What to do if your laptop has no sound

(Fizkes/Shutterstock)

There's nothing quite like pumping up a few tunes to keep your momentum going during the workday. But if your laptop speakers aren't working, it can really kill your groove.

Here's how to troubleshoot your PC if you're getting no sound. Although many of these suggestions refer to

Windows 10

, similar processes work regardless of your operating system.

Check your volume

This sounds obvious, but I can't tell you how many times I accidentally mute my volume in Windows only to slap my forehead in exasperation later. Click the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the Windows taskbar and make sure the volume is turned up and on. (If you have

external speakers

plugged in, make sure they are also turned on and enabled.)

When you drag the Windows volume slider and release, you should hear a "ding". Otherwise, the problem is elsewhere. If you hear a ding, it's possible that the app you're trying to use is muted instead. Make sure the music player, video player or any other app you are using is turned on and enabled.

The same goes for YouTube and other in-browser players: it's easy to accidentally disable them, which can be frustrating to diagnose later. Chrome users, for example, can click the musical note icon in the browser menu to control audio playback from any tab.

Try headphones

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

If you're having trouble with your laptop's built-in speakers, try plugging in a set

headphones

or speakers. If sound works through them, you might have a hardware problem with the laptop's built-in speakers.

If you have a pair of USB headphones handy (like a USB gaming headset), try plugging those in as well, as they may bypass the default audio driver and indicate where the problem lies.

Change your audio device

It's possible your speakers are working fine, but Windows is directing sound to the wrong output device: This is especially common if you've plugged in a USB audio device or are plugged into an external HDMI monitor

which has no speakers.

To solve this problem, right-click on the speaker icon in the Windows taskbar

and choose

Sounds

Reading

, then find the device you want to use. If you don't see it, try right-clicking and checking

Show disabled devices.

Select the desired output device and click

Define by default

button. If you're not sure which one you want to use, try each of the listed devices until you hear sound.

Disable audio enhancements

If you are having audio issues,

Microsoft recommends

Disable any audio enhancements that may be enabled. In this same Sound menu, select the audio device you are trying to use, click on

Properties

and navigate through the options that appear.

dell speakers no sound: hi everyone i have a dell inspirion 1501 laptop , but there is no sound from the speaker... http://bit.ly/gd3Z0V

— SevenForums Fri Dec 03 17:22:08 +0000 2010

Make sure the correct supported formats are checked, all enhancements are disabled, and exclusive mode is unchecked in the Advanced tab. You can even try disabling all Spatial Sound enhancements. Try playing the audio again and see if any of these options are causing your problems.

Install or update your drivers

If in doubt, if a piece of PC hardware isn't working, check the drivers. Click on the Start menu, type “device manager” and press Enter to open the Control Panel. Scroll to

Sound, video and game controllers

and expand the menu to show all possible audio output devices on your PC. If there is a yellow exclamation mark next to one of them, that's a sign that you may need

find and install its driver

on the manufacturer's website. If not, installing the driver is worth it anyway.

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You can also try

to uninstall

the driver: right click on the one you are trying to use (in my case my laptop uses Realtek Audio) and choose

Uninstall Device

. Restart Windows and it will attempt to reinstall its generic drivers, which may bring the speakers back to life.

Update your BIOS

In rare cases, hardware incompatibility, a software update, or reinstalling Windows may cause your sound to stop working and you may need to change something in the BIOS. Restart your computer and go to

BIOS/UEFI setup menu

, usually by pressing Delete, F2, or another key on startup.

First, make sure your sound card is enabled in the BIOS, as it might have been disabled at some point. If that doesn't help, check the BIOS or UEFI version you're using and compare it to the latest version on your laptop manufacturer's website.

If your manufacturer released a new version recently, it may be worth updating. Just be sure to read the instructions and proceed with care, as a BIOS update can also break things if not done correctly.

Repair speakers

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

If you can't fix the problem in software, it's possible that the speakers themselves are broken or a cable has come loose inside your PC. If you can find a repair manual for your PC, don't be afraid to open it up and see what's what.

You can also hire professionals. Send it to the manufacturer for repair if it's under warranty, or find a local store that can diagnose the problem for you. With any luck, you'll be jamming again in no time.

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