Bluetooth Connected but No Audio on any Headphones on Acer Aspire

Tayla G 0 Reputation points
2026-11-11T23:51:12.1833333+00:00

I have an Acer Aspire A315-44P running Windows 11. Currently, Bluetooth audio is silent no matter what headphones I use. I've tried 3 different types of Bluetooth headphones, and although I could hear no audio, my laptop still acted like audio was supposed to be playing. I've tried rolling back drivers, updating drivers, fully uninstalling drivers and installing Acer-recommended drivers, but it did nothing. I even rolled back Windows Updates, only for the issue to continue. I've made sure applications cannot take exclusive control, I've turned off Hands-Free telephony, I've reset the Spatial Sound Graph using command prompt, I've removed greyed out drivers, audio enhancement is turned off, and I've even turned memory integrity off. I can no longer think of a way to fix this laptop and I need help. Is there anything else I can try before taking my laptop into a store for others to fix?

Microsoft Edge | Audio and video playback | Windows 11
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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-11T23:52:08.08+00:00

    Set one connected headset explicitly as the Windows output and change its output format to 2 channels, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality) before pursuing system repair or hardware service.

    1. Rebuild the active playback route

    Since driver reinstallations, update rollback, Hands-Free Telephony, exclusive mode, spatial sound, and enhancements have already been addressed, test the remaining endpoint settings:

    1. Connect one headset and start playing continuous audio.
    2. Select the speaker icon on the taskbar, then the arrow beside the volume slider.
    3. Select the Bluetooth headphones—not the laptop speakers, monitor, or another endpoint.
    4. Open Settings → System → Sound → Volume mixer.
    5. Under Apps, verify the application playing audio is:
      • Not muted.
      • Routed to Default or directly to the Bluetooth headphones.
    6. Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices.
    7. Select the connected headphones → Advanced sound properties.
    8. Under Output settings, set Format to 2 channels, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality) and test again. The headset must be connected for Advanced sound properties to appear.^1^

    Also open Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings → Playback, select the headphone playback endpoint, and ensure Device usage is set to Use this device (enable).^2^

    2. Run Bluetooth diagnostics and restart the audio services

    1. Open Get Help, search for Bluetooth troubleshooter, and run its automated diagnostics.
    2. Press Windows+R, enter services.msc, and select OK.
    3. Restart these services in order:
      • Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
      • Windows Audio
    4. Test the headset again.

    Restarting both audio services can recover audio when the endpoint or service did not initialize correctly.^3^

    If Bluetooth connects but the headset never appears as an output, open Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers, then select Action → Scan for hardware changes. An absent endpoint points to a detection problem rather than an application-volume problem.^4^

    3. Repair Windows audio components

    If the route, format, and services are correct, repair Windows system components. Open Command Prompt as administrator, then run these commands in this order:

    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow

    Wait for DISM to report successful completion before starting SFC, and do not close the window until SFC reaches 100%. Restart Windows afterward and test Bluetooth audio again.^5^

    4. Isolate third-party audio software

    If the problem remains, use a clean boot to determine whether Acer utilities, equalizers, conferencing tools, or another background service is intercepting the stream:

    1. Search for and open System Configuration (msconfig) as administrator.
    2. On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services first, then Disable all.
    3. On Startup, select Open Task Manager and disable enabled startup applications.
    4. Restart and test Bluetooth playback.
    5. If sound works, re-enable items in groups until the conflicting service or application is identified.
    6. Restore normal startup after testing.

    Do not disable services until Hide all Microsoft services is selected. Some functionality will be temporarily unavailable during the clean boot.^6^

    5. Decide between Windows recovery and hardware service

    Before taking the laptop to a store:

    • Test the built-in speakers and a wired or USB audio device. If those work but every Bluetooth headset remains silent—even during a clean boot—the failure is isolated more narrowly to the Bluetooth audio path.
    • If a clean boot does not help, back up important files and consider Settings → System → Recovery → Reset PC → Keep my files. This reinstalls Windows while retaining personal files, but removes applications and settings. Save the BitLocker recovery key first if device encryption is enabled.^7^
    • For the best hardware-specific compatibility, an Acer-provided recovery image is preferable to generic installation media when available.^8^

    If Bluetooth audio is still silent after a clean Windows/OEM recovery, arrange Acer hardware service; that result substantially rules out ordinary Windows configuration and third-party software.

    References

    1. Windows 11
    2. Windows 11
    3. Windows 11
    4. Windows 11
    5. Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files | Microsoft Support
    6. Windows 11
    7. Windows 11
    8. Recovery options in Windows | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Manoel Barros 23,460 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T00:32:58.55+00:00

    Hi!

    Bluetooth issues are usually driver-related. You mentioned that you reinstalled the drivers—did you reinstall the audio drivers or the Bluetooth drivers?

    It is also worth checking whether sound plays normally through the laptop's built-in speakers or when using headphones connected via USB, TRS, or TRRS.

    Finally, to verify that Bluetooth is working correctly, try sending a file from your computer to your mobile phone (or vice versa) via Bluetooth.

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  3. Manoel Barros 23,460 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T01:22:02.9533333+00:00

    Thanks for the details!

    The issue lies within the Bluetooth audio layer. Please clear all Bluetooth audio records. Follow the steps below:

    1. Open Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Remove your headphones and any other connected audio devices.
    2. Press Windows + X > Click Device Manager > Click View > Select "Show hidden devices."
    3. Uninstall all entries associated with your headphones under the following categories:
    • To uninstall, right-click the item and select "Uninstall."
    • Sound, video and game controllers (look for entries such as “Stereo,” “Hands-Free AG Audio,” etc.)
    • Audio inputs and outputs.
    • Bluetooth (only the entries for your headphones; do not remove the Bluetooth adapter itself).
    1. Close Device Manager > Press Windows + R > Type services.msc > Press Enter > Ensure the following services are set to "Running":
    • Bluetooth Support Service
    • Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service
    • Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
    1. Restart your laptop and pair only one of the headphones.
    • Check whether the headphones appear as “Connected: voice, music.” If only “voice” appears, the A2DP profile is failing to initialize.

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