Close-up of a gaming headset hanging on an illuminated monitor in a dark room.

No Sound on Your Windows PC? Here’s How to Fix It (Beginner’s Guide)

ByAdmin

🔊 How To Fix No Sound On Your PC

A Friendly, Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

Is your computer completely silent? You’re trying to watch a video or join a Zoom call… but there’s no sound.

Don’t worry — sound issues are extremely common and, in most cases, easy to fix.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you get your audio back — even if you’re not tech-savvy.

Step 1: Check Your Physical Connections

  • Are your headphones or speakers plugged in securely?
  • Are you using Bluetooth headphones? Make sure they’re charged and connected.
💡 Tip: If you’re using external speakers, make sure the power is on and the volume knob is turned up.

Step 2: Make Sure Your Volume Isn’t Muted

  • Click the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner (Windows taskbar).
  • Make sure the volume slider is up.
  • Check that the sound is not muted (look for an “X” on the icon).
  • Also check volume inside the app you’re using — like YouTube, Zoom, or your browser.
⚠️ Note: This happens more often than you’d think — always check both system and app volume.

Step 3: Choose the Right Output Device

  • Click the speaker icon.
  • Click the arrow next to it.
  • You’ll see a list of output devices (Speakers, Headphones, HDMI, etc.).
  • Switch to the device you’re currently using.
🛠️ Tip: Your PC might be sending sound to a disconnected monitor or Bluetooth device. Switching output often fixes the problem instantly.

Step 4: Run the Audio Troubleshooter

  1. Open Settings → System → Sound.
  2. Scroll down and click Troubleshoot.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts.

This tool can restart your audio service or fix simple configuration errors.

Step 5: Restart the Windows Audio Service

  1. Press Windows Key + R.
  2. Type services.msc → Press Enter.
  3. Scroll to Windows Audio.
  4. Right-click → Select Restart.
⚠️ Note: Restarting this service refreshes the core audio engine.

Step 6: Update or Reinstall Your Audio Driver

  1. Press Windows Key + X → Select Device Manager.
  2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
  3. Right-click your audio device (like Realtek Audio).
  4. Click Update driver → Choose Search automatically.

Still no sound?

  • Select Uninstall device.
  • Restart your PC — Windows will reinstall the correct driver automatically.
❗ If updating doesn’t work: Uninstalling and restarting gives you a clean install of the audio driver.

🔧 Bonus Fix: Check for Windows Updates (or Roll Back a Problem Update)

  1. Go to Settings → Windows Update.
  2. Click Check for updates.
  3. Install any available updates.
  4. Restart your PC.

Uninstall a Recent Update

  1. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history.
  2. Find the most recent updates and click Uninstall. If multiple recent updates are listed, remove them one at a time to identify which one is causing the issue.
  3. Restart your PC.
⚠️ Note: Only remove updates if the sound issue started right after they were installed.

Roll Back to a Previous Version of Windows

  1. Go to Settings → System → Recovery.
  2. Under Recovery options, look for Go back.
  3. Click Go back and follow the steps (if available).
❗ Important: This option is only available for about 10 days after a major Windows update.

✅ If rolling back fixes the issue, consider pausing future updates temporarily.

❌ Still No Sound? It Might Be a Hardware Issue

  • Try different headphones or speakers.
  • Plug into a different port or USB slot.
  • Check your PC’s internal sound card — especially on older desktops or after a hardware bump.

Final Thoughts

  • Start with the physical checks.
  • Work through these fixes step by step.
  • Use Windows tools when needed.
  • Roll back updates if all else fails.

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