Windows 11 Windows 10 Audio issues on your PC can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you're trying to watch a video, attend a meeting, or listen to music. Fortunately, most sound problems can be fixed by following a series of troubleshooting steps. This article provides a comprehensive guide to resolving audio issues in Windows. The tips are listed in order, so start with the first one ...

Windows 11 Windows 10 Sometimes, you don't hear any sound from your speakers or wired headphones, even though the volume icon appears normal. This issue occurs if the wrong audio output device is selected, the sound is muted, audio enhancements are interfering, or the audio driver isn’t working correctly.

Download the latest audio driver for your Windows version. Install the driver and restart your PC. Solution 3: Run the automated audio troubleshooter If you are using a Windows 11 device, start by running the automated Audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It will automatically run diagnostics and attempt to fix this audio problem.

If audio sounds distorted, crackling, or low quality in Windows 10, enhancements, audio format settings, driver problems, or audio services may be affecting playback.

Windows 10 If system sounds play but audio doesn’t work in some apps, app‑specific volume settings, per‑app output device selection, audio services, or audio drivers might be causing the issue.

Select Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under Output, select your audio device. Select Advanced. Under Default format, select a different format, then test audio. Solution 4. Update or reinstall the audio driver A corrupted or outdated driver can cause low sound. Select Start, and type Device Manager and select it from search results.

Select Start > Settings > System > Sound. In Input, select the microphone to test and choose > to the right of the device to open the Properties page. Under Input settings, select Start test and speak normally. Select Stop test and choose Play to hear your recorded sample. Adjust the Input volume slider if needed.

Update audio drivers using Windows Update (Recommended) Windows Update is the recommended way to get the latest audio drivers. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update. Select Check for updates. Check for Windows updates If audio driver updates are available, install them. Restart your PC to apply the updates.

Troubleshoot Surface sound and audio accessories. Find solutions if your Surface speakers aren't working or you're experiencing built-in speaker issues.

Select Devices . In Audio > Audio settings , make sure your speaker is selected from the Speaker dropdown menu. Note If your audio device doesn’t appear, make sure it’s charged (Bluetooth), or unplug and plug it back in (wired). Then, try reconnecting it. To test your audio settings, select Make a test call .