No sound at all within Windows 10

This article provides basic troubleshooting steps that you can try if you get no sound at all within Windows 10.

A. Check Device Manager

• Open Start, enter Device Manager, and select it from the list of results.  Under Sound, video, and game controllers, select your sound card, open it, select the Driver tab, and select Update Driver.  If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, look for one on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions.

• If those steps didn’t work, try uninstalling your audio driver:  open Device Manager, right-click (or tap and hold) the audio driver, and select Uninstall.  Restart your device and Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.

• If that didn’t work, try using the generic audio driver that comes with Windows.  Here’s how:  in Device Manager, right-click (or tap and hold) your audio driver > Update driver software… > Browse my computer for driver software > Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer, select High Definition Audio Device, select Next, and follow the instructions to install it.

B. Check cables, volume. 

• Check your speaker and headphone connections for loose cables or the wrong jack.

• Check your power and volume levels, and try turning all the volume controls up.

• Some speakers and apps have their own volume controls, and you might have to check them all.

• Try connecting using a different USB port.

• And remember that your speakers probably won’t work when headphones are plugged in.

Run the audio troubleshooter. 

• If the solutions above don’t work, try the audio troubleshooter.  It might be able to fix your issue automatically.  (If the link doesn’t open the troubleshooter, try watching the corresponding video below to see how to open it manually.)   

C. Set the default audio playback device. 

• If you’re connecting to an audio device using USB or HDMI, you might need to set that device as the default.  Open Start, enter Sound, and select Sound Control Panel from the list of results. On the Playback tab, select your audio device, and then Set Default.

Turn off Audio Enhancements. 

• Go to Start, enter Sound, and select Sound Control Panel from the list of results.

• On the Playback tab, right-click (or tap and hold) the Default Device and select Properties.

• On the Enhancements tab, select the Disable all enhancements check box and try to play your audio device.

• If that doesn’t work, select Cancel and, on the Playback tab, select another default device (if you have one), select the Disable all enhancements check box, and try to play audio again.  Do this for each default device.

D. Try different audio formats. 

• Go to Start, enter Sound, and select Sound Control Panel from the list of results.

• On the Playback tab, right-click (or tap and hold) the Default Device and select Properties.

• On the Advanced tab, under Default Format, change the setting, and then retest your audio device.  If that doesn’t work, try changing the setting again.