Why does the sound disappear? Why is there no sound on my PC?

The main components of a computer's sound system are a sound card and an audio output device - speakers (speakers) or headphones. Sound cards of modern computers are sold in two main categories:

1. integrated into the computer motherboard (on board);
2. separate (discrete) sound cards installed inside the computer system unit.

There are also cheap or very expensive (for professional musicians) external sound cards with a USB connector.

The widespread first option involves wiring the sound chip onto the motherboard. The more expensive the latter, the better the chip used in it. But even in this case, the sound quality in on board cards cannot be called high, although it is quite satisfactory for ordinary users. The influence of interference from nearby other elements of the system unit sometimes leads to the audio signal in such cards being distorted. In addition, if the processor is heavily loaded, the sound stutters.

Discrete sound cards have significantly higher audio performance. The audio signal is processed in them by a specialized sound processor. The delivery package of such a board includes special software that implements various acoustic effects. It should be noted, however, that the potentially high sound quality may be offset by ordinary speakers or headphones. It is recommended, in particular, to use speakers with wooden bodies.

Reasons for sound loss

Sometimes, after turning on or during operation, the computer may lose sound. Why is there no sound on my computer? The reason for the disappearance or distortion may be problems in its software or hardware components:

• poor contact or failure of speakers or headphones;
• incorrect audio device settings;
• driver damage;
• malfunction of the sound or motherboard (for on board version) board;
• incompatibility with other programs or drivers;
• incorrect BIOS settings;
• exposure to viruses.

The easiest ways to recover

If the sound just disappeared, you should restart your computer. It happens that problems with sound are the result of an accidental failure. If the problem persists, make sure that the speaker switch is turned on and not pushed to its extreme position. Then visually check that the speaker (or headphone) plug is securely connected to the corresponding (green) socket on the computer. Poor contact with the jack can also cause the sound to wheeze. The functionality of the speakers themselves can be checked by connecting to another sound source - a player, smartphone, or another computer.

In the entire line of operating system versions in use - Windows 7/8/10, as well as in the outdated Windows XP, there is a universal tool - “System Restore”. It allows you to return your computer to a working state. If the sound was normal, for example, a day or a week ago, then you can “roll back the clock” and return to this state. The screenshot below depicting sequentially opened windows explains the return algorithm (“Control Panel” -> “System” -> “System Protection” -> “Recovery” -> selecting a restore point -> “Next”). After the computer automatically restarts, the sound should be restored.

Configuring Audio Settings

Inexperienced computer users could unknowingly turn off the sound from the taskbar (crossed out speaker or down slider). If this is the case, then you need to restore it, as shown in the screenshot (to delete the shutdown, click on the speaker icon).

Then you should go to “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Administrative Tools” -> “Services” and make sure that the Windows Audio service is automatically started and running; otherwise, restart it.

To check the audio settings, go to “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Sound” and make sure there is a green check mark next to the sound device you are using. This means the speakers are working. Otherwise, click on the “Properties” button,

then open the lower list in a new window, select the “Use this device” option and click OK.

Reinstalling drivers

You can verify that the sound card is working in the device manager: “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Device Manager”. After opening the “Sound, video and gaming devices” list, the presence of a model (Realtek High Definition Audio) and the absence of an alarming yellow exclamation mark next to the line means that everything is in order. If you right-click on this line, then click “Properties”, a notification “The device is working normally” will appear in a new window.

Otherwise, you need to update or reinstall the driver. The same need sometimes arises after installing a new, partially incompatible device or program. To update, right-click on the Realtek High Definition Audio line and click “Update drivers” in the drop-down list.

A new window offers two ways to find updated drivers with explanations.

In some cases, the effect is achieved only after removing the existing driver (see previous screenshot) and installing it again from scratch. The Windows 7 operating system should automatically install the missing driver upon reboot (Plug and Play). If this does not happen, then the required driver can be taken from the disk included with the purchase of a discrete sound card or motherboard. Finally, as a last resort, the driver can be found and downloaded on the Internet on the website of the card or board manufacturer.

Sound or motherboard problems

These faults are complex and are detected using special equipment in service workshops. However, if you have the same computer in your office or home (for example, a neighbor), you can replace the suspected board with a known good one. After checking in this way, the problem can be solved by purchasing a new board.

BIOS Settings

It is possible that an inexperienced user, unwittingly, turned off the integrated sound card in the BIOS settings. To enable it, you need to restart the computer, enter the settings (by pressing the Del key before the system boots), find the Onboard Devices Configuration section and replace Disabled with Enabled. At the same time, you should keep in mind that if you are using a discrete sound card, this option must be disabled.

No sound may be due to insufficient antivirus protection. In such cases, you need to carefully scan the entire computer, possibly using other antiviruses. Once viruses are detected and removed, the drivers will most likely need to be reinstalled as described above.

Conclusion

Consistent application of the above recommendations will restore normal sound on your computer. Similar advice can be found in other articles for the search query “Why the computer sound disappeared.”

It happens that when you turn on your PC, you discover that the sound on the computer does not work. But just yesterday you listened to music, watched movies, played games, and everything seemed to be normal. So let's figure out why this happened. First, remember if anyone close to you used your computer while you were away.

If so, then ask if they changed anything in the settings. Sometimes the sound may disappear because someone has dug deep into the PC settings. This mainly applies to small children who, unknowingly, can “do miracles.” And yet, let’s not guess, but let’s get down to business and consider all the possible reasons for the “silence” of your PC.

Why doesn't sound work on my computer?

There are several common reasons, one of which is a problem with the installed drivers - they are either damaged or missing altogether. To verify this, right-click on the “My Computer” icon, which is located on the desktop in the upper left corner. From the list provided, select "Properties". In the window that opens, click the “Hardware” tab, then “Device Manager”. Next, you need to click on “Sound, video and gaming devices”. So, now pay attention to the icons that will appear next to each line. If yellow question marks are displayed there, then you are on the right track - the drivers of the device responsible for sound are indeed damaged or not working correctly. "

How to solve the problem?" - you ask. It’s very simple - reinstall the drivers, they should come with your computer. If for some reason you don’t have them, don’t worry - just right-click on one of the yellow question marks and click on the "Update" line. If the Internet is connected, the drivers will be automatically reinstalled. But this is only the first reason why the sound on the computer does not work. So, what could be the problem if everything is fine with the device drivers? In this case, try connecting headphones and playing a song or just clicking the mouse. If there is sound, then the problem lies in a possible malfunction of the speakers. Pay attention to all the plugs and wires. It also happens that the sound does not work. computer and through connected headphones, then most likely the sound card has failed. In this case, you can’t do anything yourself, so it’s best to take the PC to a service center.

The sound on the computer does not work. What to do?

Another common reason could be a simple mute. To determine this, simply turn up the volume. To do this:

2. In the window that opens, under the “Sound” line, click “Volume settings”. Here, check that the slider is in the upper position; if it is not, then simply move it while holding it with the mouse. Well, thanks to these simple methods, you now know what to do in cases where the sound on the computer does not work.

Why does the sound disappear on my computer? There are many reasons and many solutions to this problem. Most often it disappears in two situations - when you reinstall the operating system or on its own. In any of these cases, everything can be fixed with fairly simple steps.

First of all, you should check the setup of your audio equipment

Therefore, let's find out what to do if there is no sound on the computer, and how to get the audio system working again in Windows yourself.

No sound after system replacement

In such a situation, the reason that there is no sound is usually the drivers - even if the computer displays a message about the installed audio system, they still may not be suitable for the current version of the software.

There is another situation in which the sound disappears, but not due to reinstallation, but after a partial update of Windows - try completely removing the audio system from the device manager and reinstalling it.

Sudden loss of sound

What should I do - the Windows audio service is not running or there is no sound just now, but there was sound before?

You should do the following:

Other ways to restore sound

There is no sound on the computer - what to do and how to fix it? If after replacing drivers or checking the operation of services there is no result, you will have to play with the registry - that is, make a backup of the system to the previous working state.

The Windows program sfc.exe will help us with this; after installing it, you need to do the following:

• Launch Command Prompt and type sfc /scannow at the prompt.
• Press Enter, after which the program will check the system files and, if necessary, restore old versions to make the sound work.

The last thing we can recommend is to run a Windows virus scan - a malicious program can change a lot in the system, including eliminating all sound.

If there are still no results, then the sound card is most likely faulty. What to do in this case? Contact specialists for help or buy another card and simply put it on the computer instead of the non-working part. These devices themselves are inexpensive - unless, of course, you use complex professional equipment.

The same can be recommended when there is no sound quite often, and each time you have to do certain manipulations to restore it. Therefore, it is certainly advisable to try all the above methods to fix the problem, but if they do not help, replace the part with a newer and more reliable card.

Knowing about all possible problems related to sound in Windows, you can easily determine why the sound is not working and fix it immediately.

You don't need any additional hardware or software to do this. Most sound problems can be fixed with a couple of straight hands and standard Windows software.

Causes and solutions

The cause of sound problems can be either an incorrect setting of the volume control on the speaker or a failure of the sound card.

All causes of sound problems can be divided into 3 groups:

Problems with sound-reproducing equipment can be solved by simple diagnostics:

1. checking connections to the computer;
2. Network;
3. setting up hardware volume controls.

Hardware problems can be solved by repairing, checking the connection, or replacing the sound card. And if only a specialist can repair the sound board, then checking the connections, as well as replacing the board with a new one, can be done by an ordinary user. To do this, you will need to understand a little about your computer.

Software problems are the most common audio problems. They arise due to incorrect configuration or installation of sound drivers, system utilities, or individual applications.

Determining the cause of a software problem is the most difficult task, but completely solvable with the right approach and sequence of actions. Such problems can be corrected by reconfiguring the software, reinstalling drivers, and in some cases restoring the system or reinstalling it.

Video: what to do if the speakers don't work

Sound is not on

Sometimes the reason for the lack of sound is not due to problems, but to the fact that the sound is simply turned off, and we keep asking ourselves: why doesn’t my sound work?

On a computer running an operating systemWindowssound control is performed:

1. on a sound-reproducing device;
2. in Windows system settings;
3. in the utility settings for the sound card driver;
4. in the settings of a specific program.

If there is no sound on your computer, you should first check the hardware volume control on your speaker system, speakers, or headphones.

To do this you need:

• open a folder with standard audio recordings;
• enable playback of one of them in a standard player, for example Windows media.

Such a sound recording, if the system is working properly, should be played “out of the box”, that is, with standard pre-installed operating system software without installing additional software. That is, if everything is in order with the system itself and the speakers, the sound should be played.

In all operating systems of the Windows family up to and including XP, the folder with standard audio recordings is called “my music” and is located in the “My Documents” directory.

ABOUT t “seven” and older, this folder is called “music samples”. And it is located in the directories: “system disk” “users” - “general” - “general music”.

On the sound-reproducing device itself, you need to check the position of the volume control, the connection of the device itself to the electrical network and to the computer. The speakers themselves may have a power button, which should also be checked to turn it on.

Important: The plug for connecting the speakers to the computer, as a rule, also fits into other connectors on the sound card. But the sound will only work if the plug is connected to the correct socket. On a sound card, such a connector is usually marked with a picture of a speaker and is green, like most speaker plugs and speaker systems.

If after checking the speakers there is no sound, you can check their functionality with another sound source, for example, a DVD player.

You should also check the sound performance with other speakers or headphones. If sound appears after these steps, the speakers should be replaced or repaired. If there is still no sound, the problem is something else.

Missing or incorrect drivers

If there is no sound on the computer, suspicion falls primarily on the driver.

After all, there will be no sound if:

• driver not installed;
• An outdated version of the driver is installed;
• The driver is not compatible with the device.

Modern operating systems of the Windows family have a built-in standard audio driver that is compatible with most well-known sound cards. Older operating systems do not have such standard drivers, and some sound cards are not supported by standard OS drivers.

Therefore, if you have a clean, modern operating system installed, but it does not play sound, you need to use special drivers for your sound card.

Such drivers are usually supplied on a CD along with the sound card.

If there were no such disks or they are lost, the drivers can be downloaded from:

1. official website of the sound card manufacturer;
2. official website of the laptop manufacturer.

Information about the sound card manufacturer can be found:

If the passport to the computer is lost, and nothing is indicated on the sound card itself, you can use the special “Everest” utility, a trial version of which can be downloaded for free on the Internet. This utility allows you to obtain information about the manufacturer and model of any computer part, from the USB node to the processor.

If you do not know whether the driver is installed or not, or whether the driver is working properly, you can check this using standard Windows tools.

To do this you need:

In order to update the driver you need to:

If for some reason the installed driver turns out to not only not work, but also conflicts with other computer software, it must be rolled back. Driver rollback not only removes but

Important: After any operation to install or reinstall the driver, the computer must be restarted.

To install the driver you need to do the following:

1. Most sound card drivers come with startup files. by clicking on such a file, the installer is launched, following the simple prompts of which you can install the driver and immediately perform its necessary configuration;
2. if the driver is supplied without an installer, it can be installed in the same way as updating the driver;

Video: What to do if there is no sound on the computer

System Restore

If, along with the loss of sound, the computer begins to display system error messages, most likely a system failure has occurred, which can be corrected in two ways:

1. restore the system;
2. reinstall the system.

Important: System recovery in Windows is performed using checkpoints, which must be created in advance of problems with the system. If there are no restore points, it will be impossible to restore the system.

In order to restore the system you need to:

It is better not to use the computer during the system recovery process. The system will notify you with a message when the restoration is complete.

Inoperability of the sound output device

You can check the functionality of your sound card in several ways:

In the first case you need:

If the window displays that the device is turned off and the system does not allow you to turn it on, there is most likely a hardware problem with the sound card.

An easier way is to connect USB headphones to your computer. This gadget is equipped with an external sound card that works out of the box, so if you hear sound in your headphones on your computer, the built-in sound card is most likely faulty. The absence of sound in USB headphones will indicate that the problem is not hardware.

Checking the Audio Control Service

To do this you need:

• Click on the “Run” button in the “Start” menu. In the window that opens, enter the command services.msc;
• in the services window, select the “window saudio” service;
• If it appears that the service is disabled, you need to double-click on it to enable it.

Diagnosing and fixing audio problems varies slightly between operating systems.

WindowsXP

XP does not have a search function for programs from the start menu. Therefore, in order to open this or that utility discussed in this article, you need to know its location. For example, the system restore utility is located at: control panel – system – “system restore” tab.

Windows 7

“Seven”, unlike XP, has a built-in utility for automatically diagnosing and eliminating system problems, including those with sound. This function starts automatically, but it can also be started manually directly from the window where the problem occurred by clicking on the corresponding button.

Reinstalling modem drivers

Windows 8

This version of the operating system does not have a start menu, which we used to access some system settings. “In Eight” you can access any utility by simply entering its name in the Metro Search window, which opens when you hover your mouse over the lower right corner of the desktop.

Windows 10

In the latest version of the operating system, the start menu and metro menu work simultaneously. At the same time, the search window necessary for diagnosing sound problems has been returned to the Start menu. Therefore, eliminating problems with sound in this operating system is carried out in the same way as in the usual “seven”.

Why doesn't the sound card work on my computer?

The sound card on your computer may not work in two cases:

• it is faulty;
• It is not connected to the computer correctly or its contacts are loose.

To understand whether the sound card is working or not, you need to eliminate contact loss. for this you need:

• carefully unscrew the cover of the computer system unit;
• Disconnect the sound card and insert it back until it clicks.

A sound card is a card with connectors for speakers; it connects directly to the motherboard, usually via a PCI connector. To disconnect a poorly secured sound card, you need to release the latches located on the sides of the slot, and then pull the sound card towards you.

If after these manipulations the sound does not appear, the sound card is most likely faulty and needs to be replaced.

Audio Manager

Any Windows operating system has a built-in sound manager, incorrect configuration of which may be the reason for its absence. Some sound card drivers are supplied with a proprietary “sound manager” utility.

Sound managers are accessed through the volume control in the taskbar tray and a special branded manager icon next to the volume control. The manager allows you to assign a default audio output device. Wrong choices can sometimes cause absences.

To check the dispatcher, you need to:

Registry

Through the operating system registry, you can make the most subtle system settings. But changes in the registry can lead to reassignment of the sound card slots, which will lead to no sound.

This problem can be corrected by changing the binary parameterpin01, responsible for the rear green socket, which should be used for audio output.

To do this you need:

Important: If you are not sure what actions you are performing in the registry, it is better not to change anything. Actions with the registry are irreversible.

Jumpers on the motherboard

On some, especially older motherboards, there are jumpers that switch the audio output from the front panel to the rear panel and vice versa. If the jumpers are set incorrectly, there may be no sound.

For sound to appear you need:

1. Unscrew the cover of the system unit;
2. close contacts 5-6 and 9-10 with jumpers.

Uninstalled audio codecs

In some cases, a problem with sound is essentially a problem with playing audio files of a certain type of codec for which the system does not exist. Therefore, it is recommended to check the functionality of the sound using files in wma or wav format. Codecs for these formats are included in the basic version of any operating system.

To play the sound of other audio formats, you need to download a codec package, for example K-lite, or install a player that uses its own codecs, for example GOM or VLC.

Front panel

The reason for the lack of sound on the front panel may be:

• incorrectly set jumpers on the motherboard;
• lack of connection of the front panel to the motherboard.

Very often, computer assemblers build in the front panels of audio connectors for the model, without connecting them to the motherboard. In order to connect the front panel to the motherboard, pin cables are used that come with the panel.

You need to connect the pins to the front panel block of the motherboard, which is usually located in the lower right part of the board.

Competition between several drivers

Even if all drivers are installed, they may not work due to conflict with each other.

This problem is solved as follows:

• updating all drivers to the latest version;
• installing only original drivers.

On laptops, a driver set that differs from the factory configuration may conflict. You can find out the basic set of drivers on the official website of the laptop manufacturer in the “support” section.

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Quite often, users encounter the loss of sound on a computer running Windows 7. There are many reasons for this. Some are quite simple. And sometimes it takes several days to find a problem. This short review is dedicated to how to find and fix the problem.

Non-working speakers

Let's consider possible failure options:

These measures are basic, but you shouldn’t forget about them. If the check didn't yield anything, then it's time to move on.

Hardware audio settings

After obvious faults have been checked, you should pay attention to the software sound settings. It is quite possible that the sound in Windows is turned down or completely turned off. If it is reduced so much that it is barely audible, then the user will most likely assume that the computer itself has broken down.

It’s best to see visually how the sound is configured using Windows 7 as an example; on Windows 8 and 10 the operating principle is the same:

Let's look at the functions of the window that opens in more detail:

If you are unable to play the test sound, you should check to see if the sound is turned down to the minimum value or turned off altogether:

Check Device Manager

If there is no sound on a computer running Windows 7, as well as operating systems Windows 10 and other versions, you should check the status of the mini-programs (drivers) for the sound card. Most likely, they need to be updated or they are not there at all.

You can check the status of the equipment and its drivers in “ Device Manager", which is easy to find in Control panels on the " System».

Systematically displays all devices that are present on a computer or laptop, as well as the status of their drivers. If a yellow triangle is lit nearby, you should pay attention to it first. This means that the sound card is not working at all or is not working correctly. In our case, we are interested in the item “ Sound, video and gaming devices».

If a problem is identified due to which the sound does not work, you need to download and install a driver that is compatible with this PC. The current state of your computer can be maintained using special utilities for automatic updating and searching for the latest version of drivers for any equipment on a PC or laptop. For example, the program Everest will determine the sound card model, check all drivers for relevance and tell you where to find the necessary drivers for sound on Windows 7.

When you monitor the current state of your computer and carry out regular updates, you may encounter the problem of no sound during the next automatic driver update. The source of the problem may be an updated driver. "" will help restore the working situation. On the " Driver» of your sound card, you must click the Rollback button.

If the problem disappears, it is better to disable automatic driver updates for this device.

Updating drivers in Windows 10

The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:

No codecs for audio/video

If there is sound in the browsers, but there is no sound when you start the video on the PC, then you should look for the problem either in the media player itself or in the audio codecs.

To constantly watch videos, it is recommended to use KMR player. He has already proven himself and is showing good results. The creators of the program have provided a lot of different codecs for video playback. And, as a rule, most films are successfully reproduced in this program.

The problem with codecs can be radically solved using the package K-Lite Codec Pack. It can solve the missing sound problem. It has a full set of current codecs that open almost all popular formats, both video and audio files.

Viruses and adware

Problems with sound on Windows 7 may mean that a virus has appeared in the system. There are many types of viruses and they can negatively affect the operating system.

What to do if the sound on your computer disappears and you suspect a virus:

• Take a close look at how your computer works as a whole. If it begins to freeze frequently or suddenly slow down, then most likely the PC has been subjected to a virus attack. If the installed antivirus program failed and missed the virus attack, then it is best to check the system with a third-party antivirus with up-to-date virus databases. For example, you can use the utility Dr.Web CureIt. This healing utility successfully cures an infected system.
• You can try checking your computer using Live CD(emergency boot disk). With its help, you can download a lightweight version of the operating system with a ready-made antivirus. If you boot the restored system from Live CD sound appears, then most likely there is a malfunction in Windows 10 itself. Most often, you will have to reinstall it or perform a system restore using restore points, if this mode was enabled and restore points were created.

Checking the BIOS settings

If your computer or laptop has a built-in sound card and there is no sound even in headphones, then you can look BIOS.

This is an extreme measure - AC97 is enabled by default in the factory settings. If the settings are lost, the sound device in the Windows operating system will not work.

Each computer logs into the BIOS differently. For example, for ACER computers, before booting the system, you must press and hold the Del key. In general, before loading the operating system, you must indicate how to enter the BIOS.

After pressing the Del key, the following dialog box will open, in which you need to select the item “ BIOS Setup».

In the window that opens, you need to find the inscription like AC 97 Audio, use the arrows on the keyboard to highlight this inscription and click on the Enter key. A dialog box will appear to select which function to activate HD Audio or AC97. We are interested in the AC97 “Auto” inscription. Confirm your choice and use the ESC key to exit this section. Exit the BIOS, saving the settings.

If you can’t get the sound back after changing the BIOS settings, then the last option is to replace or send the sound card for repair.

Laptop owners often encounter the problem of no sound in the Windows system. Due to frequent overheating of the sound chipset, the computer begins to malfunction. And all the other electronic components simply suffocate with dust, unless, of course, you do regular cleaning, and gradually fail, which can also lead to loss of sound on the laptop.

Conclusion

Of course, these are not all the reasons why there may be no sound, but the main, most common versions are revealed.

So, we told you how to restore sound in Windows 10, 7 and 8. And our main advice is not to despair, but to try all the options step by step.

Video on the topic