Quite often, users encounter the loss of sound on a computer running Windows 7. There are many reasons for this. Some are quite simple. And sometimes it takes several days to find a problem. This short review is dedicated to how to find and fix the problem.
Non-working speakers
Let's consider possible failure options:
These measures are basic, but you shouldn’t forget about them. If the check didn't yield anything, then it's time to move on.
Hardware audio settings
After obvious faults have been checked, you should pay attention to the software sound settings. It is quite possible that the sound in Windows is turned down or completely turned off. If it is reduced so much that it is barely audible, then the user will most likely assume that the computer itself has broken down.
It’s best to see visually how the sound is configured using Windows 7 as an example; on Windows 8 and 10 the operating principle is the same:
Let's look at the functions of the window that opens in more detail:
If you are unable to play the test sound, you should check to see if the sound is turned down to the minimum value or turned off altogether:
Check Device Manager
If there is no sound on a computer running Windows 7, as well as operating systems Windows 10 and other versions, you should check the status of the mini-programs (drivers) for the sound card. Most likely, they need to be updated or they are not there at all.
You can check the status of the equipment and its drivers in “ Device Manager", which is easy to find in Control panels on the " System». 
Systematically displays all devices that are present on a computer or laptop, as well as the status of their drivers. If a yellow triangle is lit nearby, you should pay attention to it first. This means that the sound card is not working at all or is not working correctly. In our case, we are interested in the item “ Sound, video and gaming devices». 
If a problem is identified due to which the sound does not work, you need to download and install a driver that is compatible with this PC. The current state of your computer can be maintained using special utilities for automatic updating and searching for the latest version of drivers for any equipment on a PC or laptop. For example, the program Everest will determine the sound card model, check all drivers for relevance and tell you where to find the necessary drivers for sound on Windows 7.
When you monitor the current state of your computer and carry out regular updates, you may encounter the problem of no sound during the next automatic driver update. The source of the problem may be an updated driver. "" will help restore the working situation. On the " Driver» of your sound card, you must click the Rollback button. 
If the problem disappears, it is better to disable automatic driver updates for this device.
Updating drivers in Windows 10
The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:
No codecs for audio/video
If there is sound in the browsers, but there is no sound when you start the video on the PC, then you should look for the problem either in the media player itself or in the audio codecs.
To constantly watch videos, it is recommended to use KMR player. He has already proven himself and is showing good results. The creators of the program have provided a lot of different codecs for video playback. And, as a rule, most films are successfully reproduced in this program.
The problem with codecs can be radically solved using the package K-Lite Codec Pack. It can solve the missing sound problem. It has a full set of current codecs that open almost all popular formats, both video and audio files.
Viruses and adware
Problems with sound on Windows 7 may mean that a virus has appeared in the system. There are many types of viruses and they can negatively affect the operating system.
How to behave if the sound on your computer disappears and you suspect a virus:
- Take a close look at how your computer works as a whole. If it often freezes or slows down unexpectedly, then most likely the PC has undergone a virus attack. If the installed antivirus program failed and missed the virus attack, then it is best to check the system with a third-party antivirus with up-to-date virus databases. For example, you can use the utility Dr.Web CureIt. This healing utility successfully cures an infected system.
- You can try checking your computer using Live CD(emergency boot disk). With its help, you can download a lightweight version of the operating system with a ready-made antivirus. If you boot the restored system from Live CD sound appears, then most likely there is a malfunction in Windows 10 itself. Most often, you will have to reinstall it or perform a system restore using restore points, if this mode was enabled and restore points were created.
Checking the BIOS settings
If your computer or laptop has a built-in sound card and there is no sound even in headphones, then you can look BIOS.
This is an extreme measure - AC97 is enabled by default in the factory settings. If the settings are lost, the sound device in the Windows operating system will not work.
Each computer logs into the BIOS differently. For example, for ACER computers, before booting the system, you must press and hold the Del key. In general, before loading the operating system, you must indicate how to enter the BIOS.
After pressing the Del key, the following dialog box will open, in which you need to select the item “ BIOS Setup».
In the window that opens, you need to find an inscription like AC 97 Audio, use the arrows on the keyboard to highlight this inscription and click on the Enter key. A dialog box will appear to select which function to activate HD Audio or AC97. We are interested in the AC97 “Auto” inscription. Confirm your choice and use the ESC key to exit this section. Exit the BIOS, saving the settings.
If you can’t get the sound back after changing the BIOS settings, then the last option is to replace or send the sound card for repair.
Laptop owners often encounter the problem of no sound in the Windows system. Due to frequent overheating of the sound chipset, the computer begins to malfunction. And all the other electronic components simply suffocate with dust, unless, of course, you do regular cleaning, and gradually fail, which can also lead to loss of sound on the laptop.
Conclusion
Of course, these are not all the reasons why there may be no sound, but the main, most common versions are revealed.
So, we told you how to restore sound in Windows 10, 7 and 8. And our main advice is not to despair, but to try all the options step by step.
Video on the topic
Sysadmin(aka in English sysadmin, system administrator) - an abbreviated name of a profession, the full name of which in Russian sounds like System Administrator. This profession has recently become very popular for most young and not so young people; they teach it, work in it, and get good money for it. This is due to the rapid development of various computer technologies and their penetration into all spheres of human life. The word system administrator is often used in colloquial speech, in vacancies and resumes when searching for a job, in a word - everywhere. Below we will talk about what the profession of a system administrator is.
In modern realities, a system administrator can be called virtually any person who is involved in servicing and maintaining the operation of a specific computer network, including all its hardware and/or software components, which may include:
- Personal computers, both workstations and servers;
- Network equipment such as switches, routers, firewalls and more;
- Web servers, mail servers, database servers, and others.
Also, in certain cases, the system administrator may be responsible for ensuring proper information security.
Depending on his specialization, a system administrator can engage in the following activities:
- An administrator of workstations and servers most often repairs both hardware (failed motherboards, burnt-out power supplies) and software (Windows won’t load, commas won’t print in Word...).
- Administrator of a corporate network based on an Active Directory domain. A very popular activity, given the prevalence of Windows operating systems, as well as the need to somehow centrally control them. Such a specialist must be able to create, distribute into groups, edit users, give them the appropriate rights in the AD domain, and also be able to manage group policies for users, their computers and the groups to which they are all members.
- Administration of networks and network equipment. His responsibilities include knowledge of network topology, the ability to work with both non-configurable and customizable network equipment, planning a local computer network, as well as the ability to combine several remote workstations into one network by setting up NATs and VPNs "ov. You should also not forget to control access within this network and outside it - setting up a proxy.
- A web server administrator, who must at least be able to install, configure and maintain one of the following web servers - Apache, IIS, Nginx, and monitor hosting (which can be located both within the organization’s network and outside it). In addition, a good administrator should be able to configure normal resource distribution under high loads, clustering and many other specific things.
- Administration of a mail server is also a common task for a system administrator; his tasks include working with such popular solutions as Exim, Microsoft Exchange, Postfix, Sendmail, or corporate mail solutions from Google or, for example, Yandex. In addition to the obvious control over accounts (creation, deletion, configuration), it is also necessary to be able to set up an antispam system, etc.
- Site administrator. These responsibilities may include simply filling the site with some content, but since we are talking about a system administrator, then in theory he should be able to set up hosting (including a web server, as mentioned above), install and configure the desired site, for example any content management system (CMS).
- Very rarely, the responsibilities of a system administrator may include the task of creating or maintaining a video surveillance system. The tasks include installing and configuring cameras, responding to various events, saving and playing back recordings. He has a weak attitude towards system administration, and often falls into his responsibilities in conjunction with some other responsibilities.
Left out of the system administrator's occupations described above are such possible things as database administration (Microsoft SQL, MySQL and its multiple branches, Oracle, etc.), 1C administration (not to be confused with “1C programmer”), PBX and much more .
“No sound” is a very common problem not only on a computer, but also on a laptop, found in Windows 8. Its reasons can be very different, ranging from the banal inattention of the user himself to a serious breakdown, which can only be solved by repair. To at least roughly try to find out why the sound disappeared, you can try several diagnostic methods.
Randomness check
The most common and simple thing you can do when the signal from the speakers is lost is:
- Restart Windows. Trite and simple, but in some cases it helps.
- Check if the speakers are connected to the outlet/computer and if they are turned on. Basic forgetfulness can create this problem. You need to see if the power cord has come out of the outlet, or the plug has come out of the connector on the sound card. In this case, you need to make sure that the connector is special for headphones, and not for a microphone (most often it is green, and the microphone one is pink).
- Check if the sound is turned on in Windows itself. To do this, you need to click on the speaker icon in the lower left corner of the screen and see what level the volume slider is at.
Checking components
If the above methods did not answer why the sound disappeared, you can resort to other checking methods.
Speaker performance
It often happens that the sound output device seems to be working - all the lights are on, glowing, the speakers hiss when there is interference - but you can’t get a signal from them. In this case, you can check them in two ways:
- Connect the speakers to your phone, player or other computer.
- Connect headphones or other speakers to the computer being tested.
If the device is operational, sound will appear. No? So, let's move on.
Windows Audio Service
Perhaps, for some reason, a service necessary for playback was disabled, and after that the sound disappeared. In order for the speakers to come to life again, you need to start it. This is done easily and simply.
To begin, call “Run” (Win + R) and enter Msconfig into the window that appears, and then click OK.
The “System Configuration” window will appear, in which you need to select the “Services” tab and carefully look through all the lines to find the desired service. You'll have to be patient - there are a lot of different names.
If Windows Audio works, then this is not the problem. Go ahead.
Driver problems
If all else fails, perhaps there is a problem with the computer or laptop running Windows itself—the drivers have failed, without which the sound will not work.
To check this aspect, you need to go to Device Manager through the Control Panel. In order not to worry about searching, you can use the Win+R combination, and then simply enter devmgmt.msc .
In the list that appears, you need to find the “Sound, video and gaming devices” section and click the arrow to expand the entire list.
Then you need to try to restart each device by right-clicking and selecting the appropriate item in the menu. It didn’t help - then you should take a chance and update the driver configuration. The function for this can also be found in the pop-up menu.
After clicking on “Update”, the following window will appear. In it you will need to select an item depending on whether there are drivers on your laptop or PC, or whether they still need to be downloaded.
In the first case, you need a stable and, preferably, fast Internet connection, and in the second, you will have to independently indicate where the driver is located. If this method has no effect, you can completely remove the driver (all in the same pop-up menu), and then install it and, if the sound disappears for this reason, it will appear.
If the driver is not on the device, then the speaker icon located at the bottom right will have a red cross. You will need to click on it to start the Windows service to troubleshoot device problems.
Subsequently, a selection window will appear where you must leave the settings as indicated if no specific devices are connected.
When the correction process is complete, you must accept the corrections.
After clicking this button, the following window will appear, which will contain a troubleshooting report. You need to close it and try to check the sound. He has not appeared? This means you need to install the driver.
For the simplest possible installation, the AIDA64 program for Windows is suitable. It needs to be downloaded and installed. After launching the application, click on the icon that says “Computer”. After that, find “Summary information” in the new list, open it and find the name of your sound card. As a rule, it is located under the “Multimedia” heading, where it is designated as a sound adapter.
If all else fails
The last place you can look before taking the device to a service center with a request to see why the sound disappeared is the BIOS. For some reason, the sound card may be disabled directly in it, and then all manipulations within the system will lead to nothing.
However, without basic knowledge of English and sufficient computer literacy, it is better not to try to change any other settings yourself. This can lead to both minor and critical problems in the system.
To enter the BIOS, you need to turn off the device, then press the power button and immediately start quickly clicking any of these buttons: F10, F2 or Delete. Control is carried out using arrows, the mouse is not used. Here you should find the Advanced button, and in it – Onboard Device Configuration.
After opening this item, you need to find the line where it says “High Definition Audio”, the option “HD Audio Controller” is possible. In these lines on the right there must be a status of “Enabled” (or Enabled in the original). If the status is Disabled, you need to change this by following the management instructions in your BIOS.
If even this does not help, apparently the reason that the sound has disappeared is due to a breakdown of either the card itself or the speakers on the laptop. And to fix these problems, you need to take the device to a service center.
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When faced with the problem of a sudden lack of sound on a laptop, whether it has Windows 7 or Windows 8 installed, you can easily get confused in identifying the causes of the unpleasant incident. Below we describe in detail the main cases due to which the sound on the device may disappear, as well as methods for solving them.
In order to make it easier to deal with the problem, it is necessary to divide all options for missing sound into two main sections.
Reasons why there is no sound
First of all, the laptop may stop reproducing any information:
- after reinstalling Windows;
- and completely suddenly.
The second point raises a fair amount of doubt, but it can also be solved and, in the end, explainable.
In fact, nothing “sudden” a priori happens. This means that it is logical to identify more sub-items to clarify the reasons.
- Reason 1. Simple. The volume on the gadget is turned off;
- Reason 2. Complicated. The sound output device is not designated by the device as the main one;
- Reason 3. Functional. Uninstalled audio codecs;
- Reason 4. Fundamental. Absence or incorrect operation of sound device drivers;
- Reason 5. Conflict. “Rivalry” of some drivers with others;
- Reason 6. Built-in. Disabled sound card in BIOS settings;
- Reason 7. Complex. The sound output device is not working. These could be speakers, headphones, or the sound card itself.
In addition, it is worth adding that the lack of drivers is the most common reason just after reinstalling Windows.
Eliminating the causes
And although a cumbersome list has the ability to inspire fear and horror of irreparable damage, it is countered by another - a glorious list of eliminating the above-mentioned causes.
So:
Checking the Audio Control Service
We should also talk about Windows Audio, or the Sound Control Service. It did not appear on the list of reasons why the laptop stopped playing audio, since it is part of most of them.
The Audio Control service is rarely disabled, but the definition of “rarely” has its exceptions, which means it should be checked, especially if other options have failed.
In Windows 7, in order to check whether Windows Audio is enabled, you need to:
Windows 8 differs little from its predecessor in these parameters, but it is fraught with both an assistant and several pitfalls. Why doesn't the sound work on a Windows 8 laptop? And why will it be both easier and more difficult to deal with the problem in this operating system?
First of all, the “eight” will warn you in advance about disabling the Audio Service using error 1068, so you won’t have to guess whether Windows Audio is to blame for what happened. The pitfalls are that the Sound Control Service depends on three other services at once, therefore, disabling at least one of them will inevitably lead to problems.
Responsible for the sound:
- Media Class Scheduler;
- Windows Audio Endpoint Builder;
- Remote procedure call (RPC).
Why doesn't the sound work on my laptop?
They did everything, connected everything, but for some reason there was no sound. Why?
For example, the browser settings are responsible for the sound on the Internet (although sometimes it’s enough just to restart it), and why the sound in Skype on a laptop does not work is easy to understand if you realize that the laptop settings have little relation to the Skype settings.
Therefore, all you need to do is:
- log into your account and set the correct playback parameters;
- connect speakers and a microphone and enjoy the wonders of civilization.
Checking for driver availability
Let's also say a word about drivers. After all, the fact that the problem arose definitely because of them gives only a few more branches to its solution.
- The missing driver can be downloaded from the Internet or purchased from any other (necessarily reliable!) source. The trick is that there are many options for which driver is not available: both sound output devices and devices for related services. If you couldn’t find it right away, you’ll have to check everything;
- Sometimes drivers just need to be updated. Again, either all or only some;
- If the drivers have already been reinstalled, the wrong version may be installed.
Conclusion: in this case, a reliable assistant is a scrupulous check.
Audio system connected correctly
An audio system that was installed and connected incorrectly may cause the sound on the speakers to disappear without a trace.
Actually, in order to check whether everything was done correctly, you will have to go through the instructions again and check whether the correct connectors were selected for connection. In addition, until the audio system is configured correctly, it will be impossible to select five-channel sound in the sound settings.
Note To play five-channel audio, you will need the appropriate file format.
Sound settings
They adjust the sound on the laptop using the menu of the same name, which can be found without even going to the Control Panel, but simply by entering “sound” in the search (Start - Find).
The tab that opens provides options for setting parameters for audio devices. It is important to ensure that they are all connected and provide optimal volume.
No sound in headphones
“The sound in my headphones doesn’t work,” the user complains. So what should we do?
If playback becomes silent when you're wearing headphones, the first thing to do is check to see if the sound is lost only on them.
If the answer is “no”, the options are outlined above, the answer “yes” implies that the device is definitely connected correctly (at this point it is better to make sure of this).
Headphones can be broken, that's a fact, but there can be a very common problem as follows.
The so-called HDA controller, which for some reason desperately interferes with the joy of weekdays - headphones. If there is a device that supports it (look for it in the Device Manager), then delete both it and the controller itself, and after a reboot everything will return to normal.
The sound control function (key) does not work
The Fn key combination and the speaker icon in the top row are responsible for controlling the functions of muting and unmuting the sound. F8-F12 on the keyboard (each laptop model may have its own mute key), and if it stops working as expected, it means there have been problems with the hotkey settings and keyboard connection.
The problem can be solved with the HControl system file (Path C:\Program Files\Asus\ATK Pakage\ATK Hotkey). After launching it, the functions are restored and the sound control key combinations can be used again.
But this solution is, so to speak, generalized, a more specific case when Fn sound does not work on Windows 8. Unfortunately, this happens everywhere.
Sometimes drivers for this operating system have not yet been released for the required laptop model, and then you will have to be content with manual control.
The second option: incorrect installation of Windows 8 itself, which means the solution will only be available after a restore or reinstallation.
Responsible for playing sounds in a laptop:
- multimedia services;
- BIOS;
- embedded devices;
- connected devices;
- OS;
- and, ultimately, the whims of technology.
Without identifying the reasons, the problem cannot be solved. But this does not mean that it cannot be solved; specialists will help you set up sound in Windows 7 and 8.
The most common reason why the sound disappears on Windows 8 (8.1) is, perhaps, the usual everyday situation when, while reconnecting the speakers to the system unit of a PC or laptop, the cable plug is mistakenly inserted not into the audio output, but into the microphone or line connector entrance. Or the plug itself does not fit tightly into the audio output after reconnection. Often the reason for the lack of sound is a software error related to the operation of Windows 8 (8.1), in particular, to the operation of the audio driver. Software errors rarely occur by chance; as a rule, the problem is preceded by the user's intervention in the system sound settings. Or third-party programs installed by him can “successfully” cause problems with sound.
So, the sound disappeared on Windows 8 (8.1). What are the possible causes of this problem? Let's look at them below and try to find solutions.
1. Checking the hardware connection of audio speakers
Regardless of what type of computer device you use, regardless of whether it is based on Windows 8 (8.1) or has another operating system installed, the first thing you need to do to solve the problem with missing sound is to check the hardware connection audio speakers. You could have pulled out the speaker wire plug yourself and forgotten about it; children or pets could have done this while playing.
Check the tightness of the audio speaker plug connection. The plug must fit snugly into the audio output jack.
Standard sound cards, which are equipped with most motherboards, usually provide an audio output (light green socket), a microphone connector (pink socket) and a line input for recording from external equipment (blue socket). Since all these outputs have a diameter of 3.5 mm, the speaker plug can be easily inserted into one of the adjacent sockets - line input or microphone jack. This often happens when you are in a hurry or when the connection is made by touch due to laziness in moving the system unit. The audio input for connecting speakers, we repeat, is a light green socket.
2. Checking the functionality of audio speakers
If everything is in order with the connection of the audio speaker plug, the next possible reason for the loss of sound on the computer may be a malfunction of the speakers themselves. Or a banal reason for the inactive hardware button to turn them on. You can check whether the audio speakers are working properly by connecting other speakers or headphones with a 3.5 mm audio output plug to the computer.
3. Checking the volume level in the system tray
The reason why the sound disappeared on Windows 8 (8.1) may be that the volume level in the system tray (the right side of the taskbar) is set to minimum or the sound is completely turned off. Just as in the case of the possible disconnection of the audio speaker plug, this happens due to the pranks of children or pets, as well as accidental actions of inexperienced users. Click the sound image in the system tray and check the volume level.
4. Problems with the sound card driver
If, while checking all possible hardware reasons why the sound disappeared on Windows 8 (8.1), the problem was not solved, the next step would be to look into the software component, namely the drivers.
4.1. Installing the sound card driver
If the sound card driver is not installed on the computer at all, the volume control icon in the system tray should show no sound. We click on it.
The system troubleshooting process will begin.
In the selection window, leave the default speakers (if audio speakers are connected to the computer) and agree to fix the problems by clicking the “Next” button.
When the process is complete, click “Apply this fix.”
4.2. Updating the sound card driver
More often than not the complete absence of a sound card driver, the cause of the problem why sound disappears on Windows 8 (8.1) is incorrect operation of the driver. In this case, the solution may be to update it. To update the sound card driver, we need the system device manager. To do this, we will use the Metro search in Windows 8 (8.1), which appears when you touch the edge of the screen on the right. Enter the request “Device Manager” and start the service.
In the “Sound, gaming and video devices” section, select the High Definition Audio device and call the context menu. In the context menu, select “Update drivers”.
A window will appear with a choice of update options. The simplest option for a computer connected to the Internet is, naturally, “Automatic search for updated drivers.” The system will automatically search for the latest version of the sound card driver on the Internet.
If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you can update the driver by telling the system where the installer is stored on disk.
4.3. Manually removing the sound card driver and installing it again
If updating the sound card driver does not produce results, the driver can be removed manually and installed again, as indicated in paragraph 4.1. To remove the driver, select the High Definition Audio device in the device manager, call up the context menu and click “Delete”.
5. Enabling the sound card in BIOS
The reason for the lack of sound on the computer may be that the sound card integrated into the motherboard is disabled in the BIOS. This may be a consequence of inexperienced users tampering with the BIOS settings. You need to enter the BIOS and check that the integrated sound card parameter “High Definition Audio” (usually these are the “Integrated” or “Advanced” sections) is in the Enabled position.
6. Windows Audio service not running
The reason why the sound disappeared on Windows 8 (8.1) may be that the Windows Audio system service, which interacts with sound, is not running. It is necessary to check whether it is running or not, and if not, then, accordingly, you need to launch it. By touching the right side of the screen, call up the Metro functionality of Windows 8 (8.1), click search and enter “Administration” in the line. We launch this section of the system.
Open the “Services” section and find the Windows Audio service in it. Ideally, it should have the “Automatic” startup type active.
If this is not the case, double-click on the Windows Audio service line and in the properties window that appears, set the startup type to “Automatic”. To apply changes to the system, click “Apply”.
7. Troubleshooting Windows 8, 8.1
Friends, just like in Windows 7, Windows 8 has it and you can successfully use it to find out the reasons for the lack of sound in your operating system. The third time Let's use the Metro search in Windows 8 (8.1), move the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen on the right, select "Search" and type in "Troubleshooting"
Troubleshoot audio problems
Troubleshooting
The Troubleshooter will then provide a solution to the problem. In our case, the volume of the sound device was reduced and needs to be increased.
8. Reinstall Windows
Reinstalling Windows 8 (8.1) is a radical method of solving sound problems on a computer, and if the sound card itself has failed, naturally, this will not help. Nevertheless, there is a chance to solve the problem in this way. Typically this would be the case in use cases 8 (8.1). Thus, assemblers of modified Windows builds often experiment with cutting out or disabling certain system services, initially making changes to the system settings to adapt the build to specific user needs. For example, for low-power devices or to free up system resources for powerful games. Such actions often lead to the fact that some hardware functionality of the computer refuses to work precisely due to the lack of software adaptation in the system. Ideally, it is better to install so-called clean builds of Windows without any third-party intervention in the system settings. The site article provides instructions for downloading the Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview distribution from the TechNet Trial Software Center on the official Microsoft website.
9. Failed sound card
If none of the methods discussed above to solve the problem of why the sound disappeared on Windows 8 (8.1) brought positive results, there is a high probability that the problem lies precisely in the sound card. Lost or poor-quality sound is a sign that the built-in sound card may be faulty. In this case, the computer system unit will have to be equipped with a separately installed sound card with a PCI interface. The issue of installing a separate sound card is discussed in the site article. An alternative for laptop users in case of failure of the sound card integrated into the motherboard is connected via USB.
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