Top 7 Fixes for sound problems in Windows 10

Sound issues can be extremely frustrating, especially when you can’t identify the cause. The following steps are designed to guide you through the troubleshooting process to restore sound on your Windows 10 computer.

Update Your Sound Driver

Outdated or corrupted drivers are a common cause of sound issues. You can update the driver by:

1. Right-click on the “Start” button and select “Device Manager.”
2. Expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” section.
3. Right-click your audio device and choose “Update driver.”
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

Check the Speaker Settings

Incorrect speaker settings can cause sound problems. Here’s how to check:

1. Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and choose “Open Sound settings.”
2. In the “Output” section, make sure your speakers are selected.
3. Click on “Device properties” for additional settings and make sure everything is set up correctly.

Run the Windows Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter designed to identify and automatically fix some problems with sound:

1. Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar.
2. Select “Troubleshoot sound problems” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Check the Audio Format

An unsupported audio format can cause sound issues. To check:

1. Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar, then choose “Open Sound settings.”
2. Under “Output,” click “Device properties.”
3. Click on “Additional device properties.”
4. In the new window, go to the “Advanced” tab.
5. In the “Default Format” section, change the format and click “Test” to see if the problem resolves. If it does, click “Apply” and then “OK.”

Disable Audio Enhancements

Sometimes, audio enhancements can interfere with the sound:

1. Go to “Device properties” and then click on “Additional device properties.”
2. Under the “Enhancements” tab, check the box that says “Disable all enhancements” and click “Apply.”

Check the Cables and Hardware

Always remember to check the basics:

• Ensure that your speakers are plugged into the correct port.
• Make sure the speakers are powered on.
• Confirm that the volume is turned up both on the computer and the speakers.

Reinstall the Audio Driver

If all else fails, uninstalling and then reinstalling the audio driver can resolve the issue:

1. Open “Device Manager.”
2. Locate your audio device, right-click it, and choose “Uninstall device.”
3. Reboot your computer. Windows should automatically reinstall the missing driver.