7 things to try when the sound isn’t working on your laptop

Have you ever been in a work meeting with your coworkers, or a video chat with your friends or family, only to speak up and find out that nobody can hear you? Whether you’re trying to queue your favorite song on your laptop or present slides to your coworkers, it can be a frustrating experience when your volume isn’t working right. Let’s look at the things you can try when the sound isn’t working on your Windows 11 laptop.

Why is my volume not working on my laptop?

If you’re asking, “Why is the sound not working on my laptop?” there are several possible reasons. It could be anything from accidentally hitting your mute button to something more complex that warrants service. But most of the time, your volume troubles can be fixed with a little bit of troubleshooting on your own.

7 strategies to fix your sound issue

Whether you’re trying to watch your favorite show, learn how to whip up a recipe, play your favorite game, try these strategies if your sound isn’t working.

1. Check your volume and mute settings

If your volume isn’t working on your laptop, it could simply be the fact that your volume isn't audible enough or you’re muted. This one might seem incredibly obvious, but it can be easy to accidentally hit mute and not know where to fix it.

You can adjust the volume on your laptop through any of the following:

• Locate the speaker icon on your keyboard (usually at the top of your keyboard) and select either volume up, volume down, or mute/unmute.
• Go to your desktop taskbar and select the speaker icon to adjust your laptop’s volume.
• If you’re using any audio accessories, like headphones or speakers, try adjusting the audio directly on those devices.

2. Restart your laptop

We’ve all heard it a thousand times: “Did you try turning it on and off?” Restarting your laptop always seems to be the first thing that is suggested when troubleshooting any problem on your device. Yes, sometimes a simple restart can solve your problem.

There are different ways you can restart your laptop:

• Use the physical power button on your keyboard to turn off your computer. Wait about 10 seconds, then use the button again to turn it back on.
• In the lower-left corner of your computer, select Windows logo key > Power > Restart.

Once you’ve successfully restarted your laptop, test the audio by playing a video or song.

3. Look for any obstructions

Still can’t hear anything? Maybe something is obstructing your speaker. Protectors or decals can block sound, so be sure to check your speaker and mic openings for any potential culprits.

4. Check your audio accessories

Are you able to hear sound from your laptop speakers, but not from an accessory? If this is the case, see if the accessory is connected by taking the following actions:

1. Go to Sound settings by right-clicking on the speaker icon in the taskbar or entering it into the search box.
2. Under Output, select the output device you want to check.

If these don’t work, try disconnecting and reconnecting your audio accessories.

5. Run the audio troubleshooter

If all the other methods are unsuccessful, you should run the audio troubleshooter to diagnose and attempt to resolve any sound or audio issues.

Follow these steps:

1. Locate the Get Help app using your search box.
2. Inside the app, search troubleshoot audio issues.
3. An option should appear to let you run the troubleshooter.

If this doesn’t work, your next action should be to update your audio drivers.

6. Update your audio drivers

Audio drivers are the software components that allow your computer’s operating system to communicate with audio hardware, such as sound cards, built-in speakers, headphones, and microphones. If no other troubleshooting methods have worked, out-of-date audio drivers may be your problem.

Here’s how to update them:

1. Locate Device Manager using your search box.
2. Expand Sound, video, and game controllers to see installed audio devices and their drivers.
3. Right-click on a device and choose Update driver.

7. If all else fails, it’s time to seek service

If you’ve tried everything from restarting your laptop to updating the drivers and your audio still isn’t working, the issue is probably something that’s above your paygrade. In that case, the Microsoft service team can help you get to the bottom of it.

Enjoy premium sound with Surface

Hearing every detail in the show you’re binging or relishing every beat of your favorite song is integral to your laptop experience. That’s where laptops like Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 truly shine. If you’re tired of troubleshooting and ready for a new, exceptional audio experience, find out which Surface laptop fits your needs.