Start with the simplest fixes first

When your computer has no sound, the problem is usually something you can fix yourself in under five minutes. Before you assume the hardware is broken, check whether the volume is muted, whether speakers are plugged in, and whether the right audio device is selected. Most sound problems come from these three things, not from a broken component.

The fastest way to know what you are dealing with is to look at your taskbar. On Windows, click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner. On Mac, click the volume icon in the top right corner. If you see a muted symbol (usually a speaker with a line through it), unmute it. If the volume slider is all the way down, drag it up. Do this first, because it solves the problem in roughly half of all cases.

Key Takeaways

  • Check the volume level and mute status in your taskbar or menu bar before assuming anything is broken.
  • Verify that speakers or headphones are physically plugged in and that the correct audio output device is selected in your system settings.
  • Restart your computer, which clears temporary audio driver problems and fixes sound in many cases without further steps.
  • Update or reinstall your audio drivers through Device Manager (Windows) or System Settings (Mac) if basic fixes do not work.
  • If sound works in some programs but not others, check the volume settings within that specific program before assuming a system-wide problem.

Check your physical connections and output device

If the volume is turned up and unmuted, the next step is to make sure your speakers or headphones are actually connected. On a desktop, speakers plug into the audio jack (usually a 3.5mm port colored green or black). On a laptop, headphones plug into the same type of jack. If you are using wireless speakers or headphones, make sure they are charged and paired to your computer.

After you confirm the physical connection, check which audio device your computer is sending sound to. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Open Volume mixer. Look for the device listed under "Output devices." If you see a device you do not recognize or one that says "Disabled," click it and select Set as default device. On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound and look at the "Output" tab. Make sure the correct speaker or headphone device is highlighted.

If you plugged in headphones but your computer is still sending sound to your built-in speakers, selecting the headphones as the output device will fix it when ready.

Restart your computer

Restarting clears temporary problems with audio drivers and audio services that may have stopped responding. This step fixes sound in a significant number of cases and takes only a few minutes. Shut down your computer completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on.

After your computer restarts, test the sound again. Open a video, a music player, or a website with audio and check whether sound is working. If it is, you are done. If sound is still missing, move to the next step.

Update or reinstall your audio drivers

Audio drivers are the software that tells your computer how to use your sound card or audio hardware. If a driver is outdated or corrupted, your computer may not produce sound even though the hardware is fine. You can update drivers through your system settings.

On Windows: Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Look for Sound, video and game controllers and click the arrow to expand it. You should see your audio device listed (often something like "Realtek High Definition Audio" or "Intel Smart Sound Technology"). Right-click it and select Update driver. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows will search online and install any newer version it finds. After the update finishes, restart your computer.

On Mac: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update. If updates are available, install them and restart. Mac does not let you update individual drivers the way Windows does, but system updates include audio driver updates.

If updating the driver does not fix the sound, try uninstalling it and letting Windows reinstall it automatically. In Device Manager, right-click your audio device and select Uninstall device. Restart your computer. Windows will detect the missing driver and reinstall a version automatically.

Check volume settings in individual programs

Sometimes sound works everywhere except in one program. Before you assume the whole system is broken, check whether that program has its own volume control or mute button. Many web browsers, video players, and games have a separate volume slider or mute icon.

Open the program where sound is not working. Look for a speaker icon or volume slider within the program window itself. If you find one and it is muted or turned down, unmute it or raise the volume. Also check whether the program is set to use the correct audio output device. In some programs, you can select which speaker or headphone device to use in the program's settings or preferences menu.

If sound works in other programs but not this one, the problem is usually within that program, not with your computer's audio system.

Run the audio troubleshooter (Windows only)

Windows includes a built-in troubleshooter that can diagnose and fix common audio problems automatically. Right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar and select Troubleshoot sound problems. Windows will scan your audio system and may offer to fix issues it finds. Follow the on-screen prompts and restart your computer when the troubleshooter finishes.

The troubleshooter does not always find the problem, but it is worth running because it takes only a minute and sometimes solves the issue without further work.

When to contact a professional or the manufacturer

If you have gone through all these steps and sound is still not working, the problem may be a hardware failure. This is rare, but it does happen. Before you assume the worst, try one more thing: test sound using a different audio output device if you have one. If you normally use built-in speakers, plug in headphones or external speakers. If that device produces sound, your built-in speakers may be broken. If no device produces sound, your sound card or audio hardware may be faulty.

At this point, contact the manufacturer of your computer or sound card. They can tell you whether the hardware is under warranty and what repair or replacement options are available. If your computer is still under warranty, repair or replacement may be free or low-cost. If it is out of warranty, repair costs vary widely depending on the hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does sound work on some websites but not others?

The website may have muted audio by default, or your browser may have muted the tab. Look for a speaker icon on the website or in the browser tab itself and unmute it. Some websites also require you to click "Allow" when the browser asks for permission to play audio.

My headphones are plugged in but I still hear sound from my speakers. How do I fix this?

Your computer is not recognizing the headphones as the output device. Go to your volume settings, find the output device list, and select your headphones. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon and open Volume mixer. On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound > Output and select your headphones.

I updated my audio driver but sound is still not working. What should I try next?

Uninstall the driver completely and let your computer reinstall it automatically. In Windows Device Manager, right-click your audio device, select Uninstall device, and restart. Windows will reinstall a fresh copy of the driver. If that does not work, run the audio troubleshooter or contact your computer manufacturer.

Can a virus cause my sound to stop working?

Viruses rarely affect audio directly, but malware can disable audio drivers or change system settings. If you suspect malware, run a full scan with your antivirus software. If the scan finds nothing and sound is still missing, the problem is almost certainly a driver or hardware issue, not malware.

My sound cuts out randomly or keeps getting very quiet. Is that a driver problem?

Random audio dropouts or volume changes often point to a driver issue or a conflict with another program using audio. Try updating your audio driver first. If that does not work, check whether another program is running in the background and using your audio device, then close it and test again.