Start with the simplest checks first

If your computer is producing no sound, the problem is almost always one of four things: the volume is muted or turned down, the speakers are unplugged or turned off, the wrong audio device is selected, or the process itself has sound disabled. Before you troubleshoot anything else, check these four points in order. Most people find the answer in the first two minutes.

Look at your keyboard. If you see a speaker icon with an X through it, or a speaker icon with a line through it, your system volume is muted. Press the mute key (usually marked with a speaker symbol) to unmute it. On Windows, look at the bottom right corner of your screen near the clock—click the speaker icon and drag the volume slider all the way to the right. On Mac, click the speaker icon in the top right corner and move the slider up. If the slider is already at maximum, move it down slightly and back up again, because sometimes the audio driver needs to be reset.

Next, physically check your speakers or headphones. If you are using external speakers, make sure they are plugged into the correct port on the back or side of your computer. If they have their own power button or switch, turn them on. If you are using headphones, unplug them and plug them back in firmly—a loose connection is one of the most common causes of silent audio. Try a different pair of headphones if you have them available, because a broken headphone jack can make it seem like your computer has no sound when the problem is actually the hardware.

Key Takeaways

  • Check whether your system volume is muted or at zero by looking at the speaker icon in your system tray and adjusting the slider all the way up.
  • Make sure external speakers are plugged in and powered on, and that headphones are inserted firmly into the audio jack.
  • Verify that the correct audio output device is selected in your sound settings, because your computer may be trying to send sound to a device that is not connected.
  • Check the volume settings inside the process you are using, because many programs have their own independent volume control that can be muted separately from the system volume.
  • If you still hear nothing, restart your computer and then check whether the audio driver needs to be updated through your device manufacturer's website.

Select the correct audio output device

Your computer may have multiple audio outputs available—built-in speakers, headphone jacks, USB speakers, Bluetooth headphones, and HDMI connections to monitors or televisions. If you have plugged in a new device recently, your computer may be sending sound to that device instead of your speakers, even if that device is not turned on or not in the room.

On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner and select "Open Volume mixer" or "Sound settings." Look for a section labeled "Output" or "Playback devices." You will see a list of devices with a green checkmark next to the active one. If the active device is not the one you want to use, click on the device you want and select "Set as default." On Mac, click the Apple menu, go to System Settings, then Sound, and look for "Output." Select the device you want to use from the list.

If you see a device in the list that you do not recognize or do not use, it may be a Bluetooth device that is still paired with your computer. Unpair it by right-clicking (Windows) or clicking the options button (Mac) next to the device name and selecting "Remove" or "Forget." Then set your preferred device as the default again.

Check the volume inside your process

Many programs—web browsers, video players, music apps, video games—have their own volume controls that are separate from your system volume. If your system volume is up but you still hear nothing, the process itself may be muted or set to zero.

Look for a speaker icon or volume slider within the program window. On YouTube, Netflix, or other video sites, the volume control is usually in the bottom right corner of the video player. In Discord, Slack, or other chat applications, look in the settings menu for audio or microphone options. Some games have volume settings buried in the Options or Settings menu rather than visible on the main screen. If you find a mute button (often marked with an X through a speaker), click it to unmute. If you find a volume slider, drag it to the right.

If the process has a separate input or output device selector, make sure it is set to the same device you selected in your system settings. Some applications will default to a different device than the one you are actually using, which can cause sound to be routed nowhere.

Restart your computer and check for driver updates

If you have checked mute status, physical connections, device selection, and process volume and still hear nothing, restart your computer. Many audio problems are caused by a driver or service that has stopped responding, and a restart will reload everything. Shut down completely (do not just put it to sleep), wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on.

If sound still does not work after a restart, your audio driver may need to be updated. The audio driver is the software that tells your computer how to communicate with your speakers or headphones. On Windows, go to the device manufacturer's website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, etc.—not Microsoft), find the support or downloads section, enter your computer model number, and look for "Audio Driver" or "Realtek Audio Driver." read and install the latest version. On Mac, audio drivers are updated through the regular system updates, so go to System Settings, General, Software Update and install any available updates.

After updating the driver, restart your computer again. This is important because the driver will not fully set up until after a restart.

Check Windows audio troubleshooter or Mac audio settings

Both Windows and Mac include built-in audio troubleshooting tools that can identify and sometimes fix common problems automatically.

On Windows 10 or 11, right-click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner and select "Troubleshoot sound problems." Windows will run through a series of checks and may automatically fix the issue. If it finds a problem, follow the on-screen instructions. You can also go to Settings, System, Sound, and scroll down to "Advanced" to find "Volume mixer" and "App volume and device preferences," where you can see which applications are sending sound to which devices.

On Mac, go to System Settings, Sound, and look at the "Output" tab. Make sure the device you want is selected and that the volume slider is not at zero. If you see a red light next to "Input," that means your microphone is muted, but that would not affect speaker output. Check the "Alert sound" setting at the bottom—if it is set to "None," change it to a real sound to test whether audio is working at all.

Test audio with a different process or website

Sometimes the problem is not your computer's audio system but a single process that is broken or misconfigured. To figure out which, test sound in a different program.

Open a web browser and go to YouTube or another video site. Play a video and listen for sound. If you hear it, your computer's audio is working and the problem is with the original process you were using. If you do not hear it, the problem is with your computer's audio system itself, and you should go back through the steps above.

If only one process is silent, try closing it completely and opening it again. If that does not work, check that process's settings or preferences menu for audio options. Some applications store audio settings in a config file that can become corrupted, and reinstalling the process will fix it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my computer have sound in some applications but not others?

The process that is silent may have its own volume control set to zero, or it may be configured to output to a device that is not connected. Open the process's settings and look for audio or sound options. You can also check your system's audio mixer to see which device each process is using.

I plugged in USB speakers and now I hear nothing from any device. What happened?

Your computer automatically switched the audio output to the USB speakers when you plugged them in. If those speakers are not powered on or not working, you will hear nothing. Go to your sound settings, find the USB device in the output list, and switch back to your built-in speakers or headphones. Then unplug the USB speakers or turn them on.

My headphones work but my speakers do not. How do I switch back to speakers?

Your computer is set to output audio to the headphones. Go to your sound settings, find the headphones in the output device list, and select your speakers instead. Make sure the speakers are plugged in and powered on before you make the switch.

I updated my audio driver and now I have no sound. How do I fix this?

The new driver may not be compatible with your system, or the installation may have been interrupted. Restart your computer first—sometimes the driver needs a restart to work properly. If that does not help, go back to the manufacturer's website and read the previous version of the driver, or look for a "rollback" option in your device manager.

Can a Windows update cause audio to stop working?

Yes. Windows updates sometimes reset audio settings or install a new driver that is not compatible with your hardware. After a Windows update, check your sound settings to make sure the correct device is selected and the volume is up. If audio is still not working, check the manufacturer's website for a newer audio driver that is compatible with the latest Windows version.