Speakers not working

GABRIELA PASTOR 0 Reputation points
2026-05-13T18:23:44.07+00:00

My computer no longer sees the internal speakers. Is there a way to reset the speakers or upload the driver again?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. David-M 128.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-13T19:03:10.5166667+00:00

    Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

    The best option in this scenario is to reinstall the driver. However, you need to know exactly which driver is the issue. If your PC is a laptop, it may depend on the main audio controller (which is usually Realtek or Conexant) and also on the Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) controller.

    Please, open the Device Manager (Press "Windows + X" and select "Device Manager") and see if there are any devices labeled "Unknown device" or with warning signs. Click the arrow to the left of each category icon to expand it. Please, check specifically under Sound, video and game controllers and System devices. Share a screenshot of what you find.

    Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

    Also. What is the manufacturer and model of your computer?

    If you prefer, you can share a screenshot of your system information.

    • Press "Windows + R", type msinfo32 and press Enter.

    Maximize the window and use the screenshot tool.

    Looking forward to your reply.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-13T18:23:56.94+00:00

    Try the following steps in order on Windows 11 to get the internal speakers detected again and reset the audio driver.

    1. Check that Windows sees any audio device
      • Right‑click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sound settings.
      • Under Output, make sure the internal Speakers are listed and selected. If only Bluetooth/HDMI devices appear, continue with the driver steps below.
    2. Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter
      • Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
      • Run Playing Audio and apply any fixes it suggests.
    3. Reinstall the audio driver via Device Manager
      • Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • Right‑click the internal audio device (for example, Realtek, Intel Smart Sound, or similar) and select Uninstall device.
      • Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device (or Delete the driver software for this device) if available.
      • Select Uninstall.
      • Restart the PC. Windows will attempt to reinstall the audio driver automatically.
    4. If no audio device appears or reinstall did not help
      • In Device Manager, confirm that an audio device is present under Sound, video and game controllers and that it has no warning icon.
      • If nothing is listed or it still does not work, download and install the latest audio driver from the PC or motherboard manufacturer’s support site for the exact model.
    5. Try the generic Windows audio driver
      • Open Device Manager again.
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers and right‑click the audio device.
      • Select Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
      • Choose the generic audio driver offered, select Next, and follow the prompts.
    6. If the problem started after a Windows Update
      • Open Device Manager.
      • Right‑click the audio device > Properties > Driver tab.
      • Select Roll Back Driver (if available) and follow the instructions.
      • If rollback is not available or does not help, consider restoring the PC from a system restore point created before the issue started, using the steps in “Recovery options in Windows”.

    If after these steps the internal speakers still do not appear as an output device, it is likely a hardware issue on the laptop’s audio subsystem and the device manufacturer’s support should be contacted.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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