Windows 10 is the latest version of Windows available. It offers several features that make the user experience much better than that of the previous versions. However, some users from time to time have reported that they are facing the problem of Windows 10 sound not working. It is very annoying as you will not be able to hear any sound when you are watching a video or playing video games. However, do not worry. Here, I will be discussing the solutions to fix this problem.

Reasons behind Windows 10 sound not working

This error can occur due to several reasons. Hardware problems can sometimes cause this error to occur. However, the main reason for this glitch is software problems. The updates in Windows 10 brings many new features. But these updates can bring new problems as well. When Microsoft releases patches to fix these problems, these can create conflict with the software of the sound card manufacturer or the older audio drivers leading to the problem of Windows 10 sound not working after the update.

Procedures to fix Windows 10 sound not working

So, let us see some of the simplest and the most effective solutions to solve this problem completely.

Solution 1. Examine the sound settings of your computer

Sometimes, this problem can occur due to very basic reasons like audio settings. Before you move to any other fixes, you must first check your computer’s audio settings. You must also check the connections of your headphones and speakers and make sure that the cables are not connected to the wrong jack or are loosely connected. 

After that, you must also check the audio volume. Make sure that it is not muted or too low to hear. Also, check the volumes of your speakers. It can also be possible that the reason for this audio problem is your external speakers. You can try connecting your speakers to some other device to make sure that the speakers are working fine. After checking all these things, check if the ‘sound not working Windows 10’ problem is fixed or not. 

Solution 2. Set the audio device you are using to default

The audio device you are using must always be set to default. This can be your headphones or speakers. To set the audio device to default, you can follow the steps given below.

  • Open the Start Menu on your Windows 10. In the search box, you have to type “Sound”. Now, from the search result, you have to click on the option of “Sound”. 
  • Within this option, you have to go to the tab of “Playback”. From here, you have to click on your audio device. 
  • After that, click on the button of “Set Default”. 

When the procedure is complete, check if the Windows 10 sound not working problem is fixed or not. 

Solution 3. Reboot your computer after an update

For the Windows 10 users, the normal way of rebooting a computer is to use the Start menu. Follow the steps below to reboot your computer successfully:-

  • Click on the Windows icon to bring up the “Start menu”. 
  • Here, you have to click on the power button icon. 
  • From the menu, you have to select the option of “Restart”. 

There is another method by which you can reboot your computer. This process is much faster and you do not have to open the Start menu. 

  • Press the X and Windows keys to open the Power Use Menu. 
  • After that, go to the option of “Shut down or sign out”. From here, you have to select the option of “Restart”. 

After you have rebooted your computer by using any one of the above methods, check if the ‘Windows 10 sound not working after update’ problem is fixed or not. 

Solution 4. Reinstall the audio drivers

Sometimes, the audio drivers themselves can cause this problem. Even though Windows 10 has full control for downloading the driver updates, it can sometimes download the wrong drivers. But, Windows offers very few options to tackle these annoying drivers. So, your first option is to roll it back to the previous stable configuration. 

  • Go to the Start icon and right-click on it. 
  • From the menu, you have to select the option of “Device Manager”. 
  • In this window, locate your sound driver and right-click on it. 
  • Now, click on the option of “Properties” from the menu. After that, go to the tab of “Driver”. 
  • On this tab, you have to locate the button for “Roll Back Driver”. Clicking on this button will start the process of rolling back the driver to its previous driver. 

However, you might find that this button is grayed out. This means that the option is unavailable. In that case, you can either Reinstall or Update the driver. Since this is an audio driver, it is better to reinstall. This process will remove the driver which is causing the problem and install a fresh version of it.

To update the driver, all you got to do is click on Update from the tab of Properties and follow the on-screen instruction sot complete the process.

However, if you choose to uninstall the driver, make sure that you have the latest driver version form the website of the manufacturer. 

  • On the same tab of Properties, you have to click on the button of “Uninstall”. 
  • Then, a window will open where you need to confirm your decision to uninstall the driver. However, based on the problem of your driver, this window can also include the option of “Delete the driver software for this device”. You have to confirm by clicking on the option of “OK”. 

After the process of uninstallation is complete, you have to install the latest driver that you have downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. Now, check if the problem of sound not working Windows 10 is fixed or not. 

Solution 5. Update the CODEC of IDT High Definition Audio

Sometimes the CODEC of IDT High Definition Audio can have problems and that can cause this problem to occur. To fix this problem, you can try doing a manual driver update. This will allow you to choose the driver that you want to use. 

  • Go to the Windows icon and right-click on it. 
  • From the pop-up menu, you have to click on the option of “Device Manager”. 
  • Here, you have to click on the “Sound, video games and controllers” option and expand it.
  • Now, locate and right-click on the “IDT High Definition Audio” option. From the context menu, click on the option of “Update Driver Software”. 
  • Now, on this window, you have to select the option of “Browse my computer for driver software”. After that, you have to click on “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer” option form this page. Now, you will be able to select the driver that is pre-installed on your computer. 
  • Then, within the option of “Model”, you have to click on the option of “High Definition Audio device”. After that, click on the button of “Next” and then click “Yes”. 

When the process is complete, you have to restart your computer to make the changes come into effect. Now, see if the sound not working Windows 10 problem is resolved or not. 

Solution 6. Use the built-in audio troubleshooter for Windows

Lastly, you can also use the audio troubleshooter which comes in-built in Windows 10. It is capable of fixing a number of common audio problems. Follow these steps to complete the process:-

  • Open the Start menu and in the search box, you have to type “audio troubleshooter”. 
  • From the search result, you have to click on the option of “find and fix audio playback problems”. 
  • On the new window of the troubleshooter, follow the on-screen instructions to fix the problem that you were facing with the audio. 

After the completion of the process, the sound not working Windows 10 problem will most likely get solved. 

Conclusion

Without a sound, you will not be able to enjoy the movies or games you are playing. This affects the entertainment factor of your computer. So, to solve this problem, you can follow the above solutions. These are very effective and simple. Hence you will face no difficulty in following them and you will definitely be able to solve this Windows 10 sound not working problem by yourself.