No Sound / Audio Not Working on Windows 11

Category: Windows 11 · Audience: Customers & Technicians · Est. time: 10–20 min

Summary

No‑sound issues are usually the wrong output device selected, a muted volume, or a driver. Check the simple things first.

Symptoms

• No sound from speakers or headphones
• Red X on the volume icon
• Sound works in one app but not another

Solution

1. Check volume and mute. Click the volume icon (bottom‑right). Ensure it's not muted and turned up. Check the physical volume knob/keys and any inline headset control.
2. Select the correct output device. Click the volume icon → the ">" next to the slider, and choose the right device (e.g. Speakers, Headphones, or your monitor/HDMI). This is the #1 cause after plugging/unplugging headphones.
3. Per‑app volume. Right‑click the volume icon → Open Volume mixer and confirm the specific app isn't muted or set to a different device.
4. Run the troubleshooter. Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Audio → Run.
5. Restart the audio service (Technician). Search Services → Windows Audio → right‑click → Restart (Startup type Automatic). Also restart Windows Audio Endpoint Builder.
6. Update/reinstall the driver (Technician). Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers → right‑click the audio device → Update driver. If still silent, Uninstall device → reboot to reinstall.

If that doesn't work

• Test headphones vs speakers to isolate whether it's the output hardware.
• For HDMI/monitor audio, confirm the monitor has speakers and its volume is up.
• Escalate to BBN Support with the PC model and which output devices were tried.

Prevention

• After Windows updates, quickly confirm the correct output device is still selected.