The speakers are playing but there is no sound, there is hissing. Why is there no sound on my computer or laptop?

The situation when the sound on a computer device disappears is quite common. Most ordinary users associate this with sound card drivers. In general, this is only one of the reasons, because if the sound on the computer does not work, the global problem is much wider. Next, several possible situations will be considered with a proposed solution to failures in each specific case.

Why there is no sound on the computer: possible reasons

To fully understand the essence of the issue, it is first necessary to find out the root causes of the current situation. Why doesn't the sound on my computer work?

Among all the things that could cause this phenomenon, in most cases the following are distinguished:

the sound is muted with the volume control;
The main playback device is installed incorrectly;
The sound card does not work or is disabled;
The audio driver is not installed, is outdated or damaged;
Windows Audio service is inactive;
incorrect connection to other devices;
exposure to viruses;
physical damage to cables or playback device.

Based on the list above, we will solve the problem of how to restore sound on a computer. Please note that the last point related to purely physical equipment problems will not be considered. We will focus on software methods that, in most cases, allow us to eliminate errors and failures that have arisen.

No sound on the computer: what to do first?

So, the first thing you need to do is check that the speakers are connected correctly. To do this, look at the back panel of the system unit, find the outputs and inputs of the sound card and check whether the speaker plugs are included in the correct sockets. At least the audio outputs (right/left, front/rear/subwoofer) will not be difficult to determine.

On the other hand, if there is no sound on the computer, the reason may be even more trivial. Check if headphones are currently connected. The situation is that when they are connected, the sound on the speakers is blocked. Disconnect the headphones and see if there is sound from the main speakers.

Checking the volume controls

Another common problem that many users do not pay attention to is related to turning off the volume with system controls or similar controls on the speakers themselves (this only applies to cases where active speakers that operate from an independent power source are connected to the computer. In this case, just press to the controller icon in the system tray and move the slider, if not to the top, then at least to the middle position.

Now let's see how to turn on the sound on your computer if you are using laptops. They usually use either separate buttons to increase and decrease the volume or mute the sound completely, or keyboard shortcuts. Again, try increasing the volume or unmuting this way.

Checking the speakers

But let’s assume that even after such actions there is no sound on the computer. What to do? For this, Windows may offer to use the so-called mixer, which can be called up through the RMB menu on the volume icon in the system tray. In the window that appears, check the position of all present faders (sliders). Please note that there may not be volume controls for system sounds or applications that may use the computer's audio system (such as web browsers, voice communication programs, etc.). As is already clear, you need to move the sliders to at least the middle position and check if the sound appears.

Playback devices

Now let's see how to set up sound on your computer in terms of the correct choice of sound-reproducing equipment.

To do this, through the same RMB menu on the volume icon, open the playback devices section, and then see which device is used by default. In theory, High Definition Audio speakers should be specified as the main equipment (the device is marked with a checkmark in a green circle). If this is not the case, use RMB and set the correct parameters.

If the device itself is not activated (this is indicated by a gray arrow pointing down), turn it on using RMB. If it is not in the list at all, click on an empty space, and from the menu select show disabled devices.

In the same section you can configure the sound on your computer via HDMI. Only in this case it is necessary to select exactly the device that is used for this type of connection (for example, NVIDIA or PHL).

Checking the audio card

But these were all the simplest methods. We assume that the audio system worked fine before, but over time the sound on the computer disappeared. How to restore it? To do this, you need to check the functionality of the sound card itself.

To do this, call the standard “Device Manager” and look at the status of the equipment. If the card here is marked with a gray down arrow, as was the case with the speakers, select the “Enable” line via RMB.

If the device is marked with a yellow marker or is in the “Other devices” list, this only means that the driver is not installed for it or the control software is not working correctly (or does not function at all). It goes without saying that there is no sound on the computer precisely because the driver is not working.

Updating and reinstalling the driver

The simplest solution for installing control software is to use the driver update item, which is selected through the RMB menu. True, the system will initially offer to install the most suitable driver from its database.

In the first case, entrust the choice to the system (usually there will be drivers for HD Audio).

If you have a non-standard device, it is best to reinstall the driver from the original disk that should have been supplied when you purchased your desktop computer or laptop. If you don't have such a disk, you can use programs like DriverPack Solution, which have their own driver directory and can automatically detect hardware that requires driver installation.

Also, if there is no sound on the computer and this is due specifically to the drivers, as an alternative solution you can use the Driver Booster program, which updates absolutely all drivers automatically by downloading them directly from the websites of equipment manufacturers or control program developers. The only condition for a correct update is an active Internet connection.

If none of the above has any effect, in the “Device Manager” go to the properties of the sound card, go to the details tab, select display hardware ID in the drop-down list and copy the longest line that contains the DEV and VEN identifier parameters. After that, you can search for them on the Internet, download the required driver and install it yourself (or indicate to the system when updating the location of the downloaded file, if searching for drivers on this computer does not produce results).

It is also worth noting that downloaded driver files mainly have two types of extensions: EXE and INF. If the operating system for some reason does not install the selected driver on its own, the executable file will have to be launched manually, but always as an administrator. With information files, a different technique is used: the installation line is selected via RMB, after which all that remains is to wait for its completion.

Checking the Windows Audio Service

Unfortunately, all of the above methods may not work only because the sound service itself is disabled. You can check it through the corresponding section, which can be called up in the fastest way through the “Run” console by entering the services.msc command. How to make sound on a computer in this case?

Double-click to edit the service options, use the power button to activate it, and set the startup type to “Automatic”. Just in case, reboot the system (although, by and large, this is not required). In theory, after this the sound will appear.

Enable audio device in BIOS

However, the primary device may be disabled, which may show up as an error in Device Manager.

In this case, it will not be possible to enable it using the operating system software. What to do? Reboot the system and when the computer device starts, enter the BIOS settings.

On the Advanced tab or in the Onboard Devices section, find the line with the name of your sound card (usually High Definition Audio) and look at the hardware status. If it is set to Disabled, change it to Enabled and save the changes by pressing F10 (it will reboot automatically when exiting).

What should I do if there is no sound when connected to the TV panel?

Now a few words about how to troubleshoot problems connecting a computer to modern television panels. Sound from the computer to the TV is not transmitted when using DVI outputs, since they are intended only for video broadcasting. In most cases, the connection is made via an HDMI cable.

In this situation, you need to use the playback devices section described above, but from the list select exactly the equipment whose name contains HDMI (usually the name of the panel itself will appear before this or the digital HD Audio device will be indicated). Make it the main one. You can also set the previously mentioned equipment, such as NVIDIA, as the main one. When disconnected from the panel, the main device will need to be changed independently.

Virus check

Finally, if there is no sound on your computer, you should not discount the impact of viruses. Just in case, perform a full system scan, but do not use the installed antivirus for this and use some portable utility like Dr. Web CureIt. But this, so to speak, is just in case.

If something is found, but it is not possible to neutralize, neutralize or remove the virus, use the Kaspersky Rescue Disk disk utility, recorded on any removable media from which you will need to boot before the system starts, setting the media itself as the first boot device in the BIOS.

System Restore

If all else fails, roll back the system to the date when the sound system worked normally. To do this, you can use your own “Recovery Center” and installation media. In Windows 10, you can launch advanced reboot options and then select the desired action.

When faced with sound problems, users usually blame the speakers, asking why the speakers do not work if they are turned on. But, more often than not, in such situations the speakers turn out to have nothing to do with it and the reason for the lack of sound lies elsewhere. In this material we will look at a number of the most common problems that can lead to no sound on the computer.

Problem #1: Problems connecting speakers.

If your speakers do not work, then first of all you need to make sure that they are connected as needed. Firstly, the speakers must be connected to the power supply, that is, to a power outlet. Also, many speakers have an “On/Off” button. This button is usually located on the front or back of the right speaker. Make sure this button is in the On position. Otherwise, the speakers will not work, even if they are turned on and connected to the power supply.

In addition, you need to check. Make sure your speakers are properly connected to your computer. If you have regular speakers with a 2.0 configuration, then they are connected as follows: the right speaker is connected to the green audio output of the computer, and the left speaker is connected to the right using a separate cable. Thus, to connect such speakers to a computer, only two cables are used.

Problem #2: The sound is turned off in Windows or on the speakers themselves.

If you've checked your speakers' connections to your computer and power supply, but they still don't work, then the next thing to check is the sound volume. If the audio volume is set to zero, you may feel like your speakers aren't working even though they're turned on.

To check what sound volume is set on your computer, click on the speakers icon on the taskbar and move the volume slider to the right.

You also need to check the volume control, which is located on the speakers themselves. If you have speakers with a 2.0 configuration, the volume control will be on the right speaker. On speakers with a subwoofer (2.1 or 5.1 configuration), the control is usually located on the subwoofer.

Problem #3: Problems with sound settings in Windows.

If your computer has several sound cards (for example, a built-in and discrete sound card) or a TV is connected to the computer via HDMI, then you may have problems with . This is usually expressed in the fact that the wrong sound card or the wrong device for audio playback is selected as the source for sound playback.

In order to check this option, you need to right-click on the columns icon on the taskbar and select “Playback devices”.

After this, the “Sound” window will open in front of you on the “Playback” tab. This will display all the speakers that are available on the system. In this case, the name of the sound card used will be indicated next to the speakers, and the speakers used by default will be marked with a green mark.

In order to switch to using other speakers, you need to select them with the mouse and click on the “Default” button.

Problem #4: Sound card drivers are not installed.

In most cases, if your computer does not have a sound card installed, then the speakers connected to the computer will not work. They simply will not receive a signal from the sound card.

In order to fix this, you need to download the sound card drivers from the manufacturer's website and install. If you are using a built-in sound card, then you need to look for drivers for it on the website of the manufacturer of your motherboard (if you have a desktop computer) or on the website of the manufacturer of the computer itself (if you have a laptop or all-in-one PC). If you are using a discrete sound card (separate sound card), then you need to look for drivers for it on the website of the manufacturer of the sound card itself.

Download the latest drivers, install it, and restart your computer.

If the problem was in the drivers, then this procedure should solve it.

Problem #5: Faulty speakers, sound card or cables.

If you have checked everything described above, but the speakers on your computer still do not work, then the problem may be that they are faulty. In order to check the health of the speakers, they need to be connected to another signal source. For example, you can connect them to another computer (which definitely has sound) or to a TV. If the speakers still do not work with another sound source. Then the problem is in them and they need to be repaired.

If sound appears, then you need to go back to looking for problems on the computer. Perhaps the problem is .

You also cannot rule out a malfunction of the cables with which you connect the speakers to the computer. The cable may have internal damage even if it appears intact from above.

There may be several reasons for the lack of sound on a PC or laptop running Windows 7. This article provides a list of reasons why the sound stopped working. What needs to be checked and what actions to take if there is no sound on a personal computer with Windows 7 installed?

First thing to check

Perhaps everything is very simple, and you just turned off the sound or reduced its level to zero. You need to turn on the sound and check whether all system parameters necessary for correct audio playback are configured correctly. If the settings are correct, then the problem may be with the hardware settings.

Driver problem

The second option is that the reason that the sound disappears on Windows 7 may be the incorrect operation of the sound card driver, or the driver is missing. To fix a playback problem caused specifically by driver problems, you need to do the following: go to "control Panel" — "device Manager", then find the tab "sound, video and gaming devices" and double-click on it with the left mouse button, after which a drop-down menu will be available, right-click and select "Update drivers".

After this, a dialog box will open where you need to select the item "Automatically search for updated drivers". The system will automatically start a search and update the driver if necessary. If after these steps the sound still does not play, you can download a new version of the software for your equipment from the official website and install it yourself.

To do this, save the file on your PC, then run the driver update again, but select not “Automatic search for updated drivers”, but "Search for drivers on this computer", then click “browse”, specify the path to the file you saved earlier. In most cases, such a solution helps restore the sound, but there are exceptions.

Windows Audio service inactivity

If updating the drivers did not solve the problem with the sound, and there is still no sound, make sure that the service responsible for playing audio on a PC running Windows 7 is active and running. The easiest way to go to “services” is the “Start” menu - search bar, enter “Services”, and press Enter. A window will open in front of you with a list of all Windows 7 services. Among this list, you need to find a service named “Windows Audio” - it is responsible for playing sound on a personal computer.

Next, by double-clicking on the line with the desired name, you will open a window in which you can see the status of the service: “General” - “Status: On/Off”. If it is turned off, then you need to turn it on by clicking on the button of the same name, and also change the startup type to "Automatically", then click “Apply” - “OK”. After enabling the service, it makes sense to restart the PC. If all the steps described above did not help, and there is no sound, proceed to further options for solving the problem.

Viruses

The reason why there is no sound may also be viruses that have infected the computer. The essence of the problem is this: viruses that have entered your computer can disrupt the software settings for the sound card, and the sound stops working. Try installing an antivirus and running a full diagnostic of all disks and media on your computer.

But programs for diagnosing viruses must be downloaded from the official websites of the developers, but many users neglect this, which is why sometimes difficulties arise with their PCs.

What else can you do?

If the above measures did not help and there is still no sound, just try restarting your computer. Often, it is this simple solution that actually fixes the sound problem, and it is after a reboot that everything starts working as it should.

When rebooting the OS has already been tried and failed, you can restore the system using a checkpoint. To do this, you should do the following: go to the “start” menu: “All programs” - “Accessories” - “Utilities”. Select "System Restore", click Next. In the list of recovery points that appears, you must select the one whose creation date and time fall within the time period when the sound on the PC or laptop worked normally.

Start recovery. Sometimes this solution for Windows really helps, and the sound no longer disappears.

The most extreme measure is to reinstall Windows. But even if this did not help, then the problem lies not at the software level, but at the hardware level: the sound card or speakers are not working correctly.

If the sound disappears on Windows 7, there is a possibility that the sound card settings are messed up. You can switch the speakers or speakers to another jack, then perhaps the sound will appear. To test your sound card, connect it to another computer. If this does not work and the sound does not start working, then the sound card is faulty and needs to be repaired at a service center or replaced. If the sound card burns out, it must definitely be replaced; repairs will not help here.

If there is no sound on your personal computer or laptop, or it intermittently disappears, the problem may be that the audio equipment is not working correctly. These could be speakers, speakers or headphones. Try connecting other equipment to the computer, perhaps this will solve the problem.

Computers have long ceased to be used exclusively for any kind of calculations. Many people watch videos, listen to audio recordings and play various games on their PC. Sometimes, for various reasons, a problem such as “loss of sound” may appear. In this manual, we will look at the most common reasons why the sound disappears and offer ways to solve the problem. So what to do?

Causes

The disappearance of sound is usually caused by many factors that can be divided into two categories - problems with hardware (headphones, speakers) or problems with software. First, let's look at the variants of malfunctions from the first group.

Reason #1: Speakers, headphones and other audio devices

One of the most common options is a breakdown of the speakers or a problem with their connection. To fix it, you need to check:

Is the device securely connected to the outlet?
Is its volume set to zero?

Also, if possible, you can check whether the speakers work on another or any device to which they can be connected.

Reason 2: Sound card does not work

Sometimes the cause of sound loss can be a simple malfunction of the sound card. But before replacing it, you will first need to eliminate all problems in the software, which will be discussed later.

Reason 3: System Settings

Before looking for reasons in deep settings, you should check if the sound is muted in the Windows taskbar. To do this you will need:

Click on the speaker icon in the system tray next to the clock.
A small window will open where you can adjust the volume and also have the option to turn off the sound completely. If the speaker is crossed out, then click on it and the sound will appear.
It is also possible that the crossed out circle is not displayed, but there is still no sound. In this case, check the volume control and set it to the up position.

Reason 4: Device Drivers

No sound may be caused by problems with the software that is responsible for its stable operation. It may not function properly or be completely absent. To fix this problem, you will need to download drivers from the adapter manufacturer's website or, in the case of an integrated version, .

After downloading, install them using the installer.

You can reinstall the driver in the following way: Open menu "Start"
and go to .
In the new window, select . After that click .
"Device Manager" You can also get to this section directly by entering the command in the window "Run" , which opens by pressing a keyboard shortcut .
"Win+R" Next, open the item .
"Sound, video and gaming devices" A list will appear showing your sound card. Having called the context menu, you will need to select the item .
Next, you will have two options - automatic search or installing the driver from a specific location. If you have not downloaded the sound card software, then you can use the first option, otherwise select the second and indicate the location of the downloaded files.
In addition, the map in the dispatcher can be marked with an arrow. This means that it is disabled and will need to be returned to working condition. To do this, right-click on it and select "Engage" .

If an exclamation mark is displayed next to the device name, this means that the card is not functioning properly. You will need to do the following:

Windows will re-detect the card and configure it.

Reason #5: Service

Also, the reason for the lack of sound may be a disabled service that is responsible for its functioning. To run it you will need:

You can also get to this section directly by entering the command services.msc out the window You can also get to this section directly by entering the command in the window .

The service will start working and sound will appear.

About the reasons for the lack of sound

As was written above, there can be many reasons why the sound on the speakers disappears, but for convenience they are divided according to classification:

Hardware. It is almost impossible to fix them on your own. They will also be associated with various expenses, for example, the purchase of new equipment and/or payment for the work of a specialist;
Software. Here we are talking about problems in the software component of the computer. They solve it on their own quite easily and do not require any financial costs.

Let's look at solutions for the most common problems.

Option 1: Speaker/Connection Problems

First, check if the sound in the speakers is turned on. Sometimes it can go as low as possible, which makes it feel like the speakers are out of order. When the sound is increased to the maximum, characteristic noise should appear in the speakers. If they were not detected, then perform a performance diagnostic.

Initially, it is recommended to inspect the column and periphery for any physical damage. Even minor dents on the body can indicate some kind of damage. Also pay special attention to the presence of kinks and kinks on the cables. The ends of the cables should also not show any obvious damage.

If the external inspection does not yield any results, it is recommended to turn off the speakers and connect them again. Be sure to ensure that all connection cords are plugged in correctly. For example, the green cord (responsible for sound output) must be plugged into the connector on the computer case responsible for sound output. As for the output marked in pink, it is responsible for connecting a microphone. Does not have much effect on the performance of the column.

If this does not help, then try connecting the speakers to another computer. If sound appears there, then most likely they are working, and the problem lies in the software component of the computer. If, after connecting, no signs of “life” were found, then these speakers will most likely have to be taken in for repairs.

Option 2: Sound settings

Sometimes your computer's audio settings may go haywire, causing problems such as audio cutting out unexpectedly or being reduced to a minimum on the system itself. In this case, it is quite possible that the sound is simply very hard to hear. You can fix the problem as follows:

Open "Control Panel" in any way convenient for you. In Windows 7, all you have to do is click on the icon Open menu and on the right side of the menu that opens, select the option "Control Panel". As for Windows 10, there you need to right-click on the icon Open menu and select the desired option in the context menu.

To make it more convenient for you to navigate the interface "Control Panels" it is recommended to put the value opposite View Large Icons.
Find an element "Sound".

A window should open with a list of all devices for input and output of sound connected to the computer (speakers, speakers, headphones, microphone, etc.). Select "Speakers" and click on the button "Properties".

A window will open with a short list of device properties. Here you need to determine if the computer is displaying it correctly. If yes, then in the block "Controller" must be the name of the audio device manufacturer. Provided that it is not there, you will have to download and install drivers for your video card.
In the block "Using the device" there should be a value "Enabled".

Don't close this tab. Go to section "Levels". In the block "Speakers" Increase the volume level to 90%. This may be very loud, but it should remain at this value until sound occurs. Then you can adjust to values that are convenient for you.

Open the tab here "Additionally". Click on the button "Examination". You should hear a melody lasting about 5 seconds. If after this the sound does not appear, then use the short instructions for sound manifestation, which will be described above.

This is what the instructions for in-depth sound settings on a computer look like:

Option 3: Installing drivers for the sound card

The problem with outdated or incorrectly installed drivers always remains relevant, so if the previous methods did not produce any results, then it makes sense to think about the correct operation of the sound drivers.

To check it, and also reinstall the drivers if necessary, use these instructions:

Even if there is no exclamation mark next to the sound card icons, you are still better off following the driver update procedure as described in the instructions above. Provided that the devices did not need to update/reinstall drivers, the system will notify you about this. Nothing serious will happen.

Option 4: Installing codecs

Usually in such cases, system sounds work correctly, that is, there are still sounds when entering and interacting with Windows. Sounds can also occur when interacting with other programs, for example, when playing music/video in a browser. However, if you try to play any audio file, you may encounter that it does not play.

In this case, you will have to install the necessary codecs manually or install a player where the codecs are already built-in. However, the latter option is associated with some inconveniences, so we will consider only the first:

This manual will look at an example using the K-Lite Codec Pack codecs. To get started, go to the official website of the developer. Downloading from third-party resources, including torrent trackers, is not recommended.
Find the block here "Mega"(block with a complete set of all codecs). Click on the button "Download Mega".

Select the mirror link from which you will download. There is not much difference between them, so choose either one.

Run the downloaded installation file.
When installing, it is recommended to select the mode "Advanced". Click "Next".

In the next window, select the option "Lots of stuff". It contains the most common codecs, so after installing them you should no longer have problems playing video and audio files on your computer.

Next you will be asked to install any of the media players. If you are satisfied with those that are already on your computer, then simply skip this step without checking anything.

Provided that you still decide to install one of the proposed players, you will need to choose which file formats will open in it by default.

Wait for the installation to complete and restart your computer.
Check if video and audio work on your computer.

Option 5: BIOS Setup

It is possible that the problem is due to incorrect BIOS settings. While working at the computer, the settings could be changed accidentally or intentionally. Fortunately, restoring them will not be difficult, especially if you already have some experience with the BIOS.

The instructions below are given in a universal form, but it is worth remembering that some points in it may differ from those on your computer, since BIOS versions are also different:

Option 6: Malware

Viruses can damage a sound card or set settings on the computer that will prevent sound output. You can eliminate viruses using antivirus software, of which there is a lot on the market now. Unfortunately, because of this, it is difficult to give universal instructions for solving the problem, so we will consider the option with Windows Defender. This is a universal antivirus installed on all modern versions of Windows OS. However, if you have the opportunity to use a commercial antivirus, then it is better to choose it.

Option 7: Conflicting software

If the sound disappeared after you installed some new software on your computer, then perhaps it is the cause of all the troubles. To get rid of it, you will need to remove the “problematic” program. You can do this as follows:

Option 8: Serious software glitch

It is possible that there is no sound on the computer due to a serious system failure. In this case, all previous methods may be useless. Most likely, it will not be possible to determine exactly where the failure occurred, so it is recommended to use the system recovery option.

This can be achieved using pre-created "Restore Points". However, quite often they are not available, so the most effective option in this case would be to restore via installation media. It should contain an image of the Windows that needs to be restored. Having acquired this media, you can proceed to follow the instructions:

Insert the flash drive with the image and restart the computer.
You will need to set the boot priority in the BIOS so that the PC starts from your media. To do this, use the keys Delete or F2-F12. The specific key/combination will depend on your motherboard. You can see it in the documentation for it.
In the BIOS you need to go to the section "Boot" or "Advanced". The arrow keys and the key are used for control. Enter.
There you need to find a point "1st Boot Device" or with a similar name. Select it and click Enter.
A menu will open where you need to specify your flash drive with the image recorded on it.

Then save the changes in the BIOS and exit it. This can be done using the key F10 or menu item "Save Changes & Exit".
Windows installation will start. Here, select your preferred language and layout. Click "Further".

Now at the bottom, where it is proposed to start the installation process itself, click on the inscription "System Restore".

A screen will appear where you will need to select one of the options. Select "Diagnostics".

Then click on "System Image Restore".

Several more windows will appear where you will need to click "Further" And "Ready" to start the system recovery process. It will take about an hour. During this process, user information will not be affected, but some Windows settings may be reset.

Option 9: Hardware problems

Fix broken wires, connectors, burnt-out sound card, etc. yourself. You are unlikely to succeed, so in this case it is better to take the computer/speakers to a service center. This is especially true in cases where the device warranty is valid. If you try to “repair” something in the hardware yourself, you risk being completely left without a warranty.

As you can see, there can be many problems, but for each of them there is one solution or another. In most cases, problems can be fixed on your own absolutely free of charge.