, you can use the utility Dr.Web CureIt. This healing utility successfully cures an infected system.
- You can try checking your computer using Live CD(emergency boot disk). With its help, you can download a lightweight version of the operating system with a ready-made antivirus. If you boot the restored system from Live CD sound appears, then most likely there is a malfunction in Windows 10 itself. Most often, you will have to reinstall it or perform a system restore using restore points, if this mode was enabled and restore points were created.
Checking the BIOS settings
If your computer or laptop has a built-in sound card and there is no sound even in headphones, then you can look BIOS.
This is an extreme measure - AC97 is enabled by default in the factory settings. If the settings are lost, the sound device in the Windows operating system will not work.
Each computer logs into the BIOS differently. For example, for ACER computers, before booting the system, you must press and hold the Del key. In general, before loading the operating system, you must indicate how to enter the BIOS.
After pressing the Del key, the following dialog box will open, in which you need to select the item “ BIOS Setup».
In the window that opens, you need to find an inscription like AC 97 Audio, use the arrows on the keyboard to highlight this inscription and click on the Enter key. A dialog box will appear to select which function to activate HD Audio or AC97. We are interested in the AC97 “Auto” inscription. Confirm your choice and use the ESC key to exit this section. Exit the BIOS, saving the settings.
If you can’t get the sound back after changing the BIOS settings, then the last option is to replace or send the sound card for repair.
Laptop owners often encounter the problem of no sound in the Windows system. Due to frequent overheating of the sound chipset, the computer begins to malfunction. And all the rest of the electronic stuff simply suffocates with dust, unless, of course, you do regular cleaning, and gradually breaks down, which can also lead to loss of sound on the laptop.
Conclusion
Of course, these are not all the reasons why there may be no sound, but the main, most common versions are revealed.
So, we told you how to restore sound in Windows 10, 7 and 8. And our main advice is not to despair, but to try all the options step by step.
Video on the topic
Updated – 2017-02-14
Lost sound on your computer? And God knows. This problem occurs quite often. And the most unpleasant thing is that such a nuisance is discovered at the most inopportune moment, namely when it is urgently necessary to listen to something. Many people begin to panic and yank the cords of their speakers or headphones, remove them, and then put the plugs back into the sockets. But most often the problem is not solved by this. Let us consider in order the most necessary measures to eliminate this problem.
The first thing it is advisable to do is to check whether our device is connected to the necessary connectors and sockets, and whether the wires are intact.
Check the speaker and headphone wires first.
If you have pets at home, it is possible that they could damage them.
For example, my cat really likes to chew on wires. I try to hide them all well so that he doesn’t get to them, but the other day I lost my vigilance and went into the kitchen for literally one minute.
She returned and sat down at the computer, put on her headset to continue communicating with her friend, and...
I see on the monitor screen that she is saying something, but my headphones are as dull as a tank. I looked with suspicion at my cat, and he was sleeping next to the processor with the look of an angel.
I started checking the wires, and they were bitten in four places. And when did the bastard have time? In general, our communication was over. I had to go and buy a new headset the next day. Just in case, I bought two at once.
- All headphones or speakers on the computer are connected with a green plug.
- The connector on the computer's sound card is also green.
- If the laptop or computer is an old model, then all connectors can be the same color - usually black or silver. Then you need to look at the designation opposite the connector. Laptops usually have small headphones.
- The speakers are additionally connected to a 220 v power outlet.
- Check the volume control on your speakers to see if it is set to minimum. It's better to set it to the average value.
If this is all right, then it would be good to check the speakers or headphones on another computer.
Let's check if the service is enabled WindowsAudio .
- Opening – Start – Run .
- In the line opposite the button Review write a command services.msc, which calls the window Services .
- Find in column Name service WindowsAudio and check in the column State does it work?
- If it is written Works, then everything is fine with the service.
- If nothing is written, then double-click on the entry for this service and in the window that opens, on the tab Are common in the panel State turn on the button Start, and don’t forget to save everything with the button OK .
Any power surge could trigger mute the sound on your computer.
If you have Services everything is on, which means we check the settings of the sound devices.
- At the very bottom of the Desktop on the right in the tray, find the speaker icon and double-click on it.
- We check whether the switch (check mark) is opposite the entry Off, and whether the slider is lowered to the very bottom, i.e. volume at minimum.
- If it is, then remove it. The sound should appear.
- If you don’t have a volume control icon in your tray, then read the article
If everything is fine with the volume control, but there is still no sound, then right-click on the sound volume control icon and select from the drop-down menu Configuring Audio Settings .
- In the window Properties: Sounds and Audio Devices on the tab Volume check if the entry is ticked Turn off the sound . If it is, then remove it.
- Look Mixer volume . Is the regulator set to minimum?
Click on all the buttons Additionally and check if anything is disabled there.
If it's off, turn it on.
If nothing helps again, then
- go to Properties of the system , and check whether the driver is installed on the sound card.
This can happen to anyone when, when you turn on the computer, instead of the usual melody, you hear only the noise of the system unit. No sound on the computer! Why did the sound disappear, what should I do? All that remains is in the silence and silence of the speakers, go to the Internet and ask the question: “Why is there no sound on the computer?” Here we discuss the most common reasons for the lack of sound on the computer and ways to eliminate them.
The reason for the lack of sound on a computer can only be in the software or hardware environment (). That is, it turns out that you have problems with the system settings or programs, or the computer components (speakers, sound card) are faulty. This does not directly depend on the operating system installed on the computer. This can happen both with Windows XP and Linux, and even in the new operating systems Windows 7 and Windows 8. Even if the speakers and headphones used and the installed sound card are the most modern and expensive.
How to restore sound?
First you need to find out the reason for the lack of sound. You can find out this in different ways, but first you need to try the simplest one.
So, step-by-step sound restoration. Each step you take will bring you closer to the desired result.
1). Try restarting the computer; there is a possibility that the sound will appear at startup after restarting the operating system. This happens when drivers for a sound card are updated.
2). Check that the speaker plug is firmly inserted into the power outlet, if at all. Check whether the speakers themselves are connected to the computer and whether the plug is inserted well. If you find these problems, correct them.
3). Check the switch on the speakers, it may be in the “off” position. Turn on the speakers, turn the volume control to increase. If everything is in order, then the LED on the column where the regulator knob is installed (present on almost all models) should light up.
The speakers must be turned on - the power light on one of them must be on.
4). On the taskbar, find the speaker icon. It should not be crossed out. If it is turned off, then you just need to turn on the sound by clicking on the “Turn on sound” button.
If the desktop icon appears as disabled. You need to click on the speaker logo.
5). There, on the taskbar, check the set speaker level; it may well be that it is reduced to a minimum or to zero. If so, increase the volume by raising the slider to the desired level.
6). It is worth checking the speakers for performance using any other sound source. On your phone, player or other computer.
7). Check Device Manager for any unknown devices. Such devices are indicated by an exclamation mark.
Open “Device Manager” like this: Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security. In the "System" section, find the inscription "Device Manager". All devices displayed there must be recognized, i.e. There should be no icons with an exclamation mark. An icon with an exclamation mark indicates that the device is not working correctly; you need to install drivers for it. If such an icon appears on the sound device, then you need to fix it.
The reason for the lack of sound can be found in the task manager.
8). Install all required drivers for your sound card. The sound processor can be installed on a separate sound card or built into the motherboard. Download the necessary drivers for the sound card from the manufacturer's website and install them.
9). Try installing another sound card into the system unit, one that is known to work, for example, from another computer that has sound. You can ask your friends. If after these steps the problem is solved, you will have to buy a new sound card for your computer.
10). Try using System Restore to return your computer to its previous operating system state. “System Restore” in Windows is located in the “Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore” menu. This can help if the sound has disappeared after installing some third-party program, returning the system to the state before installing this program .
eleven). All that remains is to try reinstalling the operating system. And first of all, install the drivers for the sound card, naturally after installing the drivers for the computer’s motherboard. There may have been a hardware conflict. If the sound appears, you can continue installing programs and applications.
The sound can disappear at the most unexpected moment. This could be either a software conflict or a hardware conflict.
12). If none of the above helped and there is still no sound on the computer, then there is only one option left - contact a specialist or take the computer to a service workshop.
Before you do anything if there is no sound or its quality is poor, remember what you did, for example, yesterday, when there was still sound on the computer. What additional programs have you installed? Surely the problem will be solved if you remove this program. Or maybe you deleted some necessary file from your computer. If you have not installed anything, then try the 12 steps described above to fix no sound. Surely something suggested will help you.
You can also use the Help and Support section in the Start menu.
The Help and Support section -> Music and Sound can help you find and fix the reason for the lack of sound.
If the sound is wheezing, or quiet, or something else is wrong with it, then try using the sound settings in the program. It may well be that you added some kind of effect to the sound reproduction, so the sound quality is terrible.
If there is no sound only in a certain program, then look at the settings of that program. It happens that errors occurred during installation and after reinstallation, sound appears.
Do not despair. Any problem can be resolved. Today you can buy a sound card, it doesn’t have to be fancy, sometimes something simple works much better.
Situations where sound disappears on a computer happen often. As a rule, this happens unexpectedly, in the morning they turned on the computer and that’s it, and in response there was silence, the sound did not work.
You need to understand that nothing happens for nothing, this also applies to the sound in the computer.
Simple reasons
Most likely, there was a software failure, for example, the drivers crashed, the sound settings were set incorrectly, or a hardware problem arose - the sound card or speakers failed.
But there are also simple situations that can make an experienced PC user smile.
For example, they unplugged the speakers or forgot to press the power button for the latter.
And there are situations when the sound is reduced to a minimum, or headphones are inserted into the sound jack. In this case, the latter simply need to be disconnected by removing the plug from the socket in the speakers or sound card.
It is from these reasons that it is necessary to start searching for the problem, since you always need to go from simple to complex.
But before searching for the problem, try restarting the computer again; there have been cases when after that everything was solved by itself and the sound appeared.
If the above reasons for the lack of sound have not been identified, then pay attention to the sound icon in the tray at the bottom right. In principle, you can do this right away.
If there is a red crossed out circle next to the icon, as shown above, then the sound is deactivated and you need to turn it on and set the desired volume.
Try connecting the speakers to another device. It could be an iPhone or a mobile phone, the main thing is that the connector fits, but as a rule, now there are no problems with this.
If the speakers interact normally with another device, then we move on to the next stage of searching for the problem - software.
Going to Device Manager in Windows 7 is easy. This can be done through the control panel or by right-clicking on the “Computer” icon on the desktop and going to the “Properties” section.
There, find the “Device Manager” menu and go to this section.
All devices should be displayed without question marks, especially pay attention to the line “Sound, video and gaming devices”.
If a question mark is displayed there or this section is not there at all, then you will have to install drivers.
This can be done using the disk that came with the computer, on which drivers for all PC devices should be stored.
If this disk is not present, then using the CPU-Z, AIDA64 or HWiNFO3264 programs, which are easy to find on the Internet, find out the model of your motherboard or sound card.
If the sound card is integrated, then we will find out the type and brand of the motherboard.
If it’s not integrated, then we’ll find out the same thing, but only for the sound card.
You can take an even simpler route: download the latest driver assembly from the website http://drp.su and burn it to a DVD.
Keep this disc at hand at all times. After launching the software package, the entire computer will be scanned automatically.
In the future, you will be prompted to install unfound device drivers or update older versions. After restarting the computer, the sound should appear.
System Restore
Nowadays, system recovery will not surprise anyone.
The sound of the computer might disappear after installing programs or drivers that began to conflict with those that had already been stopped.
Think back to what you installed over the next few days. Try removing this software.
If this does not help, go to the appropriate section through the control panel and return the system to the past through the selected restore point.
The data will not be lost, but for security reasons, it should still be removed from the desktop to a non-system drive (D, E, etc.).
You need to select a recovery point at which you know for sure that there was sound on the computer.
But there are situations when a recovery point has not been created or this function has been disabled on the C drive.
To solve our problem, you can use the built-in utility sfc.exe.
Log in with administrator rights. Click Start – Run, enter cmd.exe in the line and click OK, Windows Command Prompt will launch.
Disabled devices
There have been situations when, when connecting other devices that produce sound or edit it, sound drivers for them were installed on the computer.
After turning off this device, when it was no longer needed, the sound disappeared, since by default it should have come from it. But it's already disabled? How to get out of this situation.
We need to switch to working with the built-in sound card.
Go to control panel - sound.
We see that the device is not connected. When I try to turn it on, nothing happens.
Now right-click on the empty area and a window like this will appear.
Turn on "show disabled devices".
As you can see, “Speakers/Headphones” have appeared.
All that remains is to turn them on.
The computer sound should appear.
To check this, go to the configure section.
And then “Check”.
The sound should be clear without interference.
The situation is a little different here. If the system sees speakers, they should appear in the familiar Sounds window.
If they are, then activate them and go to the “Properties” section.
At the bottom, look at the line “Using devices”. It should say "on".
Pay attention to the line "controller". The device must be detected; if there is nothing there, then the driver is missing. We wrote above how to install it.
In the “additional” section, you can check the condition and quality of the sound by clicking the “check” button.
Finding a problem in system services
The Windows Audio service is responsible for audio performance. If it turns off for any reason, there will be no sound on the computer.
For your computer's local services, services.msc, enter the Start menu search bar as shown below.
Go to the services control panel and find the “Windows Audio” line there.
The service status should be "Running". If it is disabled or set to “manual”, then double-click on the settings and set the startup type to “Automatic”.
The sound card also tends to break. Therefore, if the methods described above did not work and there is still no sound, then try replacing the installed sound card with another one.
Ask your acquaintances or friends for it. Or remove it from a second computer if you have one.
But keep in mind that you may have to install the drivers again, but you already know how to do this.
As a rule, in modern PCs the sound card is already integrated into the motherboard.
But many computer owners are not satisfied with its characteristics and purchase more advanced devices that are inserted into a separate PC slot or connected via a USB port.
But you need to understand that in order not to lose sound and to get the most out of the purchased device, you will have to go into the BIOS and disable the default use of the integrated sound card there.
In another case, after connecting the speakers to a new, more modern device, there will be no sound.
The sound manager can reassign sound card connectors for certain devices.
For example, by default the green connector is for connecting headphones and speakers.
Red is for the microphone.
All this is written in the registry. But as a result of any manipulations with the latter, the settings may be changed.
To return everything to its original state, you need to go through the control panel to the “Realtek HD Manager” and reassign the connectors there.
But unfortunately, the sound manager is not provided on all computers; much depends on the type of connected speakers and sound card.
In this case, you will have to go into the registry and manually edit everything or restore the registry from a backup.
The folder where the current, working registry files are located is here.
In the config folder, pay attention to the files sam, default, software, security and system.
These files are backed up every 10 days in the RegBack folder.
If none of the above methods helped restore sound on your computer, then you can try replacing the existing registry files with more recent ones from the backup.
This cannot be done when Windows is running. You need to boot from another OS, for example, a Live CD, which only works through the computer's RAM.
Once loaded, go to the config section and add the “.old” extension to the sam, default, software, security and system files.
Now copy the files of the same name from the RegBack folder to the config folder.
Reboot your computer with the OS already installed. If the problem was in the registry, then the sound should appear.
There are models of motherboards that have special jumpers through which the audio signal is redirected.
Remember if you touched them recently and if so, screw them back to their original position.
Each motherboard comes with documentation; look at the Audio section, you can find the necessary information there.
No audio/video codecs
There are situations when there is general system sound, but when watching a movie with a video player, it disappears.
There is no need to panic, try opening this video file with another player, as this may be the problem.
Or your computer does not have the necessary codecs to decode this type of video file. After all, video has different formats.
As for codecs, there are ready-made solutions that are easy to download from the Internet, for example, K-Lite Codec Packs with built-in Media Player.
During the installation of this package, select “Lots of Stuf”, and then everything is intuitive.
Front Panel
On some computers, speakers are connected through AC'97 (old) or HD Definition (modern) front panels.
Check whether they are connected to the motherboard and what type of panel is set by default in the BIOS, usually AC’97.
You need to try switching and see the result.
Reinstalling the system
Reinstalling the system is a last resort measure that should be taken. It’s not for nothing that we write about it at the end of the article.
If you decide to take this extreme step, then when installing new drivers on your computer, start with the sound ones.
As a rule, drivers are installed on the motherboard first, and if the sound card is integrated, then sound should appear.
If not, then you need to install an additional driver package for sound, which should be included in the package.
Then other drivers are installed and after each stage of their installation the sound is checked.
This way we will find which device the conflict is occurring with.
If a conflict occurs, then you need to replace old versions of drivers with new ones, and also find those versions that will work stably on your operating system.
Also, do not forget what you will have to install for the computer to work.
Let's sum it up
So, we looked at the main reasons for the loss of sound on a computer and ways to solve them.
Of course, there may be other, more complex situations, for example, problems with the system board and others. In this case, it is better to contact specialists.
But we hope that it won’t come to that and, thanks to our advice, you will be able to restore the sound on your computer yourself.
Hello.
For one reason or another, Windows sometimes has to be reinstalled. And quite often after such a procedure you have to face one problem - the lack of sound. This actually happened to my “ward” PC - the sound completely disappeared after reinstalling Windows 7.
In this relatively short article, I will provide all the steps that helped me restore sound on my computer. By the way, if you have Windows 8, 8.1 (10) OS, all steps will be similar.
For reference. There may also be no sound due to hardware problems (for example, if the sound card is faulty). But in this article we will assume that the problem is purely software, because before reinstalling Windows - did you have sound!? At least we assume (if not -)…
1. Search and install drivers
After reinstalling Windows, the sound disappears due to missing drivers. Yes, often Windows itself automatically selects the driver and everything works, but it also happens that the driver needs to be installed separately (especially if you have some rare or non-standard sound card). And at the very least, updating the driver will not be superfluous.
Where can I find the driver?
1) On the disk that came with your computer/laptop. Lately, such discs are usually not available (unfortunately:().
2) On the website of the manufacturer of your equipment. To find out the model of your sound card, you will need a special program. You can use the utilities from this article:
Speccy - information about your computer/laptop
If you have a laptop, then below are links to all popular manufacturers' websites:
- ASUS-
- Lenovo-
- Acer-
- Dell-
- HP -
- Dexp-
3) The simplest option, in my opinion, is to use programs to automatically install drivers. There are quite a lot of such programs. Their main advantage is that they will automatically detect the manufacturer of your equipment, find a driver for it, download and install it on your computer. All you have to do is click your mouse a couple of times...
One of the best programs for auto-installing drivers is Driver Booster (you can download it and other programs of this kind from the link above). It is a small program that you just need to run once...
Next, your computer will be completely scanned, and then drivers that can be updated or installed to operate your equipment will be offered for installation (see screenshot below). Moreover, in front of each one, the release date of the drivers will be shown and there will be a mark, for example, “very old” (which means it’s time to update :)).
Then you simply run the update (update all button, or you can update only the selected driver) - the installation, by the way, is completely automatic. In addition, a restore point will be created first (if the driver turns out to work worse than the old one, you can always roll back the system to its original state).
After you complete this procedure, restart your computer!
Remark! About restoring Windows, I recommend reading the following article:
2. Setting up Windows 7 sound
In half the cases, sound should have appeared after installing the driver. If it is not there, there may be two reasons:
These are “incorrect” drivers (possibly outdated);
By default, another audio transmission device is selected (i.e., for example, the computer can send sound not to your speakers, but, for example, to headphones (which, by the way, may not exist...)).
First, pay attention to the sound icon in the tray next to the clock. There should be no red lines, and sometimes, by default, the sound is at or near minimum (you need to make sure that everything is “OK”).
Remark! If you have lost the volume icon in the tray, I recommend reading this article:
Check: sound is on, volume is at medium level.
Then to the section " Sound«.
Hardware and Sound - Sound Tab
In the " playback"you will most likely have multiple audio playback devices. In my case, the problem was precisely that Windows, by default, selected the wrong device. As soon as the speakers were selected and the “ apply ” button was pressed, a piercing sound was heard!
If you don’t know what to choose, play a song, turn up the volume and check all the devices displayed in this tab one by one.
2 sound playback devices - and there is only 1 “real” playback device!
This concludes my mini-instruction. Happy setup!
