The main components of a computer's sound system are a sound card and an audio output device - speakers (speakers) or headphones. Sound cards of modern computers are sold in two main categories:
- integrated into the computer motherboard (on board);
- separate (discrete) sound cards installed inside system unit computer.
There are also cheap or very expensive (for professional musicians) external sound cards with a USB connector.
The widespread first option involves wiring the sound chip onto the motherboard. The more expensive the latter, the better the chip used in it. But even in this case, the sound quality in on board cards cannot be called high, although it is quite satisfactory for ordinary users. The influence of interference from nearby other elements of the system unit sometimes leads to the audio signal in such cards being distorted. In addition, if the processor is heavily loaded, the sound stutters.
Discrete sound cards have significantly higher audio performance. The audio signal is processed in them by a specialized sound processor. The delivery package for this board includes a special software, implementing various acoustic effects. It should be noted, however, that the potentially high sound quality can be offset by ordinary speakers or headphones. It is recommended, in particular, to use speakers with wooden bodies.
Reasons for sound loss
Sometimes, after turning on or during operation, the computer may lose sound. Why is there no sound on my computer? The reason for the disappearance or distortion may be problems in its software or hardware components:
- poor contact or failure of speakers or headphones;
- incorrect audio device settings;
- driver damage;
- malfunction of the sound or motherboard (for on board version) board;
- incompatibility with other programs or drivers;
- incorrect BIOS settings;
- exposure to viruses.
The easiest ways to recover
If the sound just disappeared, you should restart your computer. It happens that problems with sound are the result of an accidental failure. If the problem persists, make sure that the speaker switch is turned on and not pushed to its extreme position. Then visually check that the speaker (or headphone) plug is securely connected to the corresponding (green) socket on the computer. Poor contact with the jack can also cause the sound to wheeze. The functionality of the speakers themselves can be checked by connecting to another sound source - a player, smartphone, or another computer.
In the entire range of used versions operating system– Windows 7/8/10, like the outdated Windows XP, has a universal tool – “System Restore”. It allows you to return your computer to a working state. If the sound was normal, for example, a day or a week ago, then you can “roll back the clock” and return to this state. The screenshot below showing sequentially opened windows explains the return algorithm (“Control Panel” -> “System” -> “System Protection” -> “Recovery” -> selecting a restore point -> “Next”). After the computer automatically restarts, the sound should be restored. 
Configuring Audio Settings
Inexperienced computer users could unknowingly turn off the sound from the taskbar (crossed out speaker or down slider). If this is the case, then you need to restore it, as shown in the screenshot (to delete the shutdown, click on the speaker icon).
Then you should go to “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Administrative Tools” -> “Services” and make sure that the Windows Audio service is automatically started and running; otherwise, restart it.
To check the audio settings, go to “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Sound” and make sure there is a green checkmark next to the sound device you are using. This means the speakers are working. Otherwise, click on the “Properties” button,
then open the lower list in a new window, select the “Use this device” option and click OK.
Reinstalling drivers
In working order sound card You can check in the device manager: “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Device Manager”. After opening the “Sound, video and gaming devices” list, the presence of a model (Realtek High Definition Audio) and the absence of an alarming yellow exclamation mark next to the line means that everything is in order. If you right-click on this line, then click “Properties”, a notification “The device is working normally” will appear in a new window.
Otherwise, you need to update or reinstall the driver. The same need sometimes arises after installing a new, partially incompatible device or program. To update, right-click on the Realtek High Definition Audio line and click “Update drivers” in the drop-down list.
A new window offers two ways to find updated drivers with explanations.
In some cases, the effect is achieved only after removing the existing driver (see previous screenshot) and installing it again from scratch. The Windows 7 operating system should automatically install the missing driver upon reboot (Plug and Play). If this does not happen, then the required driver can be taken from the disk included with the discrete sound card or motherboard upon purchase. Finally, as a last resort, the driver can be found and downloaded on the Internet on the website of the card or board manufacturer.
Sound or motherboard problems
These faults are complex and are detected using special equipment in service workshops. However, if you have the same computer in your office or home (for example, a neighbor), you can replace the suspected board with a known good one. After checking in this way, the problem can be solved by purchasing a new board.
BIOS Settings
It is possible that an inexperienced user, unwittingly, turned off the integrated sound card in the BIOS settings. To enable it, you need to restart the computer, enter the settings (by pressing the Del key before the system boots), find the Onboard Devices Configuration section and replace Disabled with Enabled. At the same time, keep in mind that if you are using a discrete sound card, this option must be disabled.
No sound may be due to insufficient antivirus protection. In such cases, you need to carefully scan the entire computer, possibly using other antiviruses. Once viruses are detected and removed, drivers will most likely need to be reinstalled as described above.
Conclusion
Consistent application of the above recommendations will restore normal sound on your computer. Similar advice can be found in other articles on search query“Why did the computer sound disappear?”
It's hard to imagine a funnier situation than watching the next Comedy club episode on a PC without sound. However, this kind of computer malfunction is far from uncommon in user practice. A great example of this is the irrepressible popularity of questions about how to turn on sound on a computer. Yes, an “unauthorized boycott” declared on your PC is definitely an unpleasant surprise for many novice users. Especially when you consider that the problem with sound is very multifaceted in resolution. However, you, dear reader, are in luck again! Because in just a few minutes you will be able to “untie your tongue” on almost any Windows operating system. Well, let's not waste precious time - let's turn to the experience of professionals.
Diagnosis of computer “dumbness”
The answer to the question of how to restore sound on a computer must be sought in two directions. The fact is that most often the system “loses its voice” due to software failures. However, the sound may disappear as a result of failure of any hardware component. For example, an integrated audio chip. To understand what exactly is the cause of “silence”, you need to resort to step by step plan actions. Only after a thorough practical analysis will you be firmly sure what type of sound problem you have: hardware or software. However, let's not talk about the bad - everything should be resolved without the intervention of a specialist.
Step No. 1. Basic check
Tell me how to turn on the sound on a computer if the speakers are not working or are simply not connected? Of course, no way! Extremely simple steps will help you avoid mistakes and wasted time.
First of all, you need to check:
- Are the speakers connected to the PC and does the jack used correspond to the destination device?
- Location of the plug if the speakers are powered from an electrical outlet.
- What position is the volume control in? Perhaps it is twisted to zero.
- Is one of the connecting cords damaged?
Often it is precisely such “platitudes” that push a person to take wrong actions. Therefore, be careful. Connect known-good speakers. Perhaps all your fears are in vain!
Step No. 2. Detect “secret” signs
If there is no sound on your computer, pay attention to the speaker icon located in the system tray. It may be crossed out, which means the playback device is deactivated. Move the slider up. If everything remains unchanged, move on to the next solution point.
Step #3. Windows services
It's no secret that the operating system has incredibly wide functionality. Management and control in the OS is carried out by special services, one of which is responsible for playing audio material. Fully customizing sound on a computer without the participation of Windows Audio is simply impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to check the current status of this service.
- Using the Win+R hotkey combination, bring up the “Run” menu.
- In the window that opens, enter the command services.msc. After confirming with the “OK” button, you will be redirected to a special “Services” section.
- Find Windows Audio in the list provided.
In order for sound to be played and audio settings to be correctly recognized by the system, you must make sure that the service is active. That is, in the “Status” column the “Running” parameter is indicated, and in the “Startup Type” column the value is set to “Automatic”. You can make the necessary changes using the same right mouse button, placing the cursor on the item that requires appropriate editing.
Step No. 4. Driver that may crash
A crossed out speaker in the tray may also indicate the incapacity of the special software code that controls the audio chip. In other words, the sound on the computer disappears when the driver becomes inoperative.
- Open the Start menu.
- Then go to the “System” section.
- On the left side of the window, select “Device Manager”.
It will not be difficult for you to discover the “culprit” of a problematic situation. In the list presented, a non-working device will be marked with an exclamation or prohibition mark. Update the sound driver using the service disk (software for the motherboard included in the kit). If you don’t have one, you need to go to the manufacturer’s official website and in the “Support” section download the appropriate software for the modification of your PC. It is worth noting that before installing the latest version of the sound driver, you must remove the old device management component.
Standard Windows functionality
When all your attempts to answer the question of how to turn on sound on your computer with practical actions have not brought any fruitful results, it makes sense to use the incredibly convenient “Fault Diagnostics” option. However, this functionality is only available in later versions of the Windows operating system. To launch this conflict resolution tool, you need to right-click on the conflicting device (indicated by the system with a special warning sign) and select “Diagnostics and correction” in the context menu. In a few minutes, the OS will notify you about the result of the work performed. It is likely that such a sound setting on a computer will become an effective salvation for a seemingly “deaf” situation.
Step #5: Settings
If you are convinced that the driver is installed correctly, and the service window of the sound device “Properties” displays the current status “Working normally”, then the solution to the question “how to turn on sound on the computer” should be sought using the following algorithm of actions:
- From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
- Go to the "Sound" section.
- In the window that opens, right-click on the icon of the displayed playback device. From the context menu, select “Properties”.
- While on the “General” tab, pay attention to the “Device Usage” item below. More precisely, the value in the checkbox. Apply the On option.
If there are several installed playback devices in the mentioned list, one of them should be assigned the “Default” value.
Step #6: Audio Controller
As a rule, most manufactured motherboards implement an advanced sound circuit. That is, the integrated audio chip can be controlled by a specially installed driver. Let's look at an example where the sound settings on a computer are done using the Realtek HD manager.
- Click on the speaker icon (darker in color and slightly large sizes than the standard Windows volume control).
- In the dispatcher working window that opens, you need to activate the icon in the form of a wrench (bottom part of the interface, on the right).
- In the case when no sound is played, it is necessary to change the diagram from one value to another (meaning “Front panel of AC"97” and the item of the same name located just below).
Often it is this change that allows you to use the required audio channel.
Step No. 7. Unclear media format
There are often cases when sound playback on a computer is impossible due to a missing audio codec. This problem can be easily corrected.
- Enter K-Lite Codec Pack in the search bar of your browser.
- Then select the official source of the product from the list provided.
- Download and install the necessary software.
Typically, this action gives the PC “omnivorous” multimedia capabilities. Rest assured: your computer will not be an exception to the rule.
Step No. 8. Software incidents
It happens that after installing certain software, the sound disappears, and after uninstalling the conflicting program it appears again. Some media players play a limited number of audio and video formats. This is the only reason why unlucky users often begin to panic. Therefore, before installing any program for viewing and playing multimedia content, you should refer to reviews of the product and a review of its tactical and technical capabilities.
Step No. 9. Look for the reason in the BIOS
As you know, the BIOS firmware manages and controls the operation of the entire hardware of a computing device. So installing sound on a computer may turn out to be an impossible mission when the audio functionality is disabled for some unknown reason in the BIOS. However, if you know the main rule when working with the basic system: “Do not touch or change unknown values,” you will successfully cope with the task.
To check whether the audio function is enabled in the BIOS, you need to do the following:
- Enter your PC's Bios.
- Depending on the version of the BSVV, the location of the sound “switch” may vary. However, the name "AUDIO" and the value "Enabled/Disabled", or "On", are unchanged.
- Finding a tab with the Onboard Device Configuration option, or High Definition Audio, does not seem difficult. The main thing is to understand the seriousness of the enterprise and not make rash changes to the firmware. Since this is fraught...
Step #10: System Restore
If, after all the manipulations, the question of how to install sound on your computer remains unresolved, then it would be prudent to use the method presented below.
- Go to the Start menu.
- Enter “recovery” in the search bar.
- Once the section you are looking for is displayed at the top of the service window, press Enter.
- Select the required backup copy and confirm your choice with the appropriate key.
After a reboot, the system will regain the ability to play sound.
Step #11: Damaged or Missing OS Files
Sometimes the question of how to make sound on a computer is solved by restoring lost entries in the system registry. After all, very often the user, as a result of erroneous actions (usually in pursuit of free space on the hard drive), deletes important OS data. Ultimately, the inevitable happens - Windows loses full functionality. However, the would-be user does not always have the opportunity to roll back the system to its original state. By the way, the reason for everything is the same well-known reason - saving space on the HDD, that is, there are simply no backup copies of the OS, since “System Restore” is purposefully disabled. Nevertheless, even in such a situation there is a way out.
- Press the Win and R keys at the same time.
- In the Run menu, enter cmd.exe
- · In the command window, type sfc /scannow.
- Press Enter.
Damaged data will be restored from backup storage. It is likely that after rebooting the OS you will hear the audio greeting again.
Step No. 12. Viral infection
Malicious code not only steals and destroys user data. A virus program that has infiltrated the operating system environment may also be the reason why the sound on the computer is lost. In order to identify the pest, special software is required. Often traditionally used for protection antivirus program not quite enough. However, today there are plenty of effective malicious code destroyers on the Internet. Therefore, you should not have any particular difficulties in the process of finding the necessary software tool.
- To ensure that your PC never experiences sound problems, periodically check the official website of your manufacturer (motherboard manufacturer) to see if newer versions of drivers have been released.
- When connecting audio playback devices to the PC system connectors, it would be a good idea to understand in more detail the correctness of the connection diagram involved.
- Often motherboards have special contact pads that can be connected with special jumpers in order to reassign the audio output. Therefore, it is worth turning to the documentation of the motherboard and studying the problematic issue in more detail.
- If all methods fail to meet your expectations (which is unlikely to happen), seek specialized help.
How to connect sound on a computer? As you can imagine, this is an incredibly large question. However, today you have learned a lot of information about what you need to do to “talk” your electronic friend, and what you should be wary of while using it. All the best to you and pleasant sound experiences!
Hi all! Modern computer user (unless of course you are an office worker) It's hard to imagine without music. The lack of sound on the computer is quite sad, because even I am writing this note with a calm track in the background (otherwise the blog posts would be dull and uninteresting). So, I want to tell you about my experience and answer the question - why is there no sound on the computer?
With the transition to Windows 10 and the advent of HDMI (where video and audio go over the same cable and your video card has an audio chip) There are even more problems... this is especially true if your computer is not the latest, even though it coped with the assigned tasks perfectly on Windows 7.
The first thing to do if there is no sound on the computer is to check the cables and make sure that the speakers (or headphones) included. Quite often, a banal reconnection of the speakers helps - if you have already tried all this and the problem with the sound is not solved, then you can start reading the note.
Check the driver and your sound card
If you connect the speakers to the computer, but there is no sound... then you will have to go to the device manager and see if everything is fine with the hardware and whether we have sound drivers installed. Getting to Device Manager is not difficult - open the Start menu, type “Device Manager” and press Enter on your keyboard.
Device Manager will open. Expand the "Sound, Game and Video Devices" tab. Find in the list (if there are several) your audio device and double-click on it - its properties will open. Check the system message, the driver should be installed and the device should work properly.
Try updating the driver - this is done on the "Driver" tab. Quite often, simply reinstalling the device helps... to do this, right-click on your audio device and click delete (but do not delete the driver itself - the system will ask you about it). After that, click the “Update hardware configuration” button at the top. This will reinstall the existing device driver.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself with multiple audio devices - this is normal. Almost everything modern computer s or laptops have an HDMI video output that can transmit audio and video over one cable
Selecting the correct default audio device
Open "Control Panel" and open the "Hardware and Sound" category. Select Sound. (why can’t you click on the icon next to the clock? - It’s simple, the interface has changed a little in Windows 10 Spring Creator Updates and I’ll describe it below)
Here we are interested in the “Playback” tab and the list of devices. Let's look at an example - I have a laptop connected to an external monitor via HDMI. The monitor has its own built-in speakers... so you just need to tell Windows which device to use for audio playback.
In the example below, as indicated by the green flag, we see that the sound is being played through the monitor (only the speakers on the monitor are turned down to zero! That’s why there is no sound on the computer). You just need to choose standard speakers and sound problems will disappear
It is possible that after selecting a different default audio device, you will need to restart the programs, or better yet, restart your computer for the new settings to take effect.
Windows 10 v1803 continues saw design of Windows 10 in a new style and in new version These changes affected the sound parameters. In general, there is nothing complicated - right-click on the “Speakers” icon next to the clock and select “Open sound options”
Everything is similar here, we just select an output (playback) device from the list and enjoy the sound on the computer.
Several audio devices will be active if you connect the TV to a laptop or computer via HDMI... perhaps you are using Bluetooth speakers and much, much more...
Disable sound enhancements
In Control Panel (in the same place where you selected the default audio devices on the “Playback” tab) Right-click on "Default Playback Device" and open its "Properties". On the Enhancements tab, select Disable all audio enhancements and check if the sound is working.
If these manipulations helped, that's good news, turn off sound effects for all your audio devices.
Check your speaker or headphone connections
Almost all modern computers are equipped with at least three connectors, which necessarily include:
- Microphone jack
- Line input
- Line output
(exceptions are laptops; quite often they are combined and have only one dual-use connector - microphone and line output). Make sure your speakers are connected to line out (usually it is colored green).
Maybe the advice is so-so, but you can try connecting to all connectors to determine at random the one you need
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that when you connect headphones to the front panel of the system unit, the speakers will turn off - do not forget this nuance.
Misunderstandings with sound or understanding HDMI
This problem probably deserves a separate note, but I’ll try to tell it in the context of our problem. If you connected your TV via HDMI and are faced with no sound on it, you need to delve a little deeper into history.
If your computer and TV are completely new, then most likely your default playback device is incorrectly selected; you can read above how to change it.
If your computer is no longer young, then it is quite possible that although there is an HDMI connector on your video card, it cannot transmit sound via this cable. In this case, either change the video card or connect the sound to the TV with a separate cable (if possible).
In Control Panel, open the properties of your default playback device and go to the Advanced tab. In the Default Format section, check each available one in turn.
If it helps, save the settings and enjoy the sound on your computer. However, as practice has shown, this method helps very rarely.
If you are already desperate and have tried everything possible options, then starting with Windows 8 there is an opportunity to automatically try to fix the problem with no sound on the computer. Click on the speaker icon in the taskbar and select “Troubleshoot sound problems”
Next, you need to select your playback device and follow the prompts... if you look closely at the points, you can see that the system itself tries all the methods described above and, if possible, combines them. Surprisingly, quite often this method helps, especially in cases where you have chosen the wrong device for sound output in the system.
Results
Well friends, in this guide I described the most common problems with no sound on a computer. In fact, there are many more reasons why there is no sound on a computer or laptop, but it is better to consider them privately. If these methods did not help you in any way, then please describe your problem in as much detail as possible in the comments - I will definitely answer and try to help you.
One day, when trying to watch a movie or listen to music, we may encounter the problem of no sound on the computer. In this case, you need to determine why there is no sound on the computer in order to eliminate this problem.
There may be no sound due to hardware or software reasons. The problem may lie in faulty components such as speakers, audio card, or in operating system settings or settings of certain programs. Sound loss can occur on any computer operating system.
Stages of problem solving
- If there is no sound after turning on the computer, this may indicate a malfunction of the operating system. Restart your computer, this will update the operating system and restore sound.
- If the sound is not restored after a reboot, you need to check the audio system connected to the computer. Check whether the audio system is connected to the power supply, as well as directly to the computer. Check to see if the plug is inserted into the correct connector. The sound card has a separate output for a microphone and for speakers (or headphones). Typically the microphone output is pink and the speaker output is green. If you mix them up, there will be no sound.
- If you have an additional computer or laptop, you can try connecting an audio system to it and checking it for correct operation. The same can be done by connecting an ordinary mp3 or CD player to the speakers.
- On computers that have been in use for a long time, these connectors may wear out. Therefore, they should be adjusted a little, the audio system wires should be removed and reinserted.
- Then you need to check whether the audio system itself is turned on. There is a power button on the audio system body that must be turned on. When turned on, the LED on the audio system lights up. After this, you should check the functionality of the volume knob.
- If after checking the audio system the sound does not appear, you need to click on the speaker icon on the desktop. If it is crossed out, it means the sound is muted. You will need to click on the icon and adjust the volume.
- If sound is heard on another computer, this means that the computer being tested may have problems with the audio card, or with the sound source program itself, or other problems.
- The computer will need to be scanned for unknown devices. To do this, you will need to click on the “My Computer” icon, then “Properties”, the “Hardware” section, “Device Manager”, and select the “Sound, video and gaming devices” tab from the list. An exclamation mark may appear among audio devices. This may indicate that the device is unrecognized and there is a driver problem. The drivers could have crashed, which sometimes happens after a reboot. To fix this problem, the drivers corresponding to this audio card are reinstalled.
- If the drivers are ok, this means there is a problem with the sound card. To check, it is recommended to test it on another computer. If it is damaged, then you need to buy a new sound card. If you have an audio card that worked initially, you can try installing it in a computer that has no sound. If the speakers produce sound, this may mean that the problem lies in a broken audio card that needs to be changed and installed on the computer.
- In Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can perform a system restore. This is done to return system files and parameters to their original state. You can restore the previous restore point in this way: go to “Start”, then go to “All Programs”, section “Accessories”, section “System Tools” and click “System Restore”.
- The problem of sound disappearing can also occur due to a software conflict. For example, the sound could disappear due to some new program installed on the computer. To do this, check the program settings; the sound may have been muted there initially. Or you may need a special software add-on from the Internet. Otherwise, it is recommended to remove it.
If you hear poor sound, crackling, wheezing, or interruptions in the sound signal from the computer, this indicates a breakdown of the hardware or sound card.
Instructions
First of all, check if the system sounds are playing. Open the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window by selecting Sound, Speech, and Audio Devices in Control Panel, and then selecting Sounds and Audio Devices. Go to the “Sound” tab, select any program event and sound file from the drop-down list, click the play button.
If system sounds are not playing, open the “Volume” window, to do this, in the “Start” menu, point to the commands: “All Programs”, “Accessories”, “Entertainment” and select “Volume”. Make sure the "Off" checkbox is unchecked. All". Here, check to see if the “Off” checkbox is checked. for corresponding devices other than the microphone input.
If the computer plays system sounds but does not play sounds from various devices, for example CDs, check the serviceability of these devices, that they are connected correctly, and also make sure that these devices have been installed.
Finally, the reason for the absence may be problems in the sound card drivers. If after these procedures the sound does not appear, try updating these drivers. First of all, remove all audio-video codecs from the system. Open the “Device Manager” window, select “Sound, video and game devices”, then select the name of the installed driver, usually Realtec AC97 or C-media, if there are no such drivers, then “Multimedia audio controller”, right-click and select "Properties". In the “Driver” tab, click the “Uninstall” button, then click the “Update” button. Insert the driver CD from your computer and follow the instructions.
Please note
This procedure does not guarantee that the system will be completely restored to its previous state; However, you should be able to recover your data using this procedure. Warning Do not use the procedure described in this article if your computer has an operating system installed by the hardware manufacturer.
How to restore the system? 1. Click on the “Start” button at the bottom right of the screen and select “Control Panel”. The main window of the Control Panel of the Windows 7 operating system will open: 2. Click on the very first section “System and Security” and in the window that opens, select the subsection “Restore the computer to a previous state”.