How to Fix sound or Audio problems in Windows 10

No Audio sound from your laptop’s speaker is a common problem, especially after the recent Windows 10 update. A number of users report no sound from their system speaker. And the common reason for this issue is a corrupted or Incompatible Audio Driver. Some other reasons, such as the Windows 10 Update, changed the privacy settings for your mic so that apps that previously had access to it no longer did, and cause the mic not to work. If you are also experiencing no audio on your Windows computer, here are some solutions you may try.

No Sound after Windows 10 update

If you have also noticed that Windows 10 audio is no longer working after installing the latest patch updates, quick and easy solutions can fix your sound on Windows 10.

Let’s start with basic Check your speaker and headphone connections for loose cables or the wrong jack. New PCs these days are equipped with 3 or more jacks.

Microphone jack
line-in jack
line-out jack.

These jacks connect to a sound processor. So make sure your speakers are plugged into the line-out jack. If unsure which is the right jack, try plugging speakers into each jack and see it produces any sound.

Check your power and volume levels, and try turning all the volume controls up. Also, Some speakers and apps have their own volume controls, and you might have to check them all.

Remember that your speakers probably won’t work when headphones are plugged in.

Install the latest Windows updates

Microsoft regularly releases cumulative updates that include security improvements, bug fixes, and driver updates. And installing the latest Windows updates not only fixes previous problems but also updates the outdated drivers as well.

Press Windows + I to open the Settings app,
Click Update & security, then Windows Update,
Hit the check for updates button to allow the download and install of the latest Windows updates from the Microsoft server.
And you need to restart your PC to apply them.

Restart Windows Audio Service

Check the Windows Audio Service and its dependent service Audio Endpoint Builder service, is running state.

Press Windows + R, type Services.msc and click ok,
This will open the Windows service console,
Here scroll down and locate Windows Audio Service.
Check if it’s running state, Right-click on it and select restart. Do the same with AudioEndpointbuildert service.

If this service is not running simply double click on Windows Audio service, change the startup type to automatic and click start the service next to service status as shown below image. Again Do the same with the Audio Endpoint builder service.

Set default playback device

If you’re connecting an audio device via USB or HDMI, you might need to set it as the default. Audio enhancements can sometimes interfere with the hardware drivers, thus it is important to disable them until a new driver update arrives on your PC.

First open the control panel, then click sound,
Under the Playback tab, make sure your speakers are set as default. A green tick on them indicates that they are the default. If they aren’t, click on it once and select Set Default at the bottom.

RollBack or reinstall audio Drivers

As discussed before, the audio driver is the most common reason you can’t hear sound on Windows 10. And you need to focus on troubleshooting audio driver problems that probably fix the issue as well.

If the problem started recently after the driver or Windows update, we recommend first trying to roll back the audio driver to the previous version. If this didn’t help, try to reinstall the audio driver with the latest version.

Rollback audio driver

Press Windows + R, type devmgmt.msc and click ok
This will open the device manager and display all installed device driver lists,
Expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click on Realtek High Definition Audio and select properties.
Here, move to the Driver Tab and select the Roll Back Driver option.
This will Ask for the Reason why you are rollback the driver. Select any reason, then follow the on-screen instructions to roll back the currently installed driver.
After that, restart Windows and check if the audio sound works.

Reinstall Audio Driver

If the Roll Back Driver option does not work for you, the problem started unexpectedly, then reinstall the current driver to the latest version to help fix the issue.

First, visit the Device manufacturer’s website and download the latest available audio Driver and save it. (If you are a desktop user, visit the motherboard manufacturer’s website, or a laptop user visit HP, Dell, Acer, etc, to download the latest available Driver.)

Again, open Device Manager using devmgmt.msc
Expand Sound, video and game controllers,
Right-click on Realtek High Definition Audio and select Uninstall.
Confirm the deletion message and restart Windows.

Now install the audio driver that was previously downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
Once done, restart your PC and play a music video to check if the sound is working as expected.

Run Audio Troubleshooting Tool

Still need help? Run the built-in audio troubleshooter and allow Windows 10 to diagnose and fix its own issues automatically.

Press Windows key + S, Search for and select troubleshoot settings,

Select playing audio then click Run the troubleshooter.

And follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooting process. This checks for audio problems and fixes them if it finds any. Once done, restart your PC and check if the audio sounds back on your Device.

Change the bit rate in Playback Devices

Also, some users report changing the Bit Rate in Playback Devices to fix different Sound problems.

Open the control panel, then click sound,
Choose the current playback device (by default, it’s set to speakers) and double-click on it to open its properties.
Go to the Advanced tab and change the bit rate to either 24bit/44100 Hz or 24bit/192000Hz, depending on your speaker configuration.
After this, check if the sound issues are resolved on your Windows 10 computer.

Did these solutions help fix audio or sound problems on Windows 10? Let us know on the comments below.

Robeg

I am Robeg founder of this blog. My qualification. completed Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). With a strong background in computer applications love write articles on Microsoft Windows (11, 10, etc.) Cybersecurity, WordPress and more.