No Sound on Windows 11? Here Are 8 Ways How to Fix It!

At times, basic things like sound output break after a seemingly minor update on Windows 11. Affected users report that sound has stopped working on Windows 11, no matter if they select the built-in speaker or external soundbar to play the audio. Earlier, Windows 10 users had faced the same no sound issue, and we had compiled a list of multiple fixes. In a similar vein, we bring you a detailed guide to fix no sound issues on Windows 11 in this tutorial. We have discussed different methods to detect the sound problem and how to fix it. So on that note, let’s go ahead and find the solution for users who are getting no sound on Windows 11.

How to Fix ‘No Sound’ Issue on Windows 11 (2022)

In this exhaustive tutorial, we have included 8 different ways to resolve the no sound issue on Windows 11. Follow the tutorial from top to bottom to find a solution that fixes the audio output issue on your PC. Expand the table below and take a look at all the methods we have covered in this guide.

1. Check Audio Muted/ Low Volume Levels

Often, users don’t realize that perhaps the audio is on mute or someone might have reduced the volume to a lower level, and well, that gives the impression that sound is not working on Windows 11. In such cases, you just need to unmute the audio or increase the volume to check if audio settings are configured correctly. Here is how to do it.

1. First, use the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Windows + A” to open the Action Center. Here, click on the volume button to unmute the sound.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

2. Next, increase the volume to a higher level and check if the sound issue has been resolved on your Windows 11 PC.

1. Check Audio Mute/Low Volume

2. Choose the Right Audio Source

The second and most common reason behind the no sound issue on Windows 11 is audio source mismatch. You need to select the right audio source from the Action Center, and then Windows 11 will direct the audio to the correct output device. Here is how you can choose the right audio source.

1. Open the Action Center again using the “Windows + A” keyboard shortcut. Here, click on the “arrow” icon next to the volume bar.

2. Choose the Right Audio Source

2. Now, choose the audio device you have connected to your PC and want to use for playback. And voila, the no sound problem on your Windows 11 PC will be fixed right away. If the sound is still not working, try switching between different options or restart your PC and use this method once again.

2. Choose the Right Audio Source

3. Connect the Audio Cable to the Correct Port

Pretty often, users connect the audio cable to the wrong port and that results in the no sound issue on Windows 11. Here is an easy way to connect your device to the right audio jack. Simply look for the green port behind the CPU, which is your audio output port. Connect the audio jack to the green port.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here Are The 8 Ways to Fix It

On the front side, connect the audio cable to the port with a headphone label and not a microphone. These ports will allow you to output the sound to external sound devices. After connecting the device, make sure you have selected the right audio output source by following the method explained above.

4. Make Sure the Playback Device Is Enabled

Sometimes, the system audio device gets turned off due to a bug or an OS conflict. In such cases, you will need to enable the audio device manually from the Control Panel. Follow the steps below to learn how it works.

1. Press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” to open the Run prompt. Here, type mmsys.cpl and hit Enter. It will directly open the Sound window from the Control Panel.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

2. Next, scroll down and look for your audio output device. Right-click on it and choose “Enable“.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

3. Then, you can right-click on the device again and select “Test” to check if sound plays through the speaker or headphones you are trying to use with your Windows 11 PC. If the sound does not play, enable other options and test them to find the correct playback device.

mmsys.cpl

5. Adjust Windows 11 Sound Settings

If none of the above methods worked for you, try adjusting sound-related settings from the Windows Settings page. Follow the instructions below to learn how it works:

1. To begin, press the Windows key once and search for “sound”. Now, open the “Sound Settings” page.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

2. Next, select the speaker you want to use as your audio output device on your Windows 11 PC. After that, click the arrow icon to open the speaker properties window.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

3. After that, if you see an “Allow” button under the “General” section, press it to enable apps on your Windows 11 PC to use this device for audio playback. This will allow your Windows 11 PC to use the built-in speaker.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

4. Having done that, scroll down and make sure to disable the “Enhance audio” toggle. Sometimes, users face no sound issues on Windows 11 when this setting is turned on, so better to keep it turned off.

No Sound on Windows 11? Here are the Fixes (2022)

5. Also, disable “Spatial sound” from the drop-down menu, as shown in the screenshot below.

disable spatial sound

6. Use Windows Audio Troubleshooter

1. Open the “Sound” settings page again and scroll to the “Advanced” section at the bottom. Here, you will find the “Troubleshoot common sound problems” option. Click on the “Output devices” button next to it.

6. Try Windows Audio Troubleshooter

2. Windows 11 will now start detecting the problem and will fix the no sound issue on your PC. You should also give the built-in troubleshooter a try in case none of the above methods work in solving the problem for you.

6. Try Windows Audio Troubleshooter

7. Reinstall Audio Driver in Windows 11

Some users have reported that old audio drivers often break sound on Windows 11. In such cases, you need to update the audio driver to the latest version manually. Here is how to do it.

1. Press the “Windows + X” keyboard shortcut to open the Quick Links menu and open “Device Manager“.

7. Reinstall Audio Driver

2. Here, expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” section and right-click on your system sound card. It should be something on the lines of Realtek or the sound card your PC is using. From the right-click menu, select “Update driver“.

7. Reinstall Audio Driver

3. On the next page, click “Search automatically for drivers“. If there is a new update available for your sound output device, Windows 11 will automatically update it and ask you to restart the PC. Once rebooted, the no sound issue should be fixed on Windows 11. For detailed instructions, follow our article on how to update drivers on Windows 11.

7. Reinstall Audio Driver

4. In case there is no update available, you can try some third-party driver update tools for Windows 11. I use IObit Driver Booster to update all my drivers, and it works really well.

1. IObit Driver Booster realtek audio driver update

5. Now, if there is no sound on Windows 11, even after reinstalling the driver, right-click on the sound device and disable it. Then, restart your PC and enable it from Device Manager again. This should resolve the sound problems you are facing on Windows 11.

disable realtek and enable it again

8. Restart Windows Audio Service

Finally, if nothing worked for you until now, try restarting the Windows Audio service. It’s a major service that handles everything related to audio on Windows 11. So follow the below steps and see if it works in fixing the sound output issues on your PC.

1. Use the “Windows + R” keyboard shortcut to open the Run prompt and type services.msc and hit Enter. It will then open the Services window.

8. Restart Windows Audio Service

2. Here, scroll down and look for “Windows Audio“. Double click to open Windows Audio Properties. From the pop-up window that now appears, change the Startup type to “Automatic” and click the “Start” button. Now, click on Apply -> OK. Then, restart your PC and check whether the sound not working issue has been fixed or not.

8. Restart Windows Audio Service

Sound Not Working on Windows 11? Check out Easy Fixes!

So these are the 8 methods you can use to fix the no sound issue on Windows 11. I have added all the information you need to troubleshoot audio related problems, be it on a Windows 11 laptop or desktop. I would suggest you follow the guide step by step. Anyway, that is all from us. If you want to speed up Windows 11 or are looking for ways to switch users in Windows 11, check out our linked articles. And if you have any questions about sound issues on your PC, let us know in the comments section below.

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