Start with the mute button and volume slider

The most common reason your computer has no volume is that something is muted—either your speakers, your operating system, or the process you are using. Before you troubleshoot anything else, check three places: the physical mute button on your keyboard (usually marked with a speaker icon), the volume slider in your system tray or menu bar, and the volume control within the app itself, like your web browser or media player.

On Windows, look for the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar. Click it and drag the slider all the way to the right. On Mac, click the speaker icon in the top right corner of the menu bar and move the slider up. If either shows a muted symbol (usually a speaker with a line through it), click to unmute. Many laptops also have keyboard shortcuts—hold the Fn key and press the volume-down key repeatedly until you see a muted icon appear, then press the volume-up key to unmute.

Key Takeaways

  • Check the mute button on your keyboard, the system volume slider, and the app's own volume control before assuming hardware is broken.
  • If the volume slider is all the way up but you still hear nothing, restart your computer—this fixes most audio driver problems without any other work.
  • On Windows, open Device Manager and look for a yellow exclamation mark next to your audio device, which means the driver needs updating.
  • Unplug and replug your speakers or headphones, or try them in a different USB port or jack, to rule out a loose connection.
  • If nothing works after a restart and driver update, your audio hardware may have failed and will need replacement or professional repair.

Restart your computer first

Before you dig into settings, restart your computer. This fixes the majority of audio problems because it resets your audio driver—the software that lets Windows or Mac talk to your speakers. Shut down completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Once it boots, test the sound again by playing a video or opening a music app.

Restarting is free and takes five minutes. It solves problems caused by a driver crash, a stuck mute command, or a temporary conflict between apps. If sound comes back after a restart, you are done. If it does not, move to the next step.

Update or reinstall your audio driver on Windows

Your audio driver is the translator between your operating system and your speakers. If it is outdated or corrupted, Windows cannot send sound to your hardware. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Device Manager." Look for "Sound, video and game controllers" and click the arrow next to it to expand the list.

If you see a yellow exclamation mark next to any audio device (usually called "Realtek High Definition Audio" or "Intel Smart Sound Technology"), that is your problem. Right-click it and select "Update driver." Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and let Windows find and install the latest version. Restart your computer when it finishes.

If there is no yellow mark but you still have no sound, right-click the audio device anyway and select "Uninstall device." Restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver on startup. This forces a fresh installation and often fixes corrupted drivers that an update alone cannot repair.

Check that your audio device is set as the default on Windows

Windows can have multiple audio outputs connected at once—speakers, headphones, HDMI from a monitor, Bluetooth devices—and it sends sound to whichever one is set as default. If the wrong device is default, you will hear nothing from your speakers even though they are working.

Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select "Open Sound settings." Scroll down to "Advanced" and click "Volume mixer." Under "App volume and device preferences," look at the list of apps. Make sure each one shows your speakers (not "Headphones" or "HDMI" or a Bluetooth device) in the "Device" column. If an app is routed to the wrong device, click the device name and change it to your speakers.

If you do not see your speakers listed at all, scroll back up in Sound settings and look for "Output devices." If your speakers do not appear there, Windows does not recognize them. Unplug them, wait 10 seconds, and plug them back in. If they still do not appear, try a different USB port or audio jack.

Check audio settings on Mac

On Mac, click the Apple menu and go to "System Settings." Select "Sound" from the sidebar. Under "Output," you will see a list of devices. Make sure your speakers are selected, not "Headphones" or an external display. If your speakers do not appear in the list, they may not be connected properly.

Below the device list, check that the "Output volume" slider is not all the way down. Also look for a checkbox labeled "Mute"—if it is checked, uncheck it. If you are using an app like Spotify or a web browser, open that app's settings and check its own volume control as well. Some apps have independent mute switches that override your system volume.

Test your speakers or headphones with a different device

If your computer's volume is unmuted and turned up, but you still hear nothing, your speakers or headphones may be broken. Plug them into a phone, tablet, or another computer and play music or a video. If they work on the other device, your computer's audio hardware is the problem. If they do not work on any device, the speakers or headphones themselves have failed and need replacement.

If you are using a USB speaker or headset, try plugging it into a different USB port on your computer. Some ports share power with other devices and may not provide enough power to run audio equipment. If you are using a 3.5mm headphone jack, make sure the plug is pushed all the way in—a loose connection can cut off sound completely.

Check for hardware failure or physical damage

If you have restarted your computer, updated your drivers, checked all the mute buttons, and tested your speakers on another device, your audio hardware may have failed. This can happen if your computer was dropped, exposed to liquid, or straightforward aged. The audio jack may be bent, the internal speaker may have stopped working, or the audio chip on the motherboard may have burned out.

At this point, you have two options: take your computer to a repair shop for diagnosis and repair, or replace the speakers or headphones if you are using external ones. If you are using your computer's built-in speakers and they have failed, a repair shop can replace them, but the cost may be high depending on your computer model. External speakers or headphones are usually cheaper to replace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my computer have sound in one app but not another?

The app may have its own mute button or volume control separate from your system volume. Open the app's settings or preferences and look for an audio or sound section. Also check Windows Sound settings or Mac Sound preferences to make sure that specific app is routed to your speakers and not a different output device.

My speakers work when I plug them into my phone but not my computer. What is wrong?

Your computer's audio driver is likely corrupted or missing. Restart your computer first. If that does not work, update or reinstall your audio driver through Device Manager on Windows or System Settings on Mac. If the driver is up to date and you still have no sound, the audio jack or internal audio hardware may be damaged.

I see a red X on my audio device in Device Manager. What does that mean?

A red X means Windows has disabled that device, usually because the driver is missing or broken. Right-click the device and select "Enable device." If that does not work, uninstall it and restart your computer so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.

Can a Windows update cause my sound to stop working?

Yes. Updates sometimes overwrite or corrupt audio drivers. If your sound stopped after a Windows update, restart your computer first. If that does not fix it, go to Device Manager and update your audio driver. You can also roll back the Windows update by going to Settings, System, Recovery, and selecting "Go back" if the option is available.

My headphones are plugged in but my computer is still using the built-in speakers. How do I switch?

On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar, select "Open Sound settings," and under "Output" choose your headphones from the list. On Mac, click the speaker icon in the menu bar and select your headphones. If your headphones do not appear in either list, unplug them, wait 10 seconds, and plug them back in so your computer recognizes them.