Your laptop speakers aren’t working? Try these 7 go-to fixes

1. Check that the sound is not muted

Laptops often have mute keys or a mute shortcut that you may have inadvertently enabled. Or you may have muted the sound by accidentally clicking the speaker icon in the system tray.

To ensure that your laptop’s speakers are not muted, left-click the speaker icon in the system tray. If the icon has an X next to it, click or tap it to unmute it. You can also try using the physical mute button or function key shortcut if it has one.

2. Perform a headphone check

Plug in a pair of headphones or earphones and check the sound. Laptops are designed to automatically switch between speakers and headphones when plugged in. If you hear sound coming from your headphones, it may indicate a problem with the software or driver responsible for switching the outputs, or a physical problem with your laptop’s speakers.

3. Make sure the audio sensor is not blocked

Laptops use an audio sensor to know if headphones are plugged into the audio jack. If the computer thinks you have headphones plugged in, even if you don’t, it won’t send sound to the speakers.

To test whether or not this might be the case, plug in headphones or headphones and listen to the sound. If you hear sound, the sensor may be blocked. Try plugging and unplugging your headphones and twisting the plug when inserting it.

You may also be able to carefully trigger the sensor with a toothpick. Just be aware that physically breaking anything in the jack can void your warranty.

If the problem is with your audio input sensor, you will need to have your laptop repaired.

4. Check the playback device

When you use different devices with your laptop, such as your wireless headset, your laptop remembers those devices for later use. If one of these devices is set as the playback device instead of your speakers, you will not hear any sound from your speakers. In fact, you won’t hear any sound if this device is not connected.

To set your laptop’s speakers as the playback device, left-click the speaker icon, then select the audio output icon to the right of the volume slider. Make sure it shows the output device as your speakers. If the device displayed does not match your speakers, click the current device name, then select your laptop speakers from the menu.

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5. Run the Sound Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in sound troubleshooter that scans for problems and fixes them automatically. It takes a while to operate, so you may need to let it run for a while before checking your speakers again. To run the Sound Troubleshooter, right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select troubleshoot sound issues. Then, simply follow the on-screen prompts to guide you through the process.

6. Try disabling audio enhancements

This is an unlikely cause of speaker problems, but it’s still worth a try. To turn off audio enhancements, go to Control panel > Her. Now click on your speakers and select Properties. Click on the Advance tab and uncheck Enable audio enhancements.

If this fixes the problem, leave the enhancements disabled. Upgrading your audio drivers may resolve the issue and allow you to enable the enhancements again, but you should be prepared to disable them again if this is not the case.

7. Check for audio driver updates

If your audio driver is outdated, it may prevent your speakers from working properly. This can also be the case if your audio driver is corrupted for some reason. If this is caused by a corrupt driver, simply removing the driver and running a search for new hardware will resolve the issue.

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