Start with the simplest checks first

Most sound problems come from settings you can fix in under a minute. Before troubleshooting drivers or hardware, check whether your speakers or headphones are actually turned on, plugged in properly, and set as the active device on your computer. Many people spend an hour on complex fixes when the volume slider is just muted or the cable is loose.

On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar and select Open Volume mixer. On Mac, click the speaker icon in the top right menu bar. Look for any app or device showing a muted icon (usually a speaker with a line through it) and unmute it. If you see a red X or warning symbol next to your audio device, that tells you the system recognizes the hardware but something is blocking the signal.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your physical connections first: plug in headphones or speakers fully, make sure they are powered on, and verify the volume is not muted in your system settings.
  • Windows and Mac both have built-in troubleshooters that can detect and fix common sound problems in minutes without downloading anything.
  • If troubleshooting finds a driver problem, Windows Update usually installs the correct driver automatically when you restart your computer.
  • Uninstalling and reinstalling audio drivers works when your sound suddenly stops after a system update or software installation.
  • If no device appears in your sound settings at all, the hardware may need to be reseated (removed and reinserted into its slot) or replaced.

Use your computer's built-in troubleshooter

Both Windows and Mac include automatic sound troubleshooters that check for the most common problems. On Windows 10 or 11, right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select Troubleshoot sound problems, and let it run. The tool will test your speakers, check for muted devices, and look for driver conflicts. If it finds something, it will offer to fix it automatically.

On Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click Sound, and check the Output tab. Make sure your speakers or headphones are listed and selected. If you see a device but no sound comes out, click it and look for any warning messages. Mac's troubleshooter is less automated than Windows, but the Sound settings page will tell you if the system detects your hardware.

Run the troubleshooter even if you think you know what the problem is. It often catches things you would miss, and it takes only a few minutes. If the troubleshooter finds and fixes the issue, restart your computer to make sure the fix holds.

Check which audio device is set as default

If you have multiple speakers, headphones, or external audio devices connected, your computer may be sending sound to the wrong one. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon and select Open Volume mixer. Under Advanced, look for Volume and device preferences. Scroll down to Advanced again and find App volume and device preferences. Here you can see which device each app is using and change it if needed.

For a faster check, right-click the speaker icon and look for Open Sound settings. Under Output, you will see a dropdown menu showing which device is currently active. If you plugged in headphones and your computer is still playing through your monitor speakers, click that dropdown and select your headphones instead.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound > Output and select the device you want to use. If your headphones are plugged in but not showing in the list, try unplugging and replugging them, or restart your computer. Sometimes a device needs a moment to register after you connect it.

Reinstall or update your audio drivers

Audio drivers are the software that lets your operating system talk to your speakers or headphones. If a driver becomes corrupted or outdated, sound stops working even though the hardware is fine. On Windows, the easiest way to fix this is to let Windows Update handle it automatically. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates. Restart your computer after the update finishes.

If Windows Update does not fix it, you can reinstall the driver manually. Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager. Look for Sound, video and game controllers and expand it. Find your audio device (it may say "Realtek" or "Intel" or another brand name). Right-click it and select Uninstall device. Restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver when it boots back up.

On Mac, drivers are built into the operating system and update automatically with macOS updates. If your sound stopped after a macOS update, restart your computer first. If that does not work, go to System Settings > General > Software Update and check for any pending updates. Mac rarely has driver problems, so if sound is still missing after an update and restart, the issue is usually a hardware connection or a setting in your Sound preferences.

Check for hardware connection problems

If your computer does not show any audio device in your Sound settings at all, the hardware may not be connected properly. For external speakers or headphones, unplug them completely and plug them back in firmly. Wait a few seconds for your computer to recognize them. If they still do not appear, try a different USB port or audio jack.

For built-in speakers on a laptop or monitor, make sure nothing is blocking the speaker grilles. Dust or debris can muffle sound so much that it seems like nothing is playing. Use a soft brush or compressed air to gently clean the speaker area. If your monitor has a separate audio cable running to your computer, check that it is plugged in on both ends.

If you have an external sound card or audio interface, make sure it is powered on (if it has a power switch) and connected to your computer with a USB cable or audio cable. Some external devices need to be set as the default output device in your Sound settings before they will work. Restart your computer after connecting any new audio hardware — sometimes it takes a restart for the system to fully recognize it.

Restart your computer and check for software conflicts

A restart fixes more sound problems than you might expect. When you restart, your computer reloads all drivers, clears temporary settings, and resets connections to audio devices. Before you restart, save any open work and close all programs. Then shut down completely (not sleep mode) and wait 10 seconds before turning the computer back on.

If sound works after the restart but stops again later, a program may be interfering. Some applications (especially video conferencing software, music players, or games) can lock your audio device so other programs cannot use it. Close any programs you were using when the sound stopped. If sound comes back, one of those programs was the problem. You may need to uninstall and reinstall that program, or check its settings to see if it has an option to release the audio device when it is not in use.

If you recently installed new software and your sound stopped working, that software may be the cause. Uninstall the program through Settings > Apps on Windows or Applications folder on Mac. Restart your computer and test your sound. If it works again, the program was causing the conflict.

When to check your BIOS or contact support

If you have tried all the steps above and your computer still does not show any audio device in your Sound settings, the problem may be in your BIOS (the firmware that runs before your operating system loads). This is rare on laptops and newer computers, but it can happen on older desktops. Restarting your computer and going into BIOS setup (usually by pressing Delete, F2, or F12 during startup) lets you check whether audio is disabled there. Look for a setting called Integrated Audio or Onboard Audio and make sure it is enabled. If you are not comfortable working in BIOS, skip this step.

If your audio device appears in Device Manager but shows a yellow warning triangle or error code, the driver is corrupted beyond what a straightforward reinstall can fix. Visit the website of your computer manufacturer (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) or your audio device manufacturer (Realtek, Intel, etc.) and read the latest driver for your exact model. Install it manually and restart your computer.

If none of these steps work and your computer has never had working sound, or if sound worked but your hardware may be physically damaged, contact your computer manufacturer's support line. They can walk you through more advanced troubleshooting or arrange a repair if the hardware has failed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my sound stop working after a Windows update?

Updates sometimes change driver settings or install a new driver that conflicts with your audio device. Restart your computer first — this fixes the problem about half the time. If sound is still gone, go to Device Manager, uninstall your audio device, and restart again so Windows reinstalls the driver fresh.

My headphones are plugged in but my computer still plays sound through my speakers. How do I fix this?

Your headphones are not set as the default output device. Right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar (Windows) or click the speaker icon in your menu bar (Mac) and select your headphones from the output list. If your headphones do not appear in the list, unplug them, wait 5 seconds, and plug them back in.

I see my audio device in Device Manager but it has a yellow warning symbol. What does that mean?

The yellow triangle means Windows recognizes the hardware but the driver is not working correctly. Right-click the device and select Update driver. If that does not work, right-click again and select Uninstall device, then restart your computer so Windows reinstalls it from scratch.

Can I fix sound problems without restarting my computer?

You can try: unmuting your device in Volume mixer, switching to a different output device, closing programs that might be locking your audio, and running the built-in troubleshooter. But if none of those work, a restart is usually necessary because it reloads drivers and clears settings that may be stuck.

What if I have no sound on video calls but sound works everywhere else?

Your video conferencing app may not have permission to use your microphone or speakers. Check the app's settings and look for audio or microphone permissions. On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and make sure the app is toggled on. On Mac, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and add the app to the list if it is not there.