How to Get My Computor to Play Audio Again

Rob Schultz / IDG

For all its positives, Windows sometimes acts in unexpected means—like a sudden lack of audio. If your reckoner abruptly stops playing sound, effort these like shooting fish in a barrel steps to fix the consequence:

No audio in one app

1. Offset, reboot your computer.
2. Confirm the plan's volume isn't turned downwardly or muted. In browsers like Chrome and Firefox, each tab tin can be muted individually—right-click a tab to see its status. (The choice will say "Unmute tab" if currently silenced.)
3. If you still can't hear anything in this program, try uninstalling and reinstalling it. Before doing and then, showtime back up any data and/or write downward how your settings are currently configured, equally applicable.

   Annotation: For paid software, your license for the program may be tied to a specific version—if that's the case, you may demand to practise a little hunting to observe its installation program on the vendor'southward website. This same advice applies if you just prefer your version of the app over the current one.

No sound at all

First thing to check: The audio output device. Windows can sometimes change it to a different source unbeknownst to you. (To view this epitome full-size, right-click on it and choose "Open up in new tab.")

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1. First, check to brand sure Windows is using the correct device for speaker output by clicking on the speaker icon in the taskbar. (Sometimes Windows will switch output to a different device, unbeknownst to you lot.) At the top of the popular-up window, yous'll see the name of the speaker currently in use—e.k., Speakers (2-Anker PowerConf). Click on that proper noun to switch to the proper device, if applicative. If using external speakers, make sure they are powered on.
2. Reboot your calculator.
3. Verify via the speaker icon in the taskbar that the sound is non muted and is turned upwardly.
4. Ensure that the figurer isn't muted via hardware, such as a dedicated mute button on you laptop or keyboard. Exam by playing a song.
5. Right-click the volume icon and click Open Volume Mixer. Ensure that all options are on and turned up.
6. Internal speakers still not working on your laptop? Plug headphones into the sound jack and test over again. If the headphones work, remove them to continue troubleshooting the internal speakers.
7. For desktop systems with speakers plugged into the three.5mm jack, try a USB speaker or USB headphones. (Or visa versa.) If the alternative device works, remove it to keep troubleshooting the initial set of speakers. (See our roundup of all-time budget computer speakers if you lot are in need of a new set.)
8. Correct-click the book icon again and choose Open up Sound settings (Windows x) or Sound settings (Windows 11). For Windows 10, find Related Settings in the window that opens, and so click onSound Command Panel. For Windows xi, scroll down to the Advanced section of the window that opens, and then click on More sound settings. For both operating systems, a new, smaller window labeled Audio will appear. Click on the Playback tab, and so confirm that your sound device (likely "Speakers") has a green checkmark side by side to it. And then click Properties and make sure that Use this device (enable) is selected.

If your sound nevertheless doesn't piece of work by this point, you may have a missing or decadent driver for your audio controller.

1. Uninstall the driver. Open the Device Manager (type device director in the taskbar search box), become to Sound, video and game controllers, select the sound controller for the device that's malfunctioning, and printing the Delete key.
2. Reboot the arrangement and allow Windows to reinstall the driver, which it should do automatically. If it doesn't, download the commuter from your PC maker's site or audio carte du jour manufacturer's site, and reinstall it manually.

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• Computers
• Windows
• Laptops
• Music Players
• Music
• Small and Medium Business
• Troubleshooting

Alaina Yee is PCWorld's resident bargain hunter—when she's non covering PC building, reckoner components, mini-PCs, and more, she'due south scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can notice her on Twitter at @morphingball.

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Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/491036/how-to-troubleshoot-audio-problems-with-your-pc.html

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