How to get sound back on a laptop if it has disappeared

First - reboot

If the sound in your laptop suddenly disappears when you launch an application, you need to try to completely reboot the system.

Advice! It is recommended to only save your working data without closing any programs.

If the sound suddenly stops working, you need to:

click Start-Shutdown;
select Reboot;
When prompted to force shutdown applications, confirm your choice.

By performing actions in this way, you can prevent the settings that were initialized by the muted application from being applied. An audio greeting will indicate that the problem has been resolved when the system boots.

Viruses

Perhaps while downloading a movie or a new game you caught some kind of virus. To fix this, pay attention to the operation of the system as a whole. There may be other signs that there is malware on your PC. Frequent freezes, slow computer operation, frequent antivirus warnings, advertising banners - all this indicates viruses.

To combat malicious software, you need to resort to the help of modern antiviruses. Scan your PC and delete all suspicious files. I would recommend you antivirus Dr. Web. It scans the system thoroughly. At the same time, you can download the antivirus program onto your PC completely free of charge.

Accidental button presses

The laptop is quite compact. Keyboard buttons are often pressed accidentally. Therefore, to restore sound on a laptop, you should first try the desired functional combination.

Advice! You can find out exactly what you need to press from the instructions for your model.

But you can find the necessary buttons when the sound suddenly disappears without studying the documentation. It's worth taking a closer look at the keyboard. The key, in addition to the main symbol that shows a crossed out speaker, when pressed simultaneously with Fn, mutes the sound . Using this combination, it is easy to fix the situation when your favorite track or movie does not play.

Likewise, if there is no sound, you can try increasing the volume. This is also done using functional keyboard combinations. The required buttons are indicated by symbols with a speaker, plus and minus. Their location may differ on different laptop models. For example, on HP and Acer products, the volume is changed using the Fn + arrow keys.

Software volume mute

If there is no sound on your laptop, you should look at the speaker icon in the taskbar next to the clock. If it is crossed out, it means that audio output is software disabled. You can adjust the settings and return the sound as follows:

in Windows 7, Windows 8, left-click (LMB) on the icon in the taskbar, and in the slider that opens, move the slider to maximum;
in Windows 10, the procedure is similar, the regulator is a horizontal strip, the slider should be moved to the right.

The reason why there is no sound on the laptop may be software output muting for individual applications or the system. To get to the necessary settings, you should right-click (RMB) on the speaker icon near the clock. In Windows 7, Windows 10, in the drop-down menu there is an item Open volume mixer. The mixer window lists all applications that are currently accessing the audio card. By changing the positions of the sliders, you can solve the problem when there is no sound only when the video or audio player is running.

Review of sound enhancement programs

Working with programs

In addition to independent actions, you can use developed programs that provide excellent audio sound to correct distortion of sound data.

Some of the most popular ones include:

Sound Booster is the simplest and most convenient utility that works automatically after a user command. You need to enable “Autostart” for the program to start loading from the operating system. Additionally, you should adjust the volume to the required range.

SRS Audio SandBox is a fairly simple program consisting of modules: 3D balance, 3D space, volume, optimization, speaker frequency.

Audio Amplifier is one of the most popular programs for adjusting sound quality; to make adjustments, you should use Load File and move the slider to the required position. Based on the results, save the new data.
Razer Surround - this program makes it possible to create surround sound; it can be used when setting up speakers for a cinema. Using it, the user can achieve various special effects from low-pitched bass to adjusting the sound and volume of the interlocutor.

To install the utility, you need to perform the following steps:

in the browser field, search for the “Razer Surround download” program;
go to the official website of the developer;
press a special button that allows you to download the program for Windows;
save the installation file in the desired folder, for example, on the “Desktop”;
then launch the downloaded file in a convenient way using the left mouse button;
Please note that all terms and conditions have been read;
click “Next”;
wait for the installation process to finish;
After installation, create an account in the window that opens on the official website to use the program.

To create a program you need:

go to the official website using the link provided by the utility;
when you get to the site, you can configure its interface in a convenient language background;
fill in the registration data in a special window and click on “Start”;
select the appropriate item, click “Next”, apply the conditions;
Confirm registration in your personal email by clicking on the link from the letter;
after which you can log in to your account.

To work with the utility, you should perform the following steps:

Rules for using the program

When starting to work with the program, you need to use “Start”.
The program will instantly create a list of utilities connected to the laptop. The user must decide on the device due to which the sound is jamming.
After creating the calibration process, you need to start it using the “Calibrate Now” button, and it is important to make sure that there are no sounds around the device.
Next, you should test the installation in action using the “Test” program.
After this, the connected audio tones playback device will work in the required range.

Important! The listed programs can be used as editing equipment, for example, adjusting bass, changing sound effects, trimming tracks.

Video - fixing bad sound on a laptop

In this video, you can clearly view and listen to all the features of the described methods and the results of using new drivers or programs. The example given by the author can be used to enhance sound, get rid of inaccuracies and unspoken phrases.

Everything is done extremely quickly if the problem is only in adjusting the format or installing drivers, that is, in correcting OS settings.

Invalid playback device

Sound may not work when the system is using the wrong playback device. This problem is present on models with an HDMI output or complex audio cards . If the sound does not turn on, you should:

right-click on the speaker icon in Windows 7, Windows 10;
select the Playback devices section from the drop-down menu.

In a laptop, sound is output only through the built-in speakers. This device is called Speakers/Headphones. In the window that opens after selecting Playback devices, you need to check:

whether the speakers are turned off, whether there is a cross on the device icon;
whether the output is carried out to the speakers, whether there is a green tick icon on it.

The level indicator next to the device name indicates that everything is in order. If there is no sound, it will be grayed out.

Advice! An easy way to determine the cause of the problem and restore the operation of the speakers is to use the system wizard. It detects most incorrect settings and suggests changing them automatically.

If the sound does not turn on, it is enough:

disconnect any speakers or headphones from the laptop;
right-click on the speaker icon;
Click on Troubleshoot from the drop-down menu.

All that is required from the user is to wait for the wizard to finish. When there is no sound on the laptop due to changes in system settings, the troubleshooter will detect and fix them on its own.

Change your audio device.

It's possible your speakers are working fine, but Windows is routing audio to the wrong output device - this is especially common if you've connected a USB audio device or are connected to an external HDMI monitor that doesn't have speakers.

Driver problems

Unfortunately, problems with sound card drivers may not be the user's fault. This happens when updating the system or installing various software. To assess the status of the drivers, you will need:

go to Start-Control Panel-System, click the Device Manager button on the active tab;
right-click on Computer, select management, section Manager in the left column;
Press Win+R and type the command devmgmt.msc.

Using any of these methods, you can call up a list of devices installed in the system. Audio drivers are located in the Audio Devices section. If there is a problem, the block will be deployed immediately. When the name of the audio device has an icon with a red cross, you should right-click on it and select Enable.

A yellow triangle icon means that the drivers are not working correctly. First of all, you should try to roll back the installation and return to a working version. To do this, you need:

click on the name of the device RMB;
select Properties from the menu;
go to the Driver tab.

There is a Rollback button here. After clicking it, the system will try to remove the latest installed driver version. The laptop should be restarted.

Updating the driver package

If there is no sound on the laptop, and rolling back the driver version does not help, you need to update all software sound modules. To do this you will need:

download a full set of drivers from the laptop manufacturer’s website;
remove all audio devices from the system using the task manager;
install downloaded drivers;
reboot the laptop.

If the audio card is not physically damaged, which happens due to static shock on Lenovo models, drivers from the manufacturer will certainly allow you to restore sound on the laptop.

Install or update drivers.

If you doubt that some laptop hardware is not working, check the drivers. Click the Start menu and type "device manager" and press Enter when the option appears.

Scroll down to Sound, Video and Game Controllers and expand the menu to show all the possible audio output devices on your PC.

If any of them have a yellow exclamation mark next to them, that means you may have to find and install a driver from the manufacturer's website.

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If not, then you should try installing the driver anyway. You can also try uninstalling the driver: right-click the one you're trying to use (in this case, the laptop uses Realtek Audio) and select "Uninstall device." Restart Windows and it will try to reinstall its general drivers, which may bring the speakers back to life.

BIOS settings

Every laptop has BIOS settings stored on a chip powered by a battery. The latter does not last forever, and after many years of use it may turn out that there is no sound on the laptop when you turn it on. This means you need to check the BIOS.

Enabling and disabling the sound card on laptops can be done in different sections. For ASUS products this is Advanced, in some Lenovo, HP - Integrated Peripherals. The audio card itself may be called High Definition Audio, Onboard Audio Chip, or a line with the manufacturer's name ending in Codec (for example, Azalia Codec). The option value must be set to Enabled to restore sound on the laptop.

Reinstalling the operating system

If after all the actions taken there is no sound on Windows 10, then you need to resort to heavy artillery. It is necessary to demolish the old system and reinstall Windows. If you nevertheless decide to take this radical step, then do not forget to save all important data on some storage device or cloud service.

In addition, download all the drivers to the USB flash drive in advance. After all, after reinstalling Windows, you will have to install them again. When you install drivers, start with the audio chipset.

Connector problems

The 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones, which is found in almost all laptops, has a service contact. It signals the audio card to turn off the speakers to play audio only to the headphones. Over time, the service contact may become deformed and constantly transmit data to the system that the headphones are connected.

The problem doesn't come out of the blue. The sound begins to disappear when the plug is moved, plays unevenly in the headphones, and is present in only one loudspeaker. If this situation develops, the speakers may turn off precisely because of a connector problem. As a result, the sound does not work in any application.

Advice! If you do not have enough skills to clean and repair the nest yourself, you should contact the service.