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How to fix sound problem

Mpho Manana 0 Reputation points
2026-06-17T12:42:00.95+00:00

My laptop doesn't have a sound and it has a white x next to it and it also says no output audio

Windows for home | Other | Devices and drivers
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  1. Kapil Arya 37,826 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-06-18T17:05:46.3433333+00:00

    Can you pleas try this:

    Open Device Manager, and make sure you've audio drivers installed and properly working.

    If no audio driver is listed, you can visit your device manufacturer's website to download and install audio drivers for your system model.

    If audio driver is present, you can try updating audio drivers to latest version.

    Or if you've already updated them, try to roll back previous version to see if that works.

    Also, run Playing Audio troubleshooter from Settings app > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Let us know what it reports back.

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  2. Vikki-T 5,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-18T07:00:07.6+00:00

    Hi Mpho Manana,

    I understand how inconvenient this is, especially when the sound icon shows an X and Windows says there is no audio output device. At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. 

    To narrow this down, could you please let us know:

    • Did this start after a Windows update, driver update, or any recent change to the laptop?
    • What is the exact laptop brand/model and Windows version?
    • In Device Manager, do you see anything listed under Sound, video and game controllers?
    • Do you see any yellow warning icon or error code on the audio device?
    • Are you trying to use the built-in speakers, wired headphones, Bluetooth audio, or an HDMI/external monitor audio output?

    In addition to the troubleshooting steps already suggested, you can also try checking whether the audio services are running:

    • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
    • Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder.
    • Make sure both services are running and set to Automatic.
    • If either service is stopped, right-click it and choose Start or Restart.

    If Device Manager does not show any audio device at all, please also try this:

    • Open Device Manager.
    • Select View > Show hidden devices.
    • Select Action > Scan for hardware changes.
    • Restart the laptop and check whether the audio device appears again.

    If the audio device still does not appear, the next best step would be to install the latest audio driver directly from the laptop manufacturer’s support website for your exact model.

    While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.  

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  3. AI answer

    2026-06-17T12:42:16.8066667+00:00

    Use the built-in audio troubleshooting and driver repair steps. The white X and “no output audio device” usually mean Windows does not see a working audio device/driver.

    1. Check basic sound settings
      • Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
      • If there are multiple devices, select the arrow and make sure the correct speakers/headphones are chosen as the output device.
      • Right-click the Speakers icon → Open Volume mixer and confirm nothing is muted.
    2. Confirm the device is not disabled
      • Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
      • Under Output, select the device, then Device properties.
      • Make sure the Disable checkbox is cleared for the output device.
    3. Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter
      • Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
      • Run Playing Audio and follow the recommendations.
    4. Update or reinstall the audio driver
      • Press Win + X → Device Manager.
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • If an audio device is listed:
        • Right-click it → Update driver → Search automatically for drivers and complete the wizard.
        • If that does not help, right-click the device → Uninstall device.
          • Check Delete the driver software for this device (if shown) → Uninstall.
          • Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
      • If no audio device is listed or it still shows errors, download and install the latest audio driver from the laptop manufacturer’s support site for the exact model.
    5. Use the generic Windows audio driver (if vendor driver fails)
      • In Device Manager, under Sound, video and game controllers, right-click the audio device → Update driver.
      • Choose Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
      • Select the appropriate generic audio driver and finish the wizard.
    6. Check Windows Update and restart
      • Select Start > Settings > Windows Update (or Update & Security > Windows Update on Windows 10) > Check for updates.
      • Install all available updates, including optional ones, then restart the PC.

    If after these steps Device Manager still shows no audio device at all, or the troubleshooter reports hardware problems, the issue may be hardware-related and require the laptop manufacturer’s repair.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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