The computer does not find audio devices. Why doesn't windows find the sound device? Why can't I record?

A personal computer can sometimes present an unpleasant surprise to the user, for example, it stops playing sound through the speakers. In this article we will try to find a solution to this problem. There can be several reasons for such a malfunction, and any user can deal with them. All it takes is a little attention and perseverance.

Why the computer does not see the speakers: reasons

The simplest and at the same time common reason is accidentally turning off the volume on the notification panel. You need to make sure that the volume slider is set to the middle of the scale and the speaker icon is not crossed out.

If you right-click on the volume icon, it will open volume mixer, in this menu all items must be enabled.

If the above points are in order, we continue to look for the cause of the problem. Below the volume mixer is the “playback devices” menu . The speaker icon should be marked with a green checkmark. It happens that at this point there are no speakers. To solve the problem, you need to click on the unoccupied space and select the action “show disabled devices”. After clicking, the speakers will appear and you will have the option to turn them on.

When connecting jbl speakers to a PC (personal computer) for the first time, you need to make sure that the wires are connected correctly. Many system units are marked with images of headphones or speakers.

The integrity of the wires and the serviceability of the speakers can be checked when connecting to other devices.

There are also speaker systems with a direct connection to USB. It is worth remembering that some types of USB ports are not compatible. For example, a device labeled as USB 3.0 is not always compatible with USB 1.1 and vice versa. Typically, higher speed connectors are indicated in blue.

How to fix problems

If the user is sure that the speakers are working and connected correctly, it is worth checking the sound card. To do this, go to “my computer” and right-click to access the “device manager” submenu. This menu will help determine whether the PC sees the sound card. Even if there is a yellow icon under the “Sound Card” icon, the problem can be solved.

Attention! Worse, if the sound card is not displayed at all, and later (after installing the drivers) the situation did not change, then the sound card may fail.

Outdated driver

All important PC components have drivers. A sound card is no exception, and drivers for it are usually installed automatically when the operating system boots. However, as a result of a failure or damage by a virus, the drivers may not work correctly. This can happen even if there is a sudden power outage. It is to eliminate such failures that experts recommend using a UPS (uninterruptible power supply unit).

Driver update

The update procedure is quite simple. You just need to go to the website of the manufacturer of the connected equipment and download the current version of the driver. You should be careful about choosing the correct OS (operating system) and the model of the speaker system for which you are downloading the driver.

You can also use one of the driver update programs. Such programs automatically scan your PC and install the necessary system components.

After installing or updating the driver, you must restart your computer.

Worth remembering! An outdated driver negatively affects the operation of the equipment and leads to a decrease in the performance of the entire system.

Experienced users advise updating drivers once every 3-4 months, or after installing any new equipment.

Virus attack

With the development of Internet traffic, the threat of infection by a virus or malware (software) has increased significantly. You should not neglect installing a modern antivirus, even if it is paid. As practice shows, restoring a damaged system and important data turns out to be more expensive.

When a computer is infected with a virus, problems arise with various components of the OS. The screen resolution may change and the sound or Internet connection may be lost. If there is no sound, you should check for a sound card driver and scan your computer for viruses.

If the sound cannot be restored, you will probably need to reinstall the operating system.

Incompatibility

Sometimes users encounter the problem of no sound from the speakers when connecting outdated equipment. If you use an old audio system with a new PC (laptop), or buy new acoustics for an old computer. In this case, only replacing the outdated component will help. When purchasing new speakers, you need to make sure they are compatible with your existing PC.

Depending on windows

Often the reason for the lack of sound in the speakers can be a pirated version of the OS. Such operating systems may contain errors and bugs that cannot be fixed on your own. In addition, by purchasing a licensed OS, the user receives qualified service support.

Some licensed drivers will simply be impossible to install on a pirated copy of the system, and such a system itself may be infected with malicious software. Solving sound problems is no different on versions 7, 8 or 10.

BIOS errors

This malfunction can occur if an unprepared user enters the BIOS menu. Earlier versions of this subsystem are not translated and without the appropriate knowledge you can easily damage your PC.

To reset the BIOS to factory settings, you will have to open the system unit.

Worth remembering! Any actions inside the system unit must be carried out after the PC has been completely de-energized.

After removing the side cover of the system unit, you need to find the battery; as a rule, it is located in a prominent place on the system board and is easily visible. When you remove the battery for a few minutes, the BIOS subsystem is reset to factory settings.

How to set up your speakers correctly

What you should pay attention to first after the sound disappears from the PC speakers.

  • Volume icon on desktop.
  • Availability of connected speakers in the “playback devices” menu.
  • The integrity of the connected wires and the correctness of their connection.
  • You should check the functionality of the speakers themselves.
  • It is worth making sure that the sound card is present in the device manager.
  • It is necessary to check the presence and relevance of the installed sound card driver.
  • You should scan your PC for viruses.
  • If you recently visited the BIOS subsystem, you should make sure that there are no changes in the sound settings.

As practice shows, in solving problems with the lack of sound in bluetooth speakers on a computer, the most difficult thing is to find the cause of this malfunction.

Knowing the cause of the problem, you can quickly correct the problem and avoid its occurrence in the future. By following the points in this short article, you can quite easily find the problem and fix it. And the additional knowledge gained from this text will help you avoid other unpleasant breakdowns.

Installing an audio device is not at all difficult. Just connect its outputs to your computer and you can get to work. But when there is no sound, search queries come in after the curses. After all, there are dozens of reasons for the lack of sound that baffle even an experienced user.

Lack of sound is rarely due to equipment malfunction. In most situations it is missing due to a poorly configured system. To resolve this issue, make sure your audio settings are correct. First of all, check the status of the sound driver. To do this, in Windows 7, open:

  • Control Panel>Devices and Printers. From the list of equipment, select the one you need and click on it. Then open the Driver tab and click Update. Specify the path to the CD.
  • Right-click on “My Computer”, then “Device Manager”. Find the desired device in the list that appears. Then right-click on it and “Update drivers...”.

If the device is not in the list, then you need to install the driver for the sound card. DriverGenius is suitable for downloading the necessary components. A hacked version of the program can be found on the Internet. Besides updating, it will show information about your hardware. Knowing the sound card model, you can download drivers manually - using a search. More detailed installation tips are described in our.


Check your Windows service settings. To do this, press “Win ​​+ R” and enter “services.msc” in the dialog box. Find the “” service in the list and activate it. The startup type must be set to "Auto". Typically this service is turned off after reinstalling the operating system.


Let's look at driver configuration options. Go to Control Panel > Sound. Then go to the equipment properties - to the “Levels” tab. Set the volume level and enable audio. Check if the sound is muted by clicking on Realtek HD Manager in the lower right corner of the monitor.


Next, using the method of elimination, check the serviceability of the equipment. First of all, make sure that the device is connected to the correct connectors. For the microphone this is a red output, and for speakers it is green. See how the device reacts. When it is connected, the computer reports that the connector has been connected.


If you are connecting it to the front of the system unit and not directly to the motherboard, make sure that the cable inside the computer is not disconnected. The problem may arise if the motherboard does not match the type of audio output. Try changing the BIOS settings from “AC ’97” to “HD Audio” and vice versa. To do this, go to the “Advanced” tab and find “Front Panel Type” there. You can check the hardware on another computer. This will help you understand the reason for the lack of sound.


As a result of a system update, the BIOS settings may be disabled. The “High Definition Audio” parameter is responsible for this; it should be “Enabled”.


The sound card may be faulty. Using your sense of smell, check for any burning plastic odor. Also plug in your work headphones. If the sound still does not appear, then most likely you will have to replace the old part. But don't do this without trying every possible option.


If none of the options solved your problem, then we recommend calling a specialist to your home. If you wish, describe your situation on one of the computer forums. Such searches will take more time, but there is a chance that a similar problem has already been solved before you.

Today we will figure out why the audio output device is not installed in Windows 10, although the drivers for the sound card are installed, and the speakers or audio system have not been turned off recently.

  1. Physical damage to the audio playback device.
  2. Often the error occurs due to the lack of software to control the functioning of the sound card or the use of a driver version that is quite outdated or designed for previous editions of Windows.
  3. Incorrect speaker configuration.

Let's look at what to do in each case to solve the problem and return the computer to its normal operating mode.

Checking the sound system

Let's start correcting the situation from the first cause of the error. All that needs to be done here is to check whether the speakers, headphones or acoustics are connected correctly and make sure that the audio playback device is working properly by connecting it to another PC or smartphone.

Installing drivers

1. Find the manufacturer of the sound card (in the Task Manager, if the driver only needs to be updated, or in the instruction manual for the PC or motherboard/sound card).


2. Go to the official device support resource.

You should only install the driver downloaded from the official website! Using the Update Center or driver packs in such situations is often the source of the problem.

3. Download from there the version of the sound driver installer intended for Windows 10 of the appropriate bit depth (you can find out through the “System” item in the Win→X menu).

4. Launch the installer and install the driver.

5. After completing the operation, be sure to restart the computer.

If installing the updated software did not help, move on.

1. Open “Device Manager” using Win→X.

2. Find the sound device in sound, gaming and other devices.

3. Open its “Properties”.

4. Click “Roll back driver” and confirm the operation.


5. Upon completion, reboot.

We correctly indicate the device for playback

The last option to solve the problem is to select the necessary equipment for sound playback. Perhaps the wrong stereo system is used by default in Windows 10 (this is important when several playback devices are connected or there are virtual sound devices).

1. Open the context menu of the “Speakers” icon in the tray.

2. Click on the second item in the drop-down menu.

3. Select the current speakers.

4. Call up the context menu of their icons and click “Use as default” to make the speakers a device for playing sound.


You can also use the troubleshooting wizard (called through the speaker context menu).

After reinstalling the operating system, problems with sound reproduction often occur. Sometimes this happens even when the sound drivers, as the user thinks, are in place. How to fix the situation? What to do if the sound does not work on Windows.
There may be several reasons for the sound not working after reinstalling Windows.

Why doesn't sound work on Windows 7 and other versions of the system?

The root of this problem is sound. Inappropriate devices may be installed by mistake.

Reference. A driver is a utility program that is responsible for the interaction of a PC with various devices and third-party equipment. If your operating system is missing a specific driver, visit the Windows Compatibility Center web page. Here you will find information about hundreds of devices and links to download programs. Drivers can also be found on the disc included with your device.

Sometimes the solution to a problem is much simpler than we might imagine. If sound does not work on Windows 10, do not ignore these simple steps.

  • Check that your speakers or headphones are connected correctly. Perhaps the cause of the sound problems lies in the cat’s self-will. It is worth making sure that the speakers are in good working order. To do this, connect them as headphones to your mobile phone.
  • See if everything is ok with the playback devices. This can be done by opening the section of the same name, which is located in the control panel. To get into it, click on the volume icon. Then carefully study the properties of the speakers.
  • If your computer is equipped with a special program that supports the sound card, open it and check if the sound is disabled. Obstacles to normal sound reproduction can be created by the optical output, while your speakers may be working.
In Windows Device Manager you can see if you have any sound cards.
  • By pressing Win+R, enter devmgmt.msc into the line that appears. Then go to the "Sound, Game and Video Devices" section. After clicking on the name of the sound card, open “Properties”. Here you need to look at the information about the “Device Status”.

Disabling sound in BIOS

In some cases, audio can be disabled in the BIOS. Therefore, take the time to check the settings of this set of firmware. To enter it, after turning on the PC, press “Del”, “F2” or “Esc”. Then the message “Press Del (?) to enter Setup” should appear. Instead of “Del” the required key will be indicated.

Next, in the menu that appears, select the “Devices Configuration” paragraph. The “High Definition Audio” item should be located here. If everything is fine, the value will be “Enabled”. It is not always necessary to reinstall the sound driver on Windows 7.

What should I do if there is no sound after installing Windows 7?

The fight against the problem should start from the control panel, or rather from the device manager. So, you will see whether audio devices are missing or installed. Most often it turns out that the necessary driver for sound is missing or the sound device is not installed.

Before searching the Internet for drivers, arm yourself with knowledge. First, find out the manufacturer and model of the motherboard. A receipt indicating the purchase of the computer or the markings on the motherboard will help you determine the model. Information about this item may be displayed when you turn on your PC.

If you have the necessary information, then go to the manufacturer’s website. Such resources have a section designed for downloading drivers. At the same time, do not confuse the resource belonging to the manufacturer of the motherboard with the website of the sound chip (the famous Realtek). It’s even better if you still have the installation disk with drivers.

Now let’s talk in more detail about how to install an audio driver on Windows 7. You will have to follow the following steps to go to the “Device Manager”.

  1. Right-click on the “My Computer” icon and go to “Properties”.
  2. Go to the “Hardware” section by selecting “Device Manager”.
  3. Select the line with, video and other devices (the audio driver will be the first).
  4. Using the context menu, click “Update driver”.
  5. Click on the option “Search for drivers on this computer.”
  6. Specify the location where the driver is located, after which the system will begin updating.
Updating the driver may help get the sound back

You can install a sound device on Windows XP in the same way. If the official website does not have the required driver, you will have to spend more time. Help will be provided by specialized forums where users share ways to solve emerging problems.

WATCH THE VIDEO

A quick way to restore sound on Windows

If the sound does not work on Windows XP and a number of later versions of this operating system, the driver pack from the drp.su web resource will fix the problem. The Driver Pack Solution utility can automatically detect your sound card and then install the appropriate drivers. It is a set of various software devices with an automatic installation system. With its help, you can install sound devices on Windows 8 in a matter of minutes.

Driver Pack Solution is an effective tool for solving various problems in the operation of a desktop computer, which cannot be said about overcoming.

The described methods for controlling sound in Windows 7 cannot be called a panacea. The problem could be much more serious. In addition, the methods listed above involve reinstalling the operating system. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to conduct a superficial check of the serviceability of sound devices.

Sound does not work on Windows 10: video solution

WATCH THE VIDEO

Now you know what to do if the sound does not work on Windows. Ask questions to the experts.

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, the sound devices on your computer stop working. The reasons for the malfunction can be different: from a complete shutdown, to hardware problems and failures in the sound of specific applications.

Hardware faults

If, when logging in, the message “No sound devices are installed” appears and a speaker icon with a cross appears on the taskbar, then there may be the following reasons:

  • The drivers did not have time to load and in this case a simple reboot will help.
  • The sound adapter is disabled in Windows Device Manager. This problem is also easily solved, just turn it on.
  • The driver for the motherboard chipset is not installed. The solution is to put it in.
  • Audio drivers do not work or are not installed. To fix it, you need to reinstall the drivers.
  • The audio adapter or sound card is faulty.

If you are not a specialist, then it is better not to try to fix this problem yourself, but to contact specialists.

After reinstalling the system

Sound functionality may stop working as a result of reinstalling the Windows operating system. In general, all the necessary drivers can be found on the manufacturer’s website. But, for example, if the hardware is old and its support has been discontinued, searching for drivers can take a huge amount of time.

To select the necessary software, go to Device Manager (Start-Control Panel-Devices and Printers) and look for the item “Sound, video and gaming devices”.

Although the device displays normally, no sound will appear unless the driver is installed. To find the right one, you need to find out which sound card is on your computer. To do this, you can use two methods: either look in a search engine by ID, or use the AIDA program or its equivalent.

The most convenient way is to use the program. Download it, install and open it. Next in the window, select “Computer”, and then “Summary Information”. Everything that is installed on your computer will appear on the screen, including the connected sound adapter.


Having found out the name and model, go to the official Realtek website and click Download in its top menu. Among the presented drivers, select High Definition Audio Codecs (Software). This version is the most universal, supports all new audio formats and is suitable for all versions of Windows. After downloading, run the file and follow the instructions and after installation, restart the computer, after which the sound will appear.

Which is devoid of multimedia merits, will turn out to be an almost impossible test of imagination. Because the first thing that comes to mind is the pointlessness of using such a technique. At the same time, many of the owners of a modern computing device do not notice how enormous and unimaginably rich the creative potential inherent in this machine is. However, the often occurring problem “sound devices are not installed” still makes the user think that without audio support, a PC is a very boring device.

Let’s not remain silent about the problem: for novice users, an unexpected “boycott” of the system often becomes a kind of test, from which not every newbie manages to emerge victorious. But you, dear reader, are in luck! In just a few minutes you will be able to correct the situation. Simple but effective methods for restoring sound on a computer will help you detect and neutralize the unfavorable cause of electronic “silence” that has appeared out of nowhere. With your permission, let's move on to studying the material.

Audio controller - a device in which sound is generated

As you understand from all of the above, the article is dedicated specifically to those users who do not know where exactly to start when the system ambiguously reports that sound devices are not installed. Therefore, let's study the subject of our discussion in more detail.

Depending on the modification of the computer, the audio subsystem implemented in it can be of a discrete or integrated type. The most common is the latter type of device in question, the functionality of which is ensured through the coordinated operation of two basic elements: the controller host, which is part of the southbridge chipset, and A small chip located separately on the motherboard known as an audio codec.

However, in both cases, the process of troubleshooting the “sound devices not installed” type is almost identical, except for some nuances, which you will also become aware of from the material in this article.

Why the computer is silent: the main reasons and methods for detecting them

As practice shows, in most cases, problems with sound occur through the fault of the user himself. The main factor is the same inattention, as well as the inherent reluctance of many people to familiarize themselves with the technical documentation of the PC. Often the user forgets to turn on the speakers or uses the audio jacks incorrectly. It's hard not to notice the crossed out speaker icon in the system tray, yet many people bother to ignore it. The possibility of mechanical damage to one of the connecting cords is often also discounted when troubleshooting audio problems. As a result of such banal omissions and an incorrectly assessed situation, the user begins to reinstall audio drivers, edit the registry, and, in general, experiment. As a rule, such rash actions lead to the previously mentioned problem. Therefore, to resolve the question: “Why are they not installed?” - you need to approach, so to speak, comprehensively and systematically, so as not to waste precious time and energy fighting “windmills.” However, let's move on.

What to do if we navigate the system on a computer

There are two types of malfunction: hardware and software. However, most often the “culprit” of silence is the second one. Therefore, to ensure otherwise, the first thing you need to do is check the system settings of the sound device:

  • Click the Start button and go to the Control Panel menu.
  • Next, go to the “Device Manager” section.
  • Pay attention to the item “Sound, video and...”. If you see any “attention attributes” in it, then most likely the problems are caused by a malfunction of the installed driver.
  • When the user does not observe any deviations in the mentioned section, it is likely that the “silent error” is hidden in one of the system settings items.

Forced retreat

Of course, the service message: “Sound devices are not installed” requires direct user intervention. Basically, the absence or inoperability of a critical driver is resolved by installing the current version of the corresponding software. However, we will not remain silent about the fact that when following the mentioned instructions, some complications may arise that will become a kind of obstacle to achieving the expected result. A little later we will definitely consider such a multifaceted issue regarding the correct operation of the involved audio driver. Let's return to the previous discussion.

Checking the enabled parameters of the Windows Audio service

As a result of using third-party software, as well as in cases where the OS is “infected” with malicious machine code, system audio settings can be changed. As a result, it is unlikely that you will be able to successfully install a sound device: Windows 7 will still be “mute” (however, like any other version of the Microsoft system) if the operating parameters of the OS multimedia service are deactivated.

  • Use the hotkey combination Win+R.
  • In the Run box, enter the services.msc command.
  • After the “Services” panel opens, you need to select “Audio Endpoint Builders” from the list presented.
  • After you double-click the service window, pay attention to the “Startup type” checkbox: the value “Automatic” should be displayed there.
  • After making changes, activate the “Run” button.

If the above steps do not give a positive result, then proceed to the following instructions.

BIOS solution

Sometimes, in order to install an audio device on a computer, you need to use some parameters in the basic input/output system. Depending on the manufacturer, as well as the version of the BIOS firmware, the sections in which the audio component is configured may vary (both in name and location in the BSVV environment). Therefore, it is necessary to study the computer’s operational passport in more detail. However, you can always focus on the generally applicable words Audio, Sound or Controller. However, only if you are absolutely sure that you are in a specific section, specify the Enabled or Auto parameter.

How to install a sound device

Windows 7 or the subsequent eighth version of the OS, when installing any driver, checks whether the current user has administrator rights. As you understand, the subsequent process of driver implementation is only possible if you follow the above instructions. Let's move on to the practical part of our material.

  • First of all, the old, broken audio driver needs to be removed. Moreover, with the subsequent use of a special utility (for example, CCleaner), the functionality of which has the ability to correct registry errors and uninstall residual entries in the Windows system log.
  • Only after a reboot will you be able to correctly install the audio device on your computer using a stable version of the multimedia driver.


Learn more about the virus threat and an effective method for restoring the registry

As you know, malicious software can completely disable the operating system. In our case, it may well happen that an unattended virus can damage some system files, which, one way or another, will affect the full functionality of the OS.

  • Scan your computer for malicious code. It is worth noting that sometimes a traditional antivirus program is powerless in such situations. Therefore, after the standard scanning process, resort to third-party “disinfection” utilities, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

Attention: quite often a common problem for many, when the computer writes: “Sound devices are not installed,” is the destructive result of malicious code embedded in the OS. Subsequent user actions aimed at reinstalling damaged software are blocked by a virus program. Therefore, the above recommendation should not be neglected.

If software inconsistencies are detected, you must restart the PC. If the utility was unable to fix some problem areas of the OS, then you should resort to the process of restoring them. Select the previously created checkpoint and activate a system emergency rollback.

Other audio troubles, or What else prevents the user from installing an audio device

Working on a laptop is not only comfortable. Often a portable device is used as a multimedia center, especially when the laptop owner considers himself an incorrigible music lover. At the same time, intensive use in a mode when the speakers are operating at full power will sooner or later lead to the natural inevitability - “they have served their purpose.” Therefore, sometimes the problem of lost sound is resolved purely technically - by replacing the stereo pair. This, in general, is an expensive pleasure. Seeing a certain generality in portable configurations, it is worth noting that most modern laptops (including desktop modifications) are equipped with an Audio HD-standard sound circuit, which implies the use of a special audio controller.

Why can't I record?

"Sound devices not installed" is not a problem in this case. The solution lies in the correct connection of the recording device and in the system settings!

  • Check that the microphone is inserted into the correct jack.
  • Open the Start menu.
  • Go to "Control Panel".
  • Enter the "Sound" section.
  • Now click on the “Record” tab.
  • If there is a microphone in the list of active devices, pay attention to the indicator located next to it. When playing sounds, you should visually observe how the graphic equalizer comes to life.
  • Otherwise, you need to make sure that the device is technically sound.
  • If the microphone is not in the above list, then right-click once in the work area of ​​the service window. From the context list, select "Show unconnected...".
  • Then click the manipulator key on the found element and activate the “Use as default” item.

Summing up

Of course, much did not fit into the scope of this article, but you, dear reader, still managed to get acquainted with the main reasons for often occurring situations when sound devices are not installed and the microphone does not work. Nevertheless, let's hope that the above recommendations will help you overcome the “sound” difficulty as a winner. Remember: when none of the software methods for restoring audio performance helps, it is a hardware failure. Therefore, be prudent and seek help from specialists. Congratulations to you and quality recordings!

Computer technology often causes many problems and questions among users. You can connect a huge number of different kinds of devices to your computer. Sometimes computer owners equip their equipment with simple speakers or complex speaker systems. But this type of technology does not always function correctly. Users often complain that the computer does not see the speakers. For what reasons could such a problem arise? What needs to be done to correct the situation. Why might speakers refuse to work normally? All this is much easier to understand than it might seem at first glance. The main problem is finding the device fault. Often a malfunction is detected by eliminating certain situations.

Incorrect speaker connections

One of the most common reasons for the failure of any device connected to a computer is its incorrect connection. Don't panic at first. What to do if the computer does not see the speakers? First, you should check whether the user has connected the speakers correctly. There are several slots on the panel of the personal computer. They are usually painted in different colors and marked with miniature pictures. If the speakers are connected correctly, the plug will be included in the line-in connector. You need to find the socket near which there is an icon with headphones. This is where you need to connect the speakers. Some users prefer to use a USB headset. In this case, the speakers will be connected to the USB port. The device must be connected to the network.

Sound card

For what other reasons might a computer refuse to see the speakers? For example, if the user can say with complete confidence that the headset was connected correctly, then the reason is most likely related to the operation of the sound card. To determine the problem, you need to go to Device Manager. To do this, right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select the appropriate service. Then the user needs to select “Sound, game and video devices”. If some sound devices work normally or with errors, then the situation can be corrected without any problems. But we will talk about this a little later. Under such circumstances, the computer does not distinguish between speakers, and the operating system requires an appropriate package of additional programs to function properly. If there are no sound devices and speakers in the specified list, then we can conclude that the sound card is malfunctioning. In this case, it is recommended to connect another headset. What to do if the error happens again? In this case, you can safely change the sound card in your computer.

Drivers

What should I do if there is no sound, but the speakers appear in Device Manager? The cause of the problem is most likely due to damaged or outdated drivers. You can correct the situation by updating or reinstalling the appropriate software. To do this, you will need to go to the speaker manufacturer’s website, find the model of the device connected to your personal computer in the list provided, and download the latest driver. Be sure to pay attention to what OS version the content you download is intended for. After downloading, install or update the driver. This process is no different from initializing a simple program. Then it is recommended to restart your personal computer. The connected speakers should then work normally.

Equipment malfunction

We have not listed all the situations that users may encounter when connecting speakers to a personal computer. What to do if the computer refuses to see the speakers? You can check the device itself for serviceability. Often the cause of problems is damage to the speakers. To bring all your ideas to life, another personal computer is quite suitable. Speaker malfunction is a very important problem, which is typical mainly for old equipment. This can be resolved by troubleshooting or replacing the headset.

Incompatibility of connected equipment

Another problem that users may encounter when connecting speakers is the incompatibility of the connected equipment with the hardware of the personal computer or operating system. Correcting the situation is actually not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. What to do if the computer does not see the speakers? You should check whether the machine you are using meets the minimum system requirements of the device you are connecting to. If all the requirements are met, then the reason for the device’s failure to work may be something else. If the system requirements are not met, then the following methods can be proposed to solve the problem:

— purchase new speakers that are compatible with the computer you are using. This action will be relevant if you are using a new personal computer, and the equipment connected to it is already outdated.

— upgrade your computer so that it meets the requirements of the connected equipment.

No more options can be offered. It is precisely because of possible incompatibility that it is recommended to pay great attention to the system requirements of any equipment when purchasing.

System settings

But what if the device worked normally until a certain point, and suddenly suddenly refused to perform its functions? In this case, it would be best to check the operating system settings, or more precisely, the options and programs that work with the headset. It is possible that the operating system recognized the connected speakers, but simply did not set them as a device for sound playback. To correct this situation, you must perform the following steps:

— right-click on the gramophone image at the bottom of the screen in the OS;

— select “Playback devices”;

— on the “Playback” tab, select the speakers to connect and click on the “Default” button. It is also recommended to adjust the audio volume. To do this, you also need to press the gramophone near the clock and adjust the position of the slider.

Possible problems

In fact, these are not all the reasons why a computer may not recognize speakers. Users may also encounter this issue under the following circumstances:

- computer infection with viruses. In this case, usually the operating system suddenly stops recognizing the headset for no apparent reason. In this case, it is necessary to treat PC. After this, the problem goes away on its own.

— the user is using a pirated copy of the OS. Replacing the operating system or reinstalling it will help get rid of the problem. In some cases, it may be enough to simply restart the computer.

— occurrence of system failures.

The motherboard or sound card may burn out, but often sound problems do not arise due to computer malfunctions. The point is in programs that turn out to be incompatible with each other or with Windows; in addition, many important points lie in the operation of different types of the family of this operating system.

Recently, a large number of failures of sound devices or programs occur due to the “updating” of Windows XP to 7, or the transition from “seven” to Windows 8. A couple of years ago this was possible - reinstalling version 7 instead of XP, but now you can do this It’s not possible, because PC models have changed dramatically and are “hardwired” only for a specific Windows.

Even installing a newer version of XP on an older computer can still cause problems with sound, not to mention modern versions of Windows. New programs for which there are no drivers on the systems turn out to be incompatible.

You may have noticed that when you uninstall a program, you receive a warning that other applications may not function properly. This notice is especially important to consider when installing or uninstalling computer audio players, programs for formatting audio files, etc.

Solutions

Don't be alarmed by computer alerts that the system has not found any sound devices. Indeed, a complete reinstallation of the operating system may be a last resort, but first you need to try some options.

Experienced users use Everest to learn more about their computer's sound card and find the appropriate driver for it. You can use the equally popular DriverPack Solution program, but it is better to try to find a solution yourself.

First you need to find out what modifications of devices are used on the computer. To do this, right-click on “My Computer” and in the context menu you will find the “Device Manager” tab. By clicking on it, you will see a list of computer devices.

Select "Other devices" or "Sound, video and gaming devices." If the driver is not listed, it means it doesn’t exist and you need to select it either on the computer manufacturer’s website, or simply search on the Internet.

In Windows 7, the device manager can be found after clicking “Properties” in the “Computer” tab.

If you install the same operating system on different computers, do not be surprised to see a message about no sound - all computers have different devices built in that require the appropriate drivers.

It happens that when updating software, functions, in particular, of the sound card, are lost. For example, the default should be to automatically turn on the sound, but after a failure the card requires manual activation.

To check this, open Control Panel. By the way, the Panel view in XP can be either categorized or classic. You will see the proposed scheme in its classic form.

After Control Panel, open: “Administrative Tools”, “Services”, “Windows Audio”, “Properties”, “Startup Type”. Select "Auto", after which you will see system messages about the operating status of the device and the address of the Windows executable file. If none of the above helps, there is only one thing left to do - find a driver.

Among other audio problems in Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7, you may encounter a red X on the speaker icon in the notification area and the message “No audio output device is installed” or “Headphones or speakers are not connected”, however, to fix this problem sometimes I have to suffer.

This guide details the most common causes of the “Audio output device is not installed” and “Headphones or speakers are not connected” errors in Windows and how to correct the situation and return normal sound playback. If the problem occurs after updating Windows 10 to a new version, I recommend trying the methods in the instructions first, and then returning to the current guide.

Perhaps this item could have been put first in the topic about “Audio output device not installed”

Sound card drivers

The next step to try is to make sure that the necessary sound card drivers are installed and working, while a novice user should consider the following points:

  • If in the device manager in the “Sound, gaming and video devices” section you only see items like NVIDIA High Definition Audio, AMD HD Audio, Intel Audio for Displays - most likely, the sound card is either disabled in the BIOS (on some motherboards and laptops this is perhaps) or the necessary drivers are not installed on it, and what you see are devices for audio output via HDMI or Display Port, i.e. working with video card outputs.
  • If you right-clicked your sound card in Device Manager, selected "Update Driver" and after automatically searching for updated drivers, you were told that "The best drivers for this device are already installed" - this does not provide useful information that the correct ones are installed drivers: there were simply no other suitable ones in Windows Update.
  • Standard Realtek and other audio drivers can be successfully installed from various driver packs, but they do not always work adequately - you should use drivers from the manufacturer of specific equipment (laptop or motherboard).

In general, if your sound card shows up in Device Manager, the best steps to install the correct driver for it would be as follows:

Once the installation is complete, check if the problem has been resolved.

An additional method that sometimes works (provided that everything worked “just yesterday”) is to look into the properties of the sound card on the “Driver” tab and, if the “Roll Back” button is active there, click it (sometimes Windows can automatically update drivers to the wrong ones , what do you need).

Note: If there is no sound card or unknown devices in the device manager, there is a possibility that the sound card is disabled in the BIOS of the computer or laptop. Look in the BIOS (UEFI) in the Advanced/Peripherals/Onboard Devices sections for something related to Onboard Audio and make sure it is Enabled.

Setting up playback devices

Setting up playback devices can also help, especially often if you have a monitor (or TV) connected to your computer via HDMI or Display Port, especially if through some kind of adapter.

Update: In Windows 10 versions 1903, 1809 and 1803, in order to open recording and playback devices (the first step in the instructions below), go to the Control Panel (can be opened through a search on the taskbar) in the viewing field, set “Icons” and open "Sound" item. The second method is to right-click on the speaker icon - “Open sound settings”, and then select “Sound Control Panel” in the upper right corner (or at the bottom of the list of settings when changing the width of the window) of the sound settings.


Additional ways to fix the "Audio output device not installed" problem

In conclusion, here are a few additional, sometimes effective, methods to correct the sound situation if the previous methods did not help.


Note: the instructions do not describe a method for automatically troubleshooting Windows audio problems, since most likely you have already tried it (if not, try it, it may work).


Troubleshooting is automatically launched by double-clicking on the speaker icon with a red cross through it, you can also launch it manually, see, for example,.



If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.