Windows/macOS Sound Issues and Their Possible Fixes [2022]

From video conference calls with coworkers to listening to your favorite soundtrack, we need the volume in the laptop to play excellently well. No sound on the laptop can be aggravating as it puts a hold on some of the important activities until the problem resolves. 

Sound problems on the computer occur due to hardware and software errors, and the common symptoms include audio glitches and problems with external devices. If your laptop speakers or headphones are not working, multiple reasons are responsible for it. 

The article explains some of the reasons for audio malfunction and how to resolve the problem with simple fixes. 

Let’s check out the reasons first before knowing the workaround methods. 

Why There’s No Sound on the Laptop?

Here are some of the most common causes for no sound in computers. 

• The volume icon might have been put on silent accidentally either by tapping the speaker icon or striking the mute button. 

• The internal speakers might have been damaged and malfunctioning due to outdated drivers or any hardware issues. 

• A recent audio enhancement might be causing interference and disruption, or the operating system may be sending sound instructions to the wrong device. 

• Operating system updates might conflict with the laptop audio driver and interfere with smooth sound output.

• Apps that you recently downloaded on the computer might be interfering with the sound system, so consider deleting the apps as a way to clear the drive clutter, as explained in various sources online about this issue and its solutions.

How to Resolve Sound Error in a Computer?

Check Volume

Most of the time, you spend considerable time looking out for ways to fix the sound error when there is no potential problem behind it. All you need to do is unmute the speakers that you have put to silent unintentional or while attending an important call. 

On Windows:

1. Click on the Speakers icon displayed on the Taskbar. 
2. Make sure that the speaker is not set to mute or unmute it. 
3. Select the upward arrow sign to view the list of audio devices.
4. Check that the audio is playing to the appropriate audio device, for example, headphones or speakers. 

On macOS:

1. Tap on the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Click on Sound, select the Output tab, and then tap to select the in-built speakers from the Output window. 
3. If the volume slider is set low, move it towards the right and check if the sound works.
4. Check if you have selected the checkbox available with Mute. If yes, deselect it. 
5. If you are still not able to hear the sound, contact Apple Support for resolution. 

Connect Headphones

When the internal sound system on your computer is not working, try connecting headphones to continue what you were doing. If the audio starts to work, you will get to know the actual problem. Also, you might require to replace the internal audio later. 

On Windows:

1. If you are connecting headphones, you need to set them as the default device by navigating to the Control Panel. 
2. Tap on Hardware and Sound and select Sound.
3. Click on the Playback tab, right-click on the name of the headphones you have connected to the computer, select the option Set as Default Device, and select OK. 

On macOS:

Note: To connect Bluetooth headphones to your Mac, make sure that the Bluetooth option on the computer and the headphones is turned on. 

1. Click on the Apple menu and select System Preference.
2. Tap on the Bluetooth menu and Turn BlueTooth On. You can view the list of all BlueTooth devices connected to your computer. 
3. Select the name of the headphones and click Connect to establish a connection to the device. 
4. Wait for it to connect, and test the sound. 

Disable Audio Enhancements

As mentioned earlier, any audio enhancement that enables you to improve and customize the audio experience can be at fault. You will have to deactivate it to fix the sound error by navigating to the Control Panel in Windows or Sound Preferences in Mac.

On Windows:

1. Navigate to the Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound, and tap on Sound. 
2. Under the Playback tab, right-click Default Device and select Properties. 
3. In the Enhancements tab, section any of the options among Disable all enhancements or Disable all sound effects, and select OK

On macOS:

1. Go to the Apple menu, select System Preferences, and click on Sound.
2. Next, select the Sounds Effect tab, and deselect the checkboxes available with Play sound on start-up, Play user interface sound effects, and Play feedback when the volume is changed. 
3. You may also navigate to the Output and Input tabs to tweak the sound settings. 

Update Audio Drivers

The probabilities are that the audio drivers have become outdated, and you need to update them. The drivers allow your computer to communicate with the hardware and turn functional to perform their tasks. When they become outdated, the link breaks down. 

On Windows: 

1. Open Device Manager and select the arrow available with Sound, video, and game controllers to expand the option.
2. Right-click on the audio device or sound card, select Update Driver, and then select Search automatically for updated driver software. 
3. At last, follow the prompt to update audio drivers. 

On macOS:

Note: The steps mentioned below will allow you to use macOS audio drivers. 

1. On your Mac computer, you may use Audio MIDI Setup App to select the speakers from the list of audio devices under the Audio Devices menu.
2. Select Configure Selected Device pop-up menu, and then select Use This Device for Sound Output.