To have sound on the computer. Standard Windows functionality

11.05.2019 In contact with

You come home, turn on your computer or laptop, and while it is loading, make plans: now I’ll turn on the music, sit on the Internet for half an hour, and then watch a new movie. Launch the media player with your favorite tracks and ... find that there is no sound on the computer.

What the heck? Everything was fine yesterday, everything worked! It seems that they did not install anything and did not "chemise" anything, but there is still no sound in the speakers (or headphones).

Unfortunately, this happens quite often. On any computers and laptops. And on any operating system - Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 or XP. Nobody is immune from this.

However, you do not have to blindly search for the cause of the malfunction. After all, below are the most common problems due to which the sound on the PC may disappear. And 10 ways to solve them.

If the sound on your computer does not work, then first of all you need to check the speakers. Perhaps you connected them incorrectly. There are 6 outputs on the back of the PC. You need green (it is he who is intended for speakers / headphones) and pink (if there is a microphone).

You may have confused the outputs.

The front panel of the system unit may also have headphone and microphone jacks. And in some cases they are not color coded. Therefore, try to connect the connectors in a different order.

There are also times when the inputs wear out. In this situation, you need to correct them, i.e. disconnect and reconnect. This can help. At the same time, it will not be superfluous to clean your PC from dust.

Also check if the speakers are on. The fact that they are working is indicated by a small LED.

Check your sound settings

The next thing to do is check your sound settings. Maybe it is disabled or screwed to a minimum.

Let's consider the setting using the example of Windows 7 (in Windows 8 and 10 it is carried out in the same way):

1. Click Start - Control Panel - Hardware and Sound.

2. Select the item "Sound".

3. All audio devices are displayed here. Select a specific device and click "Properties".

4. In the new window, you need to look at 2 things:

whether the device is detected - if not, then you need to install the drivers
whether it is on - if not, then turn it on (select the appropriate item).

5. In the same window, go to another tab - "Levels". Look at the volume scale - it is recommended to set it at 90-100% (at least for a while, until the sound appears, and then adjust it for yourself).

6. Next, in the same window, go to the next tab - "Additional". When you press the "Test" button, music will play for about 5 seconds. If you do not hear anything, then save the settings and go to the 7th point.

7. Go back to "Hardware and Sounds" and select "Adjust volume".

Here you can see if the sound is screwed down to a minimum.

8. You can also check your audio settings. Click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner (where the time is displayed) and check the volume level.

Sound driver missing

The next step is to check the sound driver on the PC. Quite often, problems arise precisely because of him. Yes, and you could already find this malfunction in the 2nd paragraph (when you looked to see if the audio device was detected in Windows).

To check for the driver, you need to go to "Hardware and Sound" again and select "Device Manager".

In a new window, open the item "Sound devices". If the sound card is connected correctly, it will be listed.

If it is displayed, but a yellow or red sign is lit opposite it, it means that the driver is either not working correctly or is not installed at all. There are two ways to install the driver:

from the disk that comes with the PC (you need a disk for the motherboard);
from the Internet (if there is no disk or you have a laptop).

If you do not know what kind of sound card you have, you can use the AIDA64 program - it will show not only its model, but also tell you the address from where to download the driver.

If there is a sound card, but Windows for unknown reasons does not see it, then it is difficult to say what the problem is. The device may be poorly connected. Or completely faulty. It can also be related to the hardware of the PC.

Video / audio codecs missing

If there is sound when loading Windows, but there is no sound when you turn on any video file, then the reason lies in the video player, codecs or file (it may be damaged).

In the first case, you can put another video player. For example, today one of the most popular is KMPlayer. Plus it already has built-in codecs for playing video files.

If the problem is with the codecs, then you need to remove them and install new ones. It is recommended to use a set of codecs called K-Lite Codec Pack. It has all the codecs you need and even a built-in video player that can open almost any file.

Incorrect BIOS settings

This kind of problem is extremely rare, as usually the sound card is always on. But if you like to overclock your computer or for other reasons change the settings in the BIOS, then you should check them. And restore sound on the computer (if necessary).

To do this, you need and find the line that contains the word "Integrated".

If everything is in order, then exit the BIOS (if you changed the settings, do not forget to save them).

Virus software and viruses

Another reason is virus software and viruses. Today there are so many of them that it is difficult to even say what "surprises" they can present.

The best option would be to scan your computer or laptop with any antivirus (do not forget to update the databases before that). It could be Kaspersky, Dr. Web, etc. For example, DrWeb CureIt is considered a good option (you do not need to install it).

Restoring sound on a computer

If you still can't hear sound from your PC or laptop, here are some more tips:

If literally yesterday everything was fine, but today the sound disappeared, it is possible that new drivers were installed or some programs that caused this problem. In such cases, you can try.
If there are more speakers, connect them to the PC and reinstall the drivers (remembering to remove the old ones).
If all else fails, you can go for broke and (do not forget to save all important files before this, because they will be deleted). After installation, immediately install the sound drivers. If the sound appears - then watch what software you are installing.
Another option is to connect headphones instead of speakers. Or vice versa.
And the very last option is to contact the service center for help.

However, one of these methods should help. Therefore, if you have lost sound, try different options - it is quite possible that you will be able to solve this problem on your own. In 95% of cases, this problem is solved on their own.

Sound problems on a personal computer are common. Most audio problems in Windows are due to missing or corrupted audio drivers for a specific computer model. The best way to install sound is to use quality drivers and then run a scan so the software can recognize the wrong driver and download an updated version of the correct one.

In computer.

No sound
Sound can increase and decrease
Sound may interrupt or skip in some places
Sound may be distorted or interfere with playback
Computer freezes or restarts

There are several standard Windows XP audio troubleshooting tricks.

Use a bug tracking system in
Update sound card drivers
Update Media Player
Replace, install a new sound card

Using Windows prompts to troubleshoot sound problems

Windows XP has a built-in bug tracking system. To use it, you need to do the following:

You can click Back at any time in order to repeat the passed step or press First to restart the bug tracking system.

Updating sound card drivers

The easiest way to check and update your drivers is to use DirectX diagnostics. To run it, do the following:

Media Player Update

If you are using Windows Media Player, go to Microsoft's website and download the latest version of this product. For players such as iTunes, Quick Time, Real Player and VLC media Player, the latest version can be downloaded from their manufacturer's website. If these steps do not help, try the next method.

Installation of hardware. Replacing the sound card.

If none of the above methods helped, then you have problems with the technical support: either your cables or your speakers are faulty, or your audio card is damaged. Follow these steps to test the sound.

Replace cable. If there is a sound, it means that the cable is the cause of the sound problem.

If no sound comes out, replace the speakers. If you hear sound after replacing the speakers, you will have to buy new ones.

If no sound comes out after replacing the speakers, try replacing the sound card. If it is different from what you had, select the correct drivers for it. If you still hear sound after replacing the sound card, the problem is with the card.

If after all the measures taken, the sound does not appear, either change the computer itself (perhaps the whole thing is in the motherboard), or hand over the computer for repair.

Sound problems on your laptop can be caused by software or hardware reasons. As a rule, software malfunctions lend themselves to easy fixing at home. Hardware failure is often associated with mechanical damage to the equipment, therefore, in the absence of special qualifications, it will not always be possible to fix the device.

Disabled playback device

Look at the volume indicator in the system tray (icons in the lower right corner). If there is a crossed out red circle next to the speaker icon, open the context menu and select the "Playback devices" item. Find your device and check its current status. If there is an inscription "Disabled" under the name, this is the reason due to which the sound disappeared. Right-click on the title and select the "Enable" option.

Advice! The desired device must be marked as default in Windows. If this is not the case, change the settings via the context menu.

Incorrect Windows mixer settings

If there is no sound only in a separate application (browser, player, game), check the parameters of the program itself. You may have accidentally pressed the music mute button or used a keyboard shortcut to disable it. If everything is fine in the application settings, the audio may be muted in the Windows volume mixer.

To open the mixer, right-click on the speaker icon in the tray and select the first item of the context menu. The program in which the sound disappeared must be open at this moment in order for it to be displayed in the list. The mixer allows you to adjust the volume level for each application using separate sliders. Check that the sound is turned on (the speaker icon is not crossed out) and set the required level.

Sound driver problems

If the sound driver fails, restarting the laptop may help. The driver will be automatically launched the next time Windows boots. If that doesn't solve the problem, open Control Panel. Find and launch Device Manager. In the window that opens, expand the "Sound, game and video devices" category.

Click "Update Drivers" in the menu of the required device. In the next step, click on the "Automatic search" item. The programs required for the correct operation of the hardware in the Windows operating system will be found on the laptop. If they are absent, the system will search the Internet for the required software.

The driver can also be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Since laptops usually don't have a separate sound card, use the software for the motherboard that has the sound module built into it. The downloaded program is installed in manual mode, using a step-by-step wizard. When the driver update is complete, click the Finish button. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect. To do this, click the "Yes" button in the Windows dialog box that opens.

Wrong choice of audio output device

Sometimes the lack of sound is connected not with technical problems, but with the banal carelessness of the user. For example, if headphones were previously connected to the laptop, and the next time the sound is turned on, the user expects to hear it through the laptop's built-in speaker. Therefore, for any problems with playback, check if third-party devices are connected through which sound can go.

You should also pay attention to the volume level set in Windows. When using speakers, make sure they are connected to an electrical outlet. Check the current position of the power switch, and if it is off, turn it on. Adjust the volume to a sufficient level using the buttons on the remote control or the rotary knob on the back of the main speaker.

Important! In addition to adjusting the volume level, the speakers may also have other controls, such as adjusting the bass level and the balance between the speakers. Change the position of only the volume control knob.

Defective speakers or headphones

The most common causes of damage to external audio devices are voltage drops, equipment wear, and cable damage. The first step is to make sure the problem is with the playback device connected to the laptop. If possible, test the sound in Windows by connecting other headphones or speakers to the sound input.

For diagnostics, you can connect the speakers to another sound source - a mobile phone, MP3 player. In the absence of changes, the problem is caused precisely by hardware reasons - a malfunction of the device. Examine the cable through which the connection is made. If damaged, restore the integrity or use a different cord.

Audio jack problems

If the malfunctions persist when connecting other external devices, the cause of the breakdown may be the connector through which they are connected. Try changing the position of the plug in the socket. If the sound appears temporarily, and then disappears again, difficulties are caused by poor contact at the connection point.

It happens that, after changing the old operating system to Windows 10, you find that there is no sound in the system, or it behaves strangely, regularly disappearing. If this is due to any breakdown, then you should contact a workshop where they will repair your computer - in Zhulebino or in another area that is closest to you. Let's try to figure it out on our own.

Device drivers

The first step is to make sure that the audio device drivers are installed and working correctly. To check, press the button " Start"On the taskbar and enter the text" Device Manager", Click on the found line.

In the list of devices that appears, open the "Sound, video and game devices" section. There should be no icons to indicate that something is not working properly.

Remember if there were any problems with sound after the next system update. If so, you can try rolling back your sound card driver to a previous version. For this:

Right-click on the audio device and select the menu item " Properties».
On the tab “ Driver"Press the button" Roll back».

Rollback may not be available if the driver has not been updated. In this case, you should find and install the latest driver on the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard or laptop. It is necessary to select the software version in accordance with the bitness of your operating system. It may turn out that there may not be a driver for Windows 10, but in most cases drivers for Windows 7 or 8 will do.

Manual installation can be performed by first removing the installed driver, or you can use an update. If the driver version is intended for previous Windows releases, then you need to install the system software in compatibility mode with the previous version.

Automatic troubleshooting

You can instruct the operating system to troubleshoot equipment operation by right-clicking on the speaker icon and selecting “ Detect audio problems". The computer will be diagnosed and, if the problem is not difficult, the deficiencies will be corrected.

Setting up audio devices

If there is no sound at all, then you should check the settings. To do this, by right-clicking on the speaker icon, open the menu and select the item " Playback devices».

On the tab “ Levels»Check if the sound is muted. The sliders should not be in the extreme left position.

If everything is in order with the levels, then on the tab “ Improvements"You should check and uncheck the item" Disabling all sound effects».

Change the volume yourself

Sometimes you can notice that in some cases the sound does not disappear, but becomes quieter, and, after a while, returns to its original level. This behavior can be caused by the communication parameter settings.

It is necessary to open again " Playback devices"And go to the" Connection". Check the settings and, if necessary, mark the "No action required" item.

Most likely, you will have sound on your computer.

This article will help you eliminate almost any sound problem(! Intel Boards Only!) on Desktop PCs. From the experience gained from the comments on the article, it became clear that the only solution sound problems does not exist: someone does not have the drivers installed, someone has it installed that differs from the one described in the article, someone has the front panel incorrectly connected, someone has it not connected at all. As a result - a holivar with 229 comments (at the time of this writing), so it was decided to write an article that should solve absolutely any problem with sound! The basis was the technical documentation for Intel boards on the official website.

Since the article came out rather big, here is a small guide to it:

general information

Identifying your sound card.

Intel uses one of three sound options depending on the motherboard model:

2. IDT (formerly Sigmatel)

3. ADI (SoundMAX)

To determine which sound solution is used on your board, you can use: Windows Taskbar, Control Panel, Device Manager.

Determining the version of the audio driver.

For Windows 7:

2. Select Device Manager.

4. Right-click on your sound device, item "Properties.

For Windows Vista:

2. Find the Sound, video and game controllers section.

3. Right-click on your sound device, Properties.

4. Select the Driver tab and see the version of your audio driver.

For Windows XP:

2. Click the Hardware tab and select Device Manager.

3. Find the Sound, video and game controllers section.

4. Right-click on your sound device, item "Properties".

5. Select the Driver tab and view the version of your audio driver.

For Windows 98, ME, 2000:

2. Double click on System.

3. Click the Hardware tab and select Device Manager.

4. Find the Sound, video and game controllers section.

5. Right-click on your sound device, item "Properties".

6. Select the Driver tab and see the version of your audio driver.

Where can I find the latest audio driver?

Visit your official site, or you can find your drivers in the Intel Download Center.

Audio standards: AC "97 and HD Audio.

Intel motherboards integrate either AC "97 or HD Audio.

AC "97 (short for Audio Codec 97) is a standard audio codec developed by Intel Architecture Labs in Intel in 1997. It is primarily used in motherboards, modems, sound cards, and chassis front panel audio solutions. AC" 97 supports sample rates 96 kHz using 20-bit stereo resolution and 48 kHz using 20-bit stereo for multi-channel recording and playback. In 2004, Intel replaced this standard with High Definition Audio (HD Audio).

HD Audio

HD Audio (High Definition Audio) is the successor to AC "97, which can reproduce even more channels at higher quality than previous integrated audio codecs like AC" 97. Hardware based on HD Audio supports 24-bit audio quality (up to 192 kHz in stereo, up to 96 kHz in multichannel modes - up to 8 channels).

Windows Vista only supports the HD Audio standard for peripheral devices (such as the front panel audio solution).

How to identify the audio codec of your motherboard?

The technical specifications of each Intel indicate whether it supports AC'97 or HD Audio. To find the specification for your motherboard:

2. Select your motherboard.

3. In the left column, click on Product Documentation.

4. Select "Product Technical Specification".

How do you determine the audio standard for the front panel of your enclosure?

To determine which codec is used on the front of your chassis, you need to look at your chassis documentation. Please note that AC "97 and HD Audio front panel solutions are different from each other and cannot be directly compatible or interchangeable.

However, you can physically determine which codec is used on the front of your chassis by looking at the audio cable that connects to your front panel. So, if a 4-pin connector is present, then this is HD Audio, if it is not, then you have AC'97.

Sound management software.

You can customize your sound using the special software that is installed along with the audio driver for your motherboard. Intel offers one of the following applications, depending on the motherboard model:

Realtek * AC'97 Audio Control Panel

Soundmax * Audio Control Panel

Each of these applications allows you to perform basic sound settings such as volume, audio port setting, microphone test. Advanced settings may vary.

Configuration of a 2-channel audio solution.

The line-out, located on the rear panel, is designed only for connecting headphones or amplified speakers. The sound quality when connecting passive (without an amplifier) leaves much to be desired.

Configuration of a 6-channel audio solution.

The rear panel audio connectors support up to six speakers and these (connectors) can be reassigned using the audio driver interface.

Jack remapping is a feature that allows you to use one audio jack for different functions. For example, a pink jack can support a microphone input if stereo and surround sound is enabled, or a low frequency channel if 6-channel sound is enabled.

Speaker connection:

1. If you are using 2 speakers, connect them to connector B.

2. If you are using 4 columns:

3.Use the audio driver settings to reassign connector A to the rear output.

3. If you are using 6 columns:

2. Connect the rear speakers to the A.

3. Connect the center speakers to the C connector.

4.Use the audio driver settings to reassign connector A to the rear output and connector C to the center output or bass channel.

Configuration of an 8-channel audio solution.

8ch audio is only available on select Intel Desktop Boards.

After installing the drivers, the multi-channel mode will become available:

2. There are two types of S / PDIF connectors: coaxial (G) or optical (F).

3. The rear panel may look like this depending on the system board.

You can watch a short video tutorial on setting up multichannel audio.

Front panel configuration.

If your motherboard has a front panel audio connector, you can add a line-in and line-out audio module to the front panel. Check your motherboard datasheet to see if it has a front panel audio connector.

Use the technical documentation to learn how to connect an audio module to your motherboard. Technical documentation can be found either on the driver disc or on your motherboard manufacturer's website.

After connecting the front audio panel, you can check the audio from the front and rear panels using the audio software. Depending on your audio system (drivers and software), you can:

Configure the simultaneous use of the front and rear panels (for example, speakers are connected to the back, and headphones are connected to the front)

Installing an external audio card.

If you want to install an external audio card instead of the built-in one, do the following:

1.Disable the built-in sound card:

Disable the built-in sound card.

2. Install an external sound card following the instructions supplied with it.

32-bit playback and recording.

No Intel motherboard supports 32-bit playback and recording. The maximum bit depth possible is 24. This is done because popular digital formats such as Dolby and DTS only support 16 to 24 bits.

Moreover, high-end external sound cards support the bit depth only up to 24 bits.

Enable multi-stream playback.

Multithreading allows you to listen to different audio sources on two different sets. For example, you can listen to one sound source through the speakers connected to the rear panel, and the other through the headphones connected to the front.

You can find out if your motherboard supports multi-stream playback from the technical documentation.

Example for setting up multi-stream playback:

Troubleshooting

Drivers are not installed.

When installing the Sigmatel or Realtek audio driver (from a CD or using the latest driver downloaded from the Internet), the installation may end with one of the following errors:

The system does not support the driver you are trying to install.

First of all, do the following:

2. Find the following two items: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver and High Definition Audio driver Package - KB888111.

3. If the listed items are present, delete them.

4. Restart Windows.

5. Download the latest audio driver for your motherboard from the official website.

6. Double click the downloaded package to extract the files.

7. Go to the folder where the package was extracted, then to the \ HDAQFE \ xpsp2 \ us \ or \ MSHDQFE \ Win2K_XP \ us \ folder (depending on the version of your operating system).

8. Double click on the kb888111xpsp2.exe file.

9. Restart Windows.

10. Install the audio driver.

If the steps above did not help, try reinstalling Windows as follows:

1. Disable your sound card before installing Windows:

Go to Advanced - Peripherals (will burn different depending on BIOS version)

Disable your sound card.

Save changes by pressing F10 and exit BIOS Setup.

2. Install Windows.

3. Install any updates for Windows.

4. Install the chipset driver.

5. Install all drivers except the audio driver.

6. Enable the sound card in BIOS.

7. Reboot and click Cancel if a message appears stating that a new device has been found.

8. Install the latest audio driver.

9. Restart Windows.

Some speakers don't play.

If the sound is not coming from all speakers you should check the following:

The speakers may be connected to the wrong audio jacks. Make sure everything is connected correctly, check your audio system documentation.

The balance may not be correct. If the sound comes only from the right or only from the left speaker, then check the balance settings: the balance slider should be set in the middle.

Some 4.1 audio systems (one subwoofer and four speakers) are designed to be connected to game sound cards. If you are connecting such an audio system to a standard or built-in sound card, make sure the line-in is switched to stereo. Refer to the technical documentation for your audio system.

No sound from speakers or headphones.

If you have no sound, the following problems are possible:

1. The onboard sound card is disabled in the BIOS. Enter BIOS Setup by pressing F2 (or del) while booting the computer - go to Advanced - Peripheral Devices - Make sure onboard audio is enabled.

2. Incorrect sound mixer settings. Check if the sound in the mixer is muted or the volume is set too low.

3. Speakers or speakers are connected to the wrong audio jacks. Make sure everything is connected correctly. If you connect speakers or headphones to the line-in or microphone jack, they will not work.

4. Audio drivers are not installed correctly. Check the Sound, video and game controllers section in Device Manager. Reinstall the drivers if necessary.

5. Rear panel audio is muted when connected to the front panel. In the settings of the mixer or other audio software, clear the parameter: Disable the back panel when connecting the front panel.

The sound is distorted.

If the sound is distorted, check the following:

3. Make sure the speakers themselves are in good working order. Try connecting other speakers.

4. Sound quality may deteriorate when using passive speakers (no amplifier).

5. Are your speakers close to the monitor? Electrical noise from your monitor may affect playback quality. Move the speakers further away from the monitor. The subwoofer should never be placed near the monitor; it is better to place it on the floor.

6. Do you have problems with sound only in a certain game / program? There may be a problem with a specific software that distorts the sound. Please contact the vendor of this software.

Microphone is not working.

If you're having trouble recording audio using a microphone connected to the back:

2. Make sure the rear panel microphone jack is selected as the default recording device.

If you have Windows XP:

2. Click the Audio tab.

3. Set default audio recorders

4. Click OK.

If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7:

Windows 7 automatically detects a microphone connected to the back or front panel!

2. Click the Recording tab.

3. Select the microphone you are currently using and click Properties.

4. Make sure the Listen from this device option is checked.

The audio driver cannot be installed on Windows XP 64-Bit.

When installing the driver on Windows XP 64-Bit, such errors may occur as: Installation error or Unknown error.

I hope that after reading this article you are not tired and do not fall asleep, but answered many of your questions and solved all their sound problems.

PS The article turned out to be voluminous, so if you find a discrepancy, write in the comments.

ZYY We will be pleased if you tell your friends about this article. Thank you.