Quick answer: When Windows 11 plays no sound, the cause is usually that audio is going to the wrong device or is muted somewhere. Open Settings > System > Sound, choose your speakers or headphones under Output and check the volume. If that looks right, run the audio troubleshooter, turn off audio enhancements, restart the Windows Audio services and then update, roll back or reinstall the audio driver.
In this guide
Applies to Windows 11, including versions 24H2 and 25H2. The order follows Microsoft’s own checklist, quickest checks first.
Match your symptom
| What you notice | Likely cause | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Sound worked, then stopped after plugging in a monitor or dock | Output switched to a device with no speakers | Fix 1 |
| Speaker icon shows a cross | Muted device | Fix 2 |
| One app is silent, others play | App muted in the volume mixer | Fix 2 |
| Headphones work, speakers do not (or the reverse) | Jack, port or output choice | Fix 3 |
| Sound stopped after an update or driver change | Driver regression or update issue | Fix 7, then Fix 8 |
| USB headset or DAC silent since September 2026 | Known USB audio issue | Known issues section |
| No output device listed at all | Driver or service not running | Fix 6, then Fix 8 |
Fix 1: Choose the right output device
Windows sends sound to one default device. Plugging in an HDMI monitor, a dock or a Bluetooth headset can move it there, leaving your speakers silent.
- Select the speaker icon on the taskbar, then the arrow next to the volume slider.
- Pick the device you actually want to hear from.
- For the full list, open Settings > System > Sound and select the device under Output. Choosing it there also makes it the default.
Microsoft points out that an external monitor without built-in speakers should not be the default output. If your screen has no speakers, sound sent to it simply disappears.
Fix 2: Check volume and mute in every place
The speaker knob, the Windows master volume and each app’s own level are stacked; any one at zero means silence.
- Raise the master volume and unmute it from the taskbar speaker icon.
- Open the volume mixer, either from the settings icon next to the slider in the taskbar panel or from Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer, and raise the level of the silent app. The mixer can also send one app to a different device.
- Check the app itself, such as a muted browser tab or a video player set to zero.
Also make sure the device is not disabled. Go to Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings, open the device from the Playback tab with Properties, and confirm that Use this device (enable) is set under Device usage.
Fix 3: Rule out cables, ports and power
Switch powered speakers on and push the plug fully into the jack. On desktops, green is usually the output and pink the microphone input. Try another USB port, and unplug headphones to see whether the speakers take over. For wireless headsets that connect but stay silent, see our Bluetooth troubleshooting guide for Windows 11.
Fix 4: Run the audio troubleshooter
Windows 11 can check the common settings for you. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and select Run next to Audio. On current versions, the troubleshooter opens in the Get Help app, which asks a few questions and then tests your device.
Fix 5: Turn off audio enhancements
Enhancements are extra processing, such as bass boost, from Windows or the sound card maker. When it misbehaves after a driver change, it can silence a device. Open Settings > System > Sound, select your output device, scroll to Advanced settings and set Audio enhancements to Off. You can turn them back on if they were not the cause.
Fix 6: Restart the Windows Audio services
Two background services carry all sound in Windows. Windows Audio sets up and controls audio streams, while Windows Audio Endpoint Builder finds audio hardware and creates the devices you see in Settings. If either is stuck, the speaker icon may show an error or the output list may be empty.
- Search for services and open the Services app.
- Right-click Windows Audio and select Restart, then confirm.
- Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and Remote Procedure Call (RPC), one at a time, as Microsoft suggests.
If Windows Audio is stopped rather than running, open its Properties and make sure the startup type is Automatic. Its service name is Audiosrv.
Fix 7: Install updates and restart
Open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates and install what is offered, including optional driver updates for your audio hardware. Then restart through Start > Power, choosing Update and restart if it appears.
Fix 8: Update, roll back or reinstall the audio driver
The driver is the layer that lets Windows talk to the sound chip, so a damaged or mismatched one often means no sound at all. Search for Device Manager, open it and expand Sound, video and game controllers. Then try these in order:
- Update: right-click your audio device (for example Realtek Audio or a USB headset), select Update driver and then Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds nothing, get the latest driver from the PC or motherboard maker’s support site.
- Roll back: if sound broke right after a driver update, open the device’s Properties, go to the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver. The button is greyed out when no older driver is stored.
- Reinstall: right-click the device, select Uninstall device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and restart. Windows installs a driver again during startup.
- Generic driver: choose Update driver, then Browse my computer for drivers and Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. Selecting High Definition Audio Device uses Microsoft’s own driver, which lacks the maker’s extras but often brings sound back.
Warning: before removing a driver, download the maker’s version first if you can. If Windows fails to reinstall it, you may have no sound until you install it by hand. When rollback is not offered, a restore point from before the change is another way back.
Fix 9: Change the default format
Some older receivers and USB DACs go quiet with a sample rate or bit depth they cannot handle. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound, right-click your default device on the Playback tab and choose Properties. On the Advanced tab, pick another entry under Default Format, select OK and test. If only surround or Dolby Digital content is silent while normal sound works, see our AC-3 audio guide instead.
Known issues in 2026
Check Microsoft’s Windows release health page when sound stops right after Patch Tuesday. As of early November 2026, it lists a USB audio problem that began with the September 8, 2026 update KB5124008: some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices show Code 10 in Device Manager, play no sound or leave the volume stuck. The entry is marked Mitigated, and the out-of-band update KB5129195 fixed only the multichannel part. Our USB audio Code 10 guide covers that case in detail.
A separate AC-3 app crash on 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 was resolved by the October 13, 2026 update KB5127648.
Want to record what the PC plays instead? Enable Stereo Mix in Windows 11.
Related guides
- USB audio device shows Code 10 in Windows 11: how to fix it
- AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio not playing in Windows 11: why and how to fix it
- Bluetooth not working in Windows 11: how to fix it
- How to enable Stereo Mix in Windows 11 (and fix it when it’s missing)
- Headphones not detected: how to fix it on Windows 11
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