How to Fix Your Windows 10 Audio When It Doesn't Work

What to do when your Windows 10 PC suddenly stops playing audio

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: August 5, 2026 Fact Checked

If the sound on your Windows 10 computer isn't working, it can be incredibly frustrating, especially when there isn't a clear reason why. In this article, we'll go over 14 quick and easy ways to fix this problem. Keep reading to learn how.

Fixing Windows 10 Sound Issues

If the audio on your Windows 10 computer isn't working, there are many things you can try to fix it. The best first step is to run the audio troubleshooter. If this doesn't help, you can try changing your speaker output, checking your audio cables/ports, disabling audio enhancements, or updating, reinstalling, or rolling back your drivers.

1

Run the Audio Troubleshooter

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If you're encountering sound issues in Windows 10, you can usually fix them with the audio troubleshooter. To open it, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Under "Find and fix problems," click Playing audio > Run the troubleshooter. Allow the troubleshooter to run, which may take a few moments. Follow any on-screen instructions to fix any problems the troubleshooter identifies.

2

Change Your Speaker Output

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Make sure your computer's sound output is routed to the correct speaker. To check, click the sound icon in your taskbar (which looks like a speaker). Then, click the up arrow to show all the audio output devices connected to your computer. Make sure the selected device is the correct audio output (such as your speakers or headphones).^{[1]
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- If you're not sure which device is which, try selecting different ones until you find the correct output.

3

Check Your Audio Cables

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If you're using a headset with separate headphone and mic cables, make sure they're plugged into the correct ports on your computer. If you're using speakers, make sure the cables are plugged in correctly, and check the power adapter to ensure it's not loose.

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4

Check the Audio Port

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If you're using a 35mm jack to plug an audio device into your computer, make sure that the jack is actually working. If you have a second audio jack on the back of your PC tower, try plugging your speakers or headphones into it to check. You may also need to use a USB audio device to ensure that audio is actually working on your computer if you only have one audio jack.

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5

Disable Audio Enhancements

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Turn off audio enhancements in the Control Panel. Sometimes, having audio enhancements enabled can make your computer's audio not work properly. You can easily disable them in the Control Panel.^{[4]
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Go to source} Here's how:
- Type "control panel" into the taskbar search bar, then click Control Panel in the Start menu that pops up.
- Click Hardware and Sound > Sound.
- Select the Playback tab.
- Right-click on your audio playback device.
- Click the Enhancements tab.
- Check the box that says Disable all enhancements.
- Click OK.

6

Update Audio Drivers

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Update your audio drivers to ensure the device is working properly. If your audio device's drivers are outdated, you may experience sound issues.^{[5]
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Go to source} Here's how you can update your drivers easily:
- Open Device Manager. The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar and click Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
- Right-click your audio device (such as your sound card, headphones, or speaker).
- Click Update driver.
- Click Search automatically for updated driver software.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to update your drivers.

7

Reinstall Audio Drivers

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Reinstall your audio device drivers to fix audio issues. If updating the drivers didn't work, you may want to reinstall them. There's a chance your device drivers are corrupted, and a reinstall will fix them.^{[6]
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Go to source} Here's how to do it:
- Open Device Manager. The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar and click Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
- Right-click your audio device (such as your sound card, headphones, or speaker).
- Click Uninstall device.
- Check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device."
- Click Uninstall.
- Restart your PC. When your computer restarts, the drivers for your device will be reinstalled.

8

Roll Back Audio Drivers

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Roll back a bad driver update. On the other hand, if you recently updated your drivers (or Windows Update did for you), you might have a bad update. This isn't super common, but it does happen from time to time. Rolling back your device drivers can help you reverse issues that cause your audio to stop working.^{[7]
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- Open Device Manager. The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar and click Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
- Right-click your audio device (such as your sound card, headphones, or speaker).
- Click Properties.
- Click the Driver tab.
- Click Roll Back Driver.

9

Update the IDT CODEC

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Some systems may have issues with the IDT High Definition Audio CODEC. Thankfully, you can fix this by changing the CODEC's drivers in Device Manager. However, note that not all computers will have an IDT CODEC. If you don't see it, you'll need to try one of the other options in this article.^{[8]
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- Open Device Manager. The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar and click Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
- Right-click "IDT High Definition Audio CODEC."
- Click Update driver.
- Click Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
- Select High Definition Audio Device.
- Click Next to finish up.

10

Restart the Windows Audio Service

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The audio issue may be related to a problem with the Windows audio service. If the audio service isn't working, your computer won't have any sound.^{[9]
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Go to source} Here's how you can quickly restart this service:
- Type "services" into the taskbar search bar, then click Services from the start menu that pops up.
- Locate the "Windows Audio" service.
- Right-click it and click Restart.
- Repeat the above two steps for "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder" and "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)."

11

Change Audio Formats

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Changing your sound format may fix broken audio in Windows 10. This is a quick and easy method you can use to try to fix your audio.^{[10]
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Go to source} Here's how to do it:
- Type "control panel" into the taskbar search bar, then click Control Panel in the Start menu that pops up.
- Click Hardware and Sound > Sound.
- Select the Playback tab.
- Right-click on your audio playback device.
- Click Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Under "Default Format," click the dropdown and choose a different setting. You can click Test next to this dropdown to test your audio and make sure it works.
  - If you hear your audio again, click OK to save your changes. If you don't hear your audio, try one of the other options in the dropdown.

12

Restart Your PC

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Sometimes, if your computer stays on for a long time, random things can stop working—including your sound. You can easily fix this by restarting your PC. Simply click the Start menu, open the Power menu, and choose Restart.^{[11]
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13

Update Windows

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Ensure all pending Windows updates are installed. If you're encountering a persistent glitch or a bug that's causing your sound to not work, it could be due to an uninstalled Windows update. Make sure that your PC is fully updated.^{[12]
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Go to source} Here's how:
- Click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- If you don't see a pending update, click Check for updates.
- If there's a pending update, click Install now.
- Wait for your computer to download and install the update.

14

Check Sound Settings

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Make sure your computer isn't muted or turned down. Check the sound icon in the taskbar (the icon that looks like a speaker). If your audio is muted, you'll see a little "x" next to the speaker icon. If you don't see anything next to the speaker icon, your audio is likely too quiet to hear. To fix this, click the audio icon in your taskbar, then either click the mute button to unmute it or drag the volume slider up.^{[13]
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Go to source} You can also check the following:
- Make sure the sound isn’t muted or turned down in the app or website you’re using.
- If you’re using external speakers or headphones, check the physical controls (if they have them) to make sure they aren’t muted or turned down.
- Make sure any external output devices are plugged in securely. Look for signs of damage to the cables. You can also try testing them with a different device to rule out hardware issues.