What to do when Windows 10 audio stops working
Audio driver problems on Windows 10 usually show up as no sound from your speakers or headphones, crackling audio, or a yellow exclamation mark next to audio devices in Device Manager. The fix depends on whether the driver is missing, outdated, or corrupted — and Windows 10 gives you several ways to find out which one you have and repair it without reinstalling Windows.
Start by checking Device Manager to see the actual status of your audio hardware. This tells you whether Windows recognizes the device at all, and whether it has flagged a problem. From there, you can either let Windows search for a newer driver, roll back to a version that worked, or uninstall and reinstall the driver from scratch.
Key Takeaways
- Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button, then look under "Sound, video and game controllers" to see if your audio device has a yellow warning mark.
- If the device is listed but flagged with a warning, right-click it and choose "Update driver" to let Windows search for a newer version online.
- If updating does not work, right-click the device again and choose "Uninstall device," then restart your computer so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
- If audio worked before but stopped after a Windows update, right-click the device and choose "Roll Back Driver" to go back to the previous version.
- If Device Manager shows no audio device at all, restart your computer first — if it still does not appear, the hardware may need a BIOS setting changed or physical inspection.
Open Device Manager and locate your audio device
Device Manager is the Windows tool that shows you every piece of hardware connected to your computer and whether Windows recognizes it. To open it, right-click the Start button in the bottom left corner and select "Device Manager" from the menu. If you do not see Device Manager in that menu, press the Windows key and type "Device Manager," then press Enter.
Once Device Manager opens, look for the section called "Sound, video and game controllers." Click the arrow or plus sign next to it to expand the list. You should see your audio device listed — it might be called "Realtek High Definition Audio," "Intel Display Audio," "Conexant SmartAudio," or something similar depending on your computer's manufacturer. If you see a yellow exclamation mark or a red X next to the name, Windows has detected a problem with that device.
If you do not see any audio device listed at all, scroll through the other sections to check for devices with yellow marks or question marks. Sometimes a driver problem causes Windows to list the device under "Other devices" or "Unknown devices" instead of in the audio section. Write down the exact name of your audio device — you will need it for the next steps.
Update the driver through Windows
Updating the driver is the first thing to try because it is the fastest and most likely to work. Right-click on your audio device in Device Manager and select "Update driver" from the menu. A window will open with two options: "Search automatically for updated driver software" and "Browse my computer for driver software." Choose the first option to let Windows search online for a newer version.
Windows will spend a minute or two searching Microsoft's driver database and your computer's local driver store. If it finds a newer driver, it will read and install it automatically. You may see a message saying "The best driver software for your device is already installed" — this means Windows does not have a newer version available. If that happens, move to the next section.
After Windows finishes the update, restart your computer. Audio problems sometimes do not go away until you restart, even if the driver installed successfully. After restart, test your audio by opening a video or music file to see if sound is working.
Uninstall and reinstall the driver
If updating the driver did not work, uninstalling and reinstalling it often fixes corruption or conflicts that updating alone cannot repair. Right-click your audio device in Device Manager and select "Uninstall device." A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm — check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver software for this device" if you see it, then click "Uninstall."
After uninstalling, do not close Device Manager. Instead, restart your computer. When Windows starts up, it will automatically detect the missing audio device and reinstall the driver from its built-in driver store. This fresh installation often fixes problems that a straightforward update cannot solve. Let the restart complete fully — do not interrupt it or turn off the computer.
Once your computer finishes restarting and you log back in, open Device Manager again and check whether your audio device is now listed without a warning mark. Test your audio by playing a video or music file. If audio is still not working, move to the next section.
Roll back the driver if audio stopped after a Windows update
If your audio was working fine until Windows installed an update, rolling back to the previous driver version often fixes the problem. Right-click your audio device in Device Manager and look for an option called "Roll Back Driver." If you see this option and it is not grayed out, click it. This tells Windows to uninstall the current driver and reinstall the version that was there before the update.
Windows will ask you to confirm the rollback and may ask why you are rolling back — you can select "Previous version worked better" or leave the reason blank. After you confirm, Windows will uninstall the new driver and reinstall the old one. You may need to restart your computer for the change to take effect.
If the "Roll Back Driver" option is grayed out or does not appear, Windows does not have a previous version saved. This usually means the driver has only been installed once, or the previous version was deleted during a cleanup. In that case, try the uninstall and reinstall method described in the previous section instead.
read and install the driver from your computer manufacturer
If the methods above do not work, downloading the driver directly from your computer's manufacturer website often solves the problem. First, find out what brand and model your computer is — look at the case or check the System Information window by pressing the Windows key and typing "System Information."
Go to the manufacturer's support website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, etc.) and search for your computer model. Look for a "Drivers" or "Support" section and read the audio driver for Windows 10. Save the file to your computer, then right-click your audio device in Device Manager, select "Update driver," and choose "Browse my computer for driver software." Navigate to the folder where you saved the driver file and let Windows install it.
After installation, restart your computer and test your audio. Drivers from the manufacturer are often newer or more stable than the ones in Windows' built-in store, so this method fixes problems that automatic updates cannot.
Check BIOS settings if the audio device does not appear at all
If Device Manager shows no audio device at all — not even under "Other devices" — the hardware may be disabled in your computer's BIOS settings. BIOS is the firmware that runs before Windows starts up, and it controls which hardware devices are turned on. To access BIOS, restart your computer and watch the screen carefully as it starts. You should see a message saying something like "Press F2 to enter Setup" or "Press Del to enter BIOS" — the key varies by manufacturer.
Press that key repeatedly as the computer starts up, before the Windows logo appears. Once you are in BIOS, look for a section called "Integrated Peripherals," "Onboard Devices," or "Advanced." Find the setting for audio or "HD Audio" and make sure it is set to "Enabled." Save your changes and exit BIOS — the computer will restart automatically.
After restart, open Device Manager again and check whether your audio device now appears. If it does, update or reinstall the driver using the methods described earlier. If the audio device still does not appear, the hardware itself may be damaged and may need professional inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my audio work in some programs but not others?
This usually means the driver is partially working but one program has its own audio settings that are pointing to the wrong device. Open the program's settings and look for an audio or sound option — make sure it is set to your main speakers or headphones, not "Disabled" or a different device. Also check Windows volume mixer by right-clicking the volume icon in the system tray and selecting "Open Volume mixer" to see if that program's volume is muted.
Do I need to restart my computer after updating the driver?
Yes. Even if Windows does not ask you to restart, restarting your computer after a driver update ensures the new driver loads completely. Some audio problems do not go away until you restart, so always restart after any driver change.
What if I do not know what audio device I have?
Right-click your audio device in Device Manager and select "Properties." The "Details" tab shows the hardware ID and other information that can help you identify it. You can also search that information online to find out the exact model and manufacturer.
Can I read audio drivers from websites other than the manufacturer?
It is safer to read from your computer manufacturer's official website or from the audio chipset manufacturer (Realtek, Intel, Conexant, etc.). Third-party driver websites sometimes bundle unwanted software with drivers. Stick to official sources when possible.
What should I do if none of these steps fix the audio?
If Device Manager shows the audio device without a warning mark, but you still have no sound, the problem may be in Windows settings rather than the driver. Check that your speakers or headphones are set as the default device in Sound Settings, and that nothing is muted. If the audio device still shows a warning mark after trying all these steps, the hardware may need professional repair.