No sound on Windows

Test it here first

Press Test my speakers above. If you hear the sounds here, Windows can play sound and only one app is affected: check that app's volume and output setting or its guide. If you hear nothing, work through the steps below in order.

1. The output device

1. Open Settings › System › Sound and, under Output, choose the speakers or headphones you want. Windows often switches to a monitor (HDMI or DisplayPort), a headset or a virtual device.
2. Click the speaker icon in the taskbar, then the arrow next to the volume slider: it lists every output and lets you switch in one click.
3. A monitor or TV connected over HDMI or DisplayPort becomes an output device. If it has no speakers, or its volume is off, you hear nothing.

2. Volume and the volume mixer

1. Check the taskbar volume, the mute key on the keyboard (often F1 or a key with a crossed-out speaker), and the volume knob on the speakers.
2. Open Settings › System › Sound › Volume mixer. Check that the app is not muted or set to zero there, and that its Output device is Default or the speakers you use.
3. If one side is quiet, open Settings › System › Sound, click the output device and check the Left channel and Right channel volume. Also check Settings › Accessibility › Audio › Mono audio.

3. The built-in troubleshooter

In Settings › System › Sound, scroll down and click Output devices next to Troubleshoot common sound problems. Windows checks the device, the service and the driver for you.

4. Enhancements, spatial sound and exclusive mode

• Click the output device in Settings › System › Sound and set Audio enhancements to Off. Enhancements from the laptop maker (Dolby, DTS, Realtek) can mute or distort sound after updates.
• On the same page, set Spatial sound to Off to test.
• Press Win+R, type mmsys.cpl, open the output device's Properties › Advanced and untick Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
• In mmsys.cpl, select the speakers and click Configure to choose stereo, 5.1 or 7.1 and test each speaker. A wrong setup sends sound to speakers you do not have.

5. Drivers

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager. Expand Sound, video and game controllers and Audio inputs and outputs.
2. A yellow warning sign means a driver problem. Right-click the device, choose Uninstall device and restart; Windows reinstalls it.
3. On laptops, install the audio driver from the laptop maker's support page for your exact model (for example Realtek or Intel Smart Sound Technology). Generic drivers can leave the built-in speakers silent.

6. Cables, jacks and Bluetooth

• Desktop PCs: plug speakers into the green jack at the back. Front-panel jacks may not be connected inside the case.
• USB and Bluetooth speakers appear as separate devices; select them in Output. If a Bluetooth speaker plays nothing, remove it in Settings › Bluetooth & devices and pair it again.
• If headphones work but the built-in speakers do not, the speakers or their cable inside the laptop may be faulty.