Audio problems can be annoying whether you are using default system speakers, external speakers setup or using headphone. You may be facing problems like low volume, no or noisy sound when playing a music or attending a video conference. Whether the audio is not working partially or completely, you can fix the issue following the suggestions given in this article. Note that this article deals with Windows 11 setup, check out our earlier article if you are using Windows 10.
Fix Sound Problems in Windows 11
Most options listed down will not affect the data stored in your system. However, certain actions like uninstalling device or updating driver (automatic or manual) may end up in unexpected situation. Therefore, make sure to create a system restore point or keep the original audio driver files as a backup. You can restore the system or reinstall the driver in case something goes wrong.
1. Check Sound Not Muted and Select Correct Speakers
First things first, before jumping into any troubleshooting methods make sure your audio isn’t muted, the volume levels aren’t low and you are using the right audio device.
- To check whether your audio is muted, click the speaker icon on Taskbar system tray. If the speaker icon is showing with a x mark, click on the icon to unmute it.
- Next adjust speaker’s volume by moving the slider to maximum level and check if this solves your audio problem.
- Lastly, click on “Select a sound output” icon showing next to the slider. Choose the correct sound output device that you want to use and check the audio is working again.
Remember, sometimes your Bluetooth audio device like headphone will be automatically connected. Make sure to select your system speakers and check the audio is working from the system.
2. Run Windows 11 Sound Troubleshooter
Windows 11 also has a built-in sound troubleshooter which can analyze and solve sound or audio related issues.
- Right-click on the speaker icon in Taskbar and select “Troubleshoot sound problems” option.
- This will open a “Get Help” windows, scroll down to “Audio Problems Troubleshooter” section.
- You need to provide consent for running automated diagnostic and click on “Yes” to start the process.
- The troubleshooter will start scanning the system and play a beep sound. If you heard a beep sound then click “Yes” and it will ask you for rescanning again. Generally, if you could hear a beep then the problem is solved or you might have some other problem. However, you can rescan and enable tracing to analyze any specific activity. For example, if you are not able to hear the sound from a music app, open the app and play a music for the troubleshooter to trace and analyze the activity. At the end, you will see any recommendation found by the troubleshooter.
- If you did not hear a beep, select “No” and the troubleshooter will start checking the device for outdated or faulty sound drivers. It will offer help to update the driver automatically. Click “Yes” to update the driver or “No” to get the steps for manually updating your driver.
Note: Sound troubleshooter needs Get Help app from Microsoft to do the diagnostics. Though this app comes as default with most Windows installation, it is not always the case. In this case, you will see an error like below when trying to open the troubleshooter. Click on the “Browse Microsoft Store” button to go to Store app.
You will see “Get Help” app will show up and install it on your system to start using the troubleshooter.
3. Manually Update or Reinstall Audio Drivers
If you have chosen “No” when the troubleshooter prompted to automatically install driver, you can manually do that. This is also an option if you are facing audio related issues immediately after updating Windows to latest version. Keep your audio driver files ready or download the latest driver from the device’s manufacturer’s website and follow the below steps.
- Right-click on the Start button on Taskbar and select “Device Manager” option.
- Scroll down a bit and double-click on the “Sound, video and game controllers” option.
- Right-click on your audio device from the list and select “Update driver” option.
- Next, choose the “Browse my computer for drivers” option.
- If you have the driver files on your system, click “Browse…” button and select that folder. If you have a driver disk from original manufacturer, select “Let me pick from the list of available drivers on my computer” option.
- Click on “Have Disk…” button and select the driver disk. If you do not have the file or disk, select the latest audio driver from the list and press the “Next” button.
This will update your audio driver and check the sound works after that. Note that Windows will automatically show a warning if you select outdated driver for updating. In this case, find the correct driver from manufacturer’s website or all Windows to automatically search install the driver for you.
4. Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Device
If the problem still exists after updating the drivers, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the audio device.
- Go to Device Manager and expand “Sounds, video and game controllers” option.
- Select your device, right-click on it and choose “Uninstall device” option.
- You will see a warning message and confirm the action by clicking on “Uninstall” button.
After uninstalling the device, restart your computer and the system will automatically detect and install your audio device. Otherwise, go to Device Manager and select “Scan for hardware changes” option from “Action” menu. System will scan for the missing devices/drivers and reinstall them.
Now, play a music and check if you can successfully hear the sound from your speakers.
5. Check Speaker Settings in Windows 11
If you still face the audio problem, try adjusting the speaker settings in the Settings app.
- Right-click on Start icon and select “Settings” to open Settings app.
- Go to “System > Sound” section to view all sound related settings in Windows 11.
- Expand “Choose where to play sound” option under “Output” section and click on “Speakers”.
- Under the “General” section make sure the “Audio” option is enabled. If it is enabled you will see a “Don’t allow” button next to it. If you see the “Allow” button here, click on it to enable it.
- Scroll down and select “Off” for “Audio enhancements” option.
- Lastly, check the “Spatial audio” option and make sure to turn it off.
6. Fix Audio Services
Windows Audio service always runs in the background to manage and control audio-related operations in your system. Sometimes this service fail to work properly resulting in audio problems and adjusting them can solve the issue.
- Right-click on Start icon and select “Run” option.
- Type services.msc in the box and click “OK” button.
- Scroll down in the huge list and find “Windows Audio” service.
- Make sure the “Startup Type” is set to “Automatic”. Then, right-click and choose “Restart” option. If it is not showing as automatic, then select “Properties” from the right-click context menu and select “Automatic” option for “Startup type”.
Restart your system and check if it solves the audio issue.
7. Run SFC command
Corrupted system files can result in several problems in your system including audio issues. To scan and fix these missing or corrupted files, you can run SFC command from Command Prompt.
- Go to the Search button and type “cmd” in the search bar.
- Right-click on the Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
- Type sfc/scannow in the prompt and press enter. System will start scanning and repair any detected or corrupted files.
Now, check the audio is working and your issue is resolved.
8. Update Windows 11 and App
Sometimes, your music app may have a compatibility issue with the Windows OS. In this case, updating your app and Windows can help to resolve the conflict and fix the issue.
- Open Settings app and go to “Windows Update” section. Check for any available update to download and install the latest Windows 11 version.
- For apps – go to Microsoft Store and get the latest update for your app. If you have downloaded the app from any third-party website, discuss with the developer to get the update.
You can also go to “System > Sound > Volume mixer” section in Settings app and reset sound devices and volume for all apps to the recommended defaults.
9. Change External Speaker Setup
If you have connected external speakers and not hearing the sound properly, it might be due to incorrect setup.
- Go to “System > Sound” section in Settings app.
- Scroll down to “Advanced” settings and click “More sound settings” option.
- On the Sound properties dialog box, select your speaker under “Playback” tab and click “Configure” button.
- Select your setup from the “Audio channels” list. Check the setup preview and click on “Test” button check the playback. Click “Next” button to proceed further.
Depending upon your selection, Windows will prompt you to select the speakers in the next steps. For example, if you have selected 7.1 Surround channel, you will be prompted to select center, subwoofer, side or rear pair, front left and right and surround optional speakers for your setup.
Follow the wizard to select proper speaker setup connected to your system and finally click on the “Finish” button to apply the settings.
This will help you to hear the sound properly based on speaker setup. If you do not have extenral speakers, then simply select “Stereo” option and select front left/right speakers to test the sound is wokring.
Final words
Sound problems like no sound or low volume are common in Windows 11. Running troubleshooter or updating drivers will fix the issue in most cases. If not, you can try other suggestions to solve the problem.
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