One of the most common causes of a computer having no sound is that the audio hardware may not be enabled or functioning properly. To fix this issue, the computer should be checked to make sure it has all the necessary sound drivers, and that they are up-to-date.
For Windows users:
1. Open the Start menu
2. Select “Control Panel”
3. Select “Hardware and Sound”
4. Click “Device Manager”
5. Expand “Sound, Video and Game Controllers”
6. Right click on the sound card and select “Update Driver Software”
7. If no new updates are available, select “Uninstall” and then reinstall the driver
8. Restart the computer.
For Mac users:
1. Go to System Preferences
2. Click the Sound tab
3. Under Output, check your device for any errors or warning messages
4. If the sound device is listed as disconnected, reconnect it
5. Select the correct device from the Output and Input menus
6. Select the desired output volume, typically around 75% of the way up
7. Click “Apply”, then “OK” to save your settings, then close the window.
If the above steps do not help, try these additional troubleshooting steps:
1. Check other applications that use sound, such as media players, web browsers and instant messaging programs, to ensure they are set up correctly.
2. Ensure that your sound hardware is not muted or disabled in the sound control panel.
3. Check to see if the Windows Audio service is enabled in “Services” under “Administrative Tools” in the Control Panel. If it isn’t, start it up.
4. Check to see if the Volume Mixer is muted.
5. Depending on your computer and sound card, you may need to adjust the balance mixers for each sound card and verify the sample rate for each.
6. Try connecting headphones or external speakers to your computer to see if the sound works through them.
7. Try using a different media player, such as VLC or iTunes.
8. Check your sound card’s manufacturer website for updated sound card drivers and download and install the latest driver version.
9. Test the sound card in different USB ports if it is an external sound card.
10. If available, try a different audio cable.
11. Check your speaker connections and make sure they are properly plugged into your sound card.
12. If possible, try a different set of speakers.
If none of the above steps work, the computer may have a more serious hardware issue and require professional repair. In such cases, the user should consult a computer technician.