Start with the simplest checks first

Before you open settings or reinstall drivers, check three physical things: whether your speakers are plugged in, whether the power switch is on, and whether the volume dial or buttons are turned up. Many speakers have a small power light that glows when they are on—look for that. If your speakers are wireless, check that they are charged and paired to your PC.

Next, look at the back or side of your PC tower or monitor. Find where the speaker cable plugs in—usually a green jack or a USB port if the speakers are USB-powered. Make sure the cable is fully inserted. If you are using a monitor with built-in speakers, check that the monitor is set as your audio output device (more on that below).

Unmute your speakers by looking for a mute button on the speaker itself or on a control panel. Some speakers have a small mute switch on the back. Press it or toggle it off. If there is a volume knob, turn it all the way up and then back down to a comfortable level—sometimes a knob that feels stuck is actually at zero.

Key Takeaways

  • Check that speakers are powered on, plugged in fully, and not muted before troubleshooting software.
  • Open Sound Settings and confirm your speakers are set as the default playback device, not disabled.
  • Run the audio troubleshooter in Windows Settings to detect and fix common driver and connection problems.
  • Reinstall or update your audio driver from Device Manager if the troubleshooter does not solve the problem.
  • Test sound with a different app or website to rule out a single program being muted or broken.

Check Windows Sound Settings and set the correct output device

Open the Windows Start menu and type "Sound settings" into the search box. Click on the Sound settings result. You will see a section called "Output" near the top. Under "Choose your output device," look at what is selected. If it says "Speakers" or the name of your speaker brand, that is correct. If it says "HDMI," "Headphones," or a device you are not using, click on it and change it to your speakers.

Scroll down in the same window and look for "Volume mixer." Click on it. You will see a list of apps and their individual volume levels. Make sure the overall volume slider at the top is not at zero. Then check whether any app that should be making sound (like your web browser or music player) is muted—it will show a small speaker icon with a line through it. Click that icon to unmute the app.

If you do not see your speakers listed at all under "Choose your output device," your PC may not recognize them. Unplug the speaker cable, wait five seconds, and plug it back in. Wait another ten seconds for Windows to detect it. Then go back to Sound settings and check again.

Run the Windows audio troubleshooter

In the Sound settings window, scroll down past Volume mixer until you see "Troubleshoot." Click on it. Windows will open a troubleshooter that checks for common audio problems. Let it run—it usually takes one to two minutes. If it finds a problem, it will show you what it found and offer to fix it. Click "explore this fix" if it appears.

The troubleshooter checks whether your audio driver is working, whether your speakers are recognized by Windows, and whether any system settings are blocking sound. It cannot fix every problem, but it catches the most common ones. If it does not find anything, or if it finds a problem but the fix does not work, move to the next step.

Check Device Manager for driver problems

Open the Start menu and type "Device Manager" into the search box. Click on Device Manager. Look for a section called "Audio inputs and outputs" or "Sound, video and game controllers." Click the arrow next to it to expand the list. You should see your speakers or audio device listed there.

If there is a yellow exclamation mark or a red X next to your audio device, that means the driver is not working correctly. Right-click on the device and select "Update driver." Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software." Windows will search online for a newer version and install it if one is found. Restart your PC after the update finishes.

If there is no yellow mark but your speakers still do not work, right-click on the audio device and select "Uninstall device." Restart your PC. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver when it starts up. This fixes problems where the driver became corrupted but did not show an error symbol.

Test sound with a different app to isolate the problem

Open a web browser and go to a website with video or music—YouTube, Spotify, or a news site with video will work. Try to play something. If you hear sound, your speakers work and the problem is with a specific app. If you still hear nothing, the problem is with your PC's audio system overall.

If one app has no sound but others do, the problem is usually that app's settings, not your speakers. Open the app's settings or preferences and look for an audio or sound section. Make sure the output device is set to your speakers, not "None" or a device you are not using. Some apps also have their own mute button or volume control—check those too.

Update or reinstall your audio driver from the manufacturer

If the troubleshooter and Device Manager did not solve the problem, read a fresh driver directly from your audio device manufacturer. First, find out what audio device your PC has. In Device Manager, right-click on your audio device and select "Properties." Look for the manufacturer name—it might be Realtek, Intel, NVIDIA, or another company.

Go to that manufacturer's website and search for your audio device model and your Windows version (Windows 10 or Windows 11). read the driver file. Run the installer and follow the on-screen steps. Restart your PC when the installation finishes. This replaces the driver Windows installed automatically with the latest version from the manufacturer, which often fixes sound problems that Windows' version does not.

Check BIOS settings if nothing else works

If you have tried all the steps above and still have no sound, your PC's BIOS (the firmware that runs before Windows starts) may have audio disabled. Restart your PC and watch the screen as it starts up. You will see a message that says something like "Press Delete to enter Setup" or "Press F2 to enter BIOS." Press that key repeatedly until the BIOS menu opens.

Look for a section called "Integrated Peripherals," "Onboard Devices," or "Audio." Find the option for audio or sound and make sure it is set to "Enabled," not "Disabled." Save your changes and exit. Your PC will restart. This step is uncommon—most PCs have audio enabled in BIOS by default—but it is worth checking if nothing else has worked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there sound in one app but not others?

The app with no sound may have its own mute button, volume control, or output device setting. Check the app's settings menu for audio options. You can also check Windows Volume mixer to see if that specific app is muted. If only one app is silent, the problem is usually that app, not your speakers.

My speakers show up in Device Manager but still make no sound—what now?

read the latest driver directly from your audio device manufacturer's website instead of using Windows' automatic driver. Manufacturers often release newer versions that fix problems Windows' version does not catch. Uninstall the current driver in Device Manager, restart, then install the manufacturer's version.

Can a Windows update break my speakers?

Yes, occasionally a Windows update can disable audio or install a driver that does not work with your hardware. If your speakers worked before an update and stopped after, use Device Manager to uninstall your audio driver and restart your PC. Windows will reinstall it, which often fixes update-related problems.

What if my speakers are plugged into the wrong jack?

Most PCs have multiple audio jacks on the back. The green jack is for speakers or headphones. Pink is for a microphone. Blue is for line-in audio from another device. If your speaker cable is in the wrong jack, Windows will not recognize the speakers. Unplug and move the cable to the green jack.

Do I need to buy new speakers if nothing works?

Not necessarily. Before replacing them, test your speakers on another PC or device to confirm they are actually broken. If they work elsewhere, the problem is with your PC's audio system, not the speakers. If they make no sound on any device, they may be broken and need replacement.