How to Fix Windows 11 Sound Not Working

No Sound on Windows 11?

Audio problems on Windows 11 almost always come down to one of three things: the wrong output device is selected, a driver has broken, or a recent update has changed a setting. Work through these steps and you'll have sound back in minutes.

Step 1 — Check Volume and Output Device

Click the speaker icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner). Make sure the volume isn't muted or set to zero. Then click the arrow next to the volume slider and verify the correct output device is selected — if you have headphones, a monitor with speakers, and a soundbar, Windows might have switched to the wrong one automatically.

Step 2 — Run the Audio Troubleshooter

Go to Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters and run Playing Audio. The troubleshooter automatically checks for common configuration mistakes, resets the audio service, and applies fixes without you needing to know what went wrong.

Step 3 — Set the Default Audio Device

Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose Sound settings → More sound settings. Under the Playback tab, right-click your preferred device and choose Set as Default Device. Also right-click it and choose Set as Default Communication Device. Click Apply.

Step 4 — Restart the Windows Audio Service

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Scroll to Windows Audio, right-click it, and choose Restart. Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. These services occasionally crash silently and need a kick to come back.

Step 5 — Update or Reinstall the Audio Driver

Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager). Expand Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click your audio device (usually Realtek or Intel) and choose Update driver. If that doesn't work, choose Uninstall device, check Delete the driver software for this device, and restart. Windows will install a fresh driver on reboot.

For Realtek audio, you can also download the latest driver directly from your laptop or motherboard manufacturer's support page for the best results.

Step 6 — Check App-Specific Volume Mixer

Right-click the speaker icon and open Volume mixer. Each open app has its own volume slider — it's possible only one app is muted while system audio is fine. Drag the app's slider up and unmute if needed.

Sound Fix Summary

• Confirm the correct output device is selected in the system tray
• Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter
• Set your device as Default in Sound settings
• Restart the Windows Audio service
• Update or reinstall the audio driver in Device Manager
• Check the Volume mixer for per-app muting