Sound Not Working on Windows 11? 10 Fixes That Bring Audio Back

When sound stops working on Windows 11, the cause is usually simple: Windows is sending audio to the wrong device, something is muted, or the audio driver needs a reset. Run the audio troubleshooter and check the output device first, since both take about a minute.

Work through the fixes in order and test your sound after each one. The steps are for Windows 11, with Windows 10 differences noted where the menus change.

What causes no sound on Windows 11

• Wrong output device. Windows plays audio through whichever device is selected, which could be a monitor without speakers, an HDMI TV or headphones you aren’t wearing.
• Muted apps or devices. A single app can be muted in the volume mixer, or a device can be disabled in sound settings.
• Audio enhancements. Microsoft lists turning them off as one of its standard fixes for missing sound.
• Stopped audio services. If the Windows Audio service isn’t running, nothing plays.
• Driver problems. A missing, outdated or newly updated driver can stop sound, especially after a Windows update.
• Loose cables or the wrong jack. On desktops, speakers plugged into the microphone jack won’t play anything.

How to fix sound not working on Windows 11

Fix	When it helps
1. Audio troubleshooter	Any no-sound problem; it checks the common causes for you
2. Output device	Audio goes to a monitor, TV or headset you aren’t using
3. Cables, power and volume	Desktop speakers, wrong jack, muted speakers
4. Volume mixer	One app is silent or a device is disabled
5. Audio enhancements off	Sound is missing or distorted on one device
6. Restart audio services	Nothing plays at all
7. Audio format	The device is selected but stays silent
8. Update, reinstall or roll back the driver	Sound broke after an update or a driver change
9. Windows updates	Drivers and fixes are pending
10. Bluetooth fixes	Headphones or speaker are connected but silent

Fix 1: Run the audio troubleshooter

Microsoft’s automated audio troubleshooter lives in the Get Help app. Open Get Help, search for audio troubleshooter, and follow the prompts. Approve the diagnostics if it asks.

You can also run it from Settings:

1. Select Start > Settings > System.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
3. Next to Audio, select Run.

On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot, select Playing audio, then Run the troubleshooter.

Fix 2: Check the output device

1. Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
2. Select the arrow to the right of the volume slider to see your audio devices.
3. Choose the speakers or headphones you want to use.

You can also set it in Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under Output, select your device. Selecting it there makes it the default.

Tip: This matters most with USB headsets, HDMI TVs and external monitors. If a monitor without speakers is set as the output, you’ll get silence even though everything else is fine.

Fix 3: Check cables, power and volume

1. Make sure every cable is plugged in firmly and the speakers have power.
2. On desktops with several jacks, check that the speakers are in the output jack. Green is typically output and pink is typically the microphone input.
3. Turn off mute and turn up the volume on the speakers themselves and inside the app you’re using.
4. If you use a USB device, try a different USB port.
5. Unplug headphones and check whether the speakers work on their own.

Fix 4: Unmute apps in the volume mixer

1. Right-click the Speakers icon on the taskbar and open the volume flyout.
2. Select the arrow next to the volume slider, then the settings icon with the tooltip More mixer settings.
3. Look for any app or device marked with an “x” and unmute it.

While you’re in sound settings, make sure the device is enabled: go to Start > Settings > System > Sound, select More sound settings under Advanced, pick the device on the Playback tab and select Properties. Next to Device usage, choose Use this device (enable).

Fix 5: Turn off audio enhancements

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Output, select your device.
3. Scroll to Advanced settings and set Audio enhancements to Off.

On Windows 10, open Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound > Sound, open the device’s Properties, and on the Enhancements tab check Disable all enhancements (or Disable all sound effects).

Fix 6: Restart the Windows audio services

1. Search for services on the taskbar and open Services.
2. Right-click Windows Audio and select Restart. Confirm with Yes if Windows asks.
3. Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and Remote Procedure Call (RPC).

Test your sound after restarting all three.

Fix 7: Change the audio format

1. Open Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound > Sound.
2. On the Playback tab, right-click your default device and select Properties.
3. On the Advanced tab, pick a different Default Format, select OK and test. Try a few formats if the first one doesn’t help.

Fix 8: Update, reinstall or roll back the audio driver

Open Device Manager from taskbar search, expand Sound, video and game controllers, and right-click your audio device. Then try these in order:

1. Update: Select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds nothing, get the latest driver from your PC or sound card maker’s website.
2. Roll back: If sound broke right after an update, select Properties, open the Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver, then Yes. You need administrator rights for this.
3. Reinstall: Select Uninstall device, check Attempt to remove the driver for this device, select Uninstall and restart. Windows reinstalls the driver when it starts up.
4. Use the generic driver: Select Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer, choose the audio device (for example High Definition Audio Device) and select Next.

Important: Save your work before uninstalling a driver, because the fix needs a restart. If rollback isn’t available and sound broke after an update, a system restore point can undo the change.

Fix 9: Install Windows updates and restart

1. Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
2. Install anything available.
3. Restart from Start > Power. If you see Update and restart, choose it so pending updates finish.

Updates can include newer drivers and fixes. If updates themselves are failing, see our guide to Windows Update error 0x80070005.

Fix 10: Fix Bluetooth “connected but no sound”

If your Bluetooth headphones or speaker show as connected but stay silent:

1. Select the Bluetooth device as the output under Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices, select the device and open Advanced sound properties (the device must be connected). Under Output settings, set Format to 2 channels, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality).
3. Still nothing? In Bluetooth & devices, select More options (…) next to the device, choose Remove device, then Add device and pair it again.
4. Turn Bluetooth off, wait 10 seconds and turn it back on.
5. In Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter and update its driver.

Also check the device’s manual or the maker’s website to confirm it supports the A2DP audio profile. On Windows 10, the Bluetooth settings live under Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.

If it still doesn’t work

• Test another output. Plug in wired headphones or try a different speaker. If one device works and another doesn’t, the problem is that device, its cable or its jack. If part of a plug snapped off inside the port, see how to get a broken headphone jack out before you plug anything else in.
• Check the hardware maker’s support site for a newer audio driver for your exact model.
• Look for a bigger problem. If sound broke alongside crashes or blue screens, start with our computer repair tips and the memory management blue screen guide.
• Get help. If no device produces sound after a clean driver reinstall, the onboard audio or the port may be faulty. A repair shop or your PC maker’s support can test it. You’ll find more fixes in our PC repairs section.