No sound on Windows 11? First select the speaker icon on the taskbar, open the device list with the arrow, and make sure the right output is selected and not muted.
If that’s fine, open Settings → System → Sound, pick your device under Output, and turn Audio enhancements off. Still silent? Run the audio troubleshooter, restart the Windows Audio service, and update or reinstall the audio driver.
Most audio problems come down to Windows sending sound to the wrong place: a monitor without speakers, a Bluetooth headset in another room, or a device that’s been disabled. The fixes below go from quickest to most involved. Once you hear something, use our free speaker test to check that the left and right channels both work.
Why is there no sound on Windows 11?
- The wrong output device is selected, such as a monitor, TV or headset that isn’t connected or turned on.
- The volume is muted in Windows, in the app, or on the speakers themselves.
- A loose or wrong cable. Microsoft notes the green jack is for output and pink is for input.
- Audio enhancements that clash with your device or driver.
- A driver or service problem, often after an update.
1. Check cables, power and volume
- Make sure speakers are plugged in, powered on and turned up.
- Check the cable is in the right jack and not loose. Try a different USB port for USB speakers or headsets.
- Unplug headphones if you’re trying to use speakers. Windows may still send sound to the headphones.
- Check the volume inside the app or website. A video player can be muted even when Windows isn’t.
2. Pick the right output device
- Select the speaker icon on the taskbar.
- Select the arrow next to the volume slider to open the list of audio devices.
- Choose the speakers or headphones you want to use.
You can also set it in Start → Settings → System → Sound under Output. If you use a monitor or TV over HDMI, it often appears as its own output. Pick it only if that screen has speakers you want to use.
3. Unmute and enable the device
In the same speaker flyout, check that nothing is muted. In Settings → System → Sound, select your output device and make sure it’s allowed to be used. In the classic Sound control panel, this shows as Use this device (enable). A disabled device won’t play anything even when it’s selected.
4. Turn off audio enhancements
- Select Start → Settings → System → Sound.
- Select your output device.
- Scroll to Advanced settings and set Audio enhancements to Off.
- Play something to test. If sound comes back, leave enhancements off.
5. Run the audio troubleshooter
Go to Start → Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters and select Run next to Audio. The Get Help app checks common problems and can fix some of them for you.
6. Install updates and restart
Select Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and install what’s offered. Then restart from Start → Power. Some audio driver updates only finish after a restart.
7. Restart the Windows audio services
- Select Start, type services and open Services.
- Find Windows Audio, right-click it and select Restart.
- Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and Remote Procedure Call (RPC). If Restart isn’t available for one of them, skip it.
8. Update or reinstall the audio driver
- Select Start, type device manager and open it.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right-click your audio device and select Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
- If that doesn’t help, right-click it again, select Uninstall device, check Attempt to remove the driver for this device, and restart the PC.
Microsoft also suggests trying Windows’ generic driver: right-click the device, select Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer, pick the device and select Next. On some PCs that list an IDT High Definition Audio CODEC, Microsoft recommends choosing High Definition Audio Device this way.
9. Try a different audio format
- Select Start, type control panel and open it.
- Select Hardware and Sound → Sound.
- On the Playback tab, right-click the default device and select Properties.
- On the Advanced tab, change the Default Format, select Apply and test. Try a few if the first doesn’t help.
10. Fix Bluetooth headphones and one-sided sound
- Check the headset’s charge in Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
- If only one ear works, open Settings → System → Sound, select the device, then Volume, and make sure Left and Right match.
- Turn off Mono audio if you want stereo. It’s in Settings → Accessibility → Audio. Leave it on if you only use one earbud.
- Still wrong? Remove the device in Bluetooth & devices → Devices, put the headset in pairing mode, and add it again with Add device → Bluetooth.
If it still doesn’t work
Try other speakers or headphones. If they work, the original device is likely faulty. If nothing plays sound, the problem is the PC’s audio hardware or driver, so check the PC maker’s support site for an audio driver for your exact model. Is your microphone also acting up? Try our mic test. More fixes are in our Windows section, and if you just upgraded, our list of Windows 11 settings to change is worth a look. If you rely on a headset for calls, test it on a second device too, so you know whether to blame the PC or the headset.
Related guide: Microphone Not Working on Windows 11? 9 Fixes That Work.
FAQ
Why did my sound stop after a Windows update?
Updates can change the default device or the audio driver. Check the output device in the taskbar speaker menu, then update or reinstall the driver in Device Manager.
Why is there sound in headphones but not speakers?
Windows sends audio to the selected output. Unplug the headphones or choose the speakers in the speaker menu on the taskbar.
Why does only one side of my headphones work?
Check the Left and Right balance in the device’s volume settings, and turn off Mono audio. If the problem stays, try the headphones on another device.
Is it safe to restart the Windows Audio service?
Yes. It only restarts sound on your PC. Audio may cut out for a second while it restarts.
