How to quickly fix sound problems on Windows 10

If sound is not working on your device, you can use these instructions to quickly get audio working again on Windows 10.

Fix sound problems on Windows 10
Fix sound problems on Windows 10

On Windows 10, perhaps one of the most common problems is sound. Usually, audio works great out of the box, but eventually, after updating the audio driver or upgrading to a new version of Windows 10, it will stop working. Particularly, if you own a Surface, Dell, HP, or another well-known brand, including devices with Realtek audio card.

If you’re experiencing no sound on your device, and you’ve covered all your basics like checking the connectivity of those speakers and your audio output settings, Windows 10 offers a tool to quickly fix sound problems on your computer.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to quickly troubleshoot and fix audio problems on Windows 10.

How to fix sound problems using Settings

On Windows 10, there are at least two ways to access the troubleshooter to fix sound problems automatically using the Settings app.

Fixing audio using Sound settings

To fix sound problems with Settings, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Sound.

  4. Under the “Output section, click the Troubleshoot button.

    Sound settings fix audio option
    Sound settings fix audio option
  5. Continue with the on-screen directions.

Once you complete the steps, sound should start working again on your device.

Fixing audio using Troubleshoot settings

Alternatively, you can run the tool from the Troubleshoot page with these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Update & Security.

  3. Click on Troubleshoot.

  4. Under the “Get up and running” section, select the Playing Audio option.

  5. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

    Troubleshoot fix audio on Windows 10 option
    Troubleshoot fix audio on Windows 10 option
  6. Continue with the on-screen directions.

After completing the steps, the audio should start working again on Windows 10.

Quick Tip: You can also access the sound troubleshooter tool by right-clicking the speaker icon in the notification area and selecting “Troubleshoot sound problems.”

Is sound still not working? In the rare chance that the troubleshooter didn’t fix the problem, you can this guide that goes into a more advanced process to resolve audio issues.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.

Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.

Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.

You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].