PC No Sound After a Windows Update: The 10-Minute Checklist
In plain English: Your sound is often gone after an update because Windows switched the output to your monitor speakers or to a muted device, not because your speakers broke. This 10-minute checklist, part of our guide to device problems in plain English, checks that output first.
First safe step: Right-click the speaker icon at the bottom right of the taskbar, then choose Sound settings.
Your sound is often gone after an update because Windows switched the output to your monitor speakers or to a muted device, not because your speakers broke. This 10-minute checklist, part of our guide to device problems in plain English, checks that output first. It then moves through volume, a restart, and the built-in troubleshooter before it touches drivers.
The steps run from quickest to hardest, so you can stop as soon as the sound comes back. You need no downloads and no paid tools, and you do not need to open your PC. Driver work comes last in this checklist, only after the output check and the quick fixes have had their turn.
If you can hear sound from the wrong place, or from nothing at all, start at step one and work down the list in order. Each step takes a minute or two, and most people find the cause in the first two checks.
Part of the No Sound, No Wi-Fi, Camera Not Working: Device Problems in Plain English series, the pillar guide for this cluster.
Check the output device first
Start here because an update can change where Windows sends sound without changing any setting you chose. If your screen connects by HDMI or DisplayPort and has its own speakers, Windows may pick the monitor as the new output after it re-checks the hardware. The PC is then playing sound, but it is playing it through the wrong device, and that does not mean your speakers are broken.
Right-click the speaker icon at the bottom right of the taskbar, then choose Sound settings. Under Output, look at the list of devices. In Windows 11, click the speaker icon once and use the small arrow beside the volume slider to see the same list, and in Windows 10, click the device name above the volume slider.
Select the speakers or headphones you normally use, then play a short sound, such as a video or a song, and listen for it from that device. If you hear it, the output was the problem, and you can stop here. You can also use the Test button in Sound settings for that device.
Many monitors have weak speakers, and some have none at all, so sound can seem lost even when the volume is turned up. That is why this check comes before any driver work. Once the right device is selected, the sound should come back at once if the output was the only cause.
Check volume, mute and plugs before you change settings
Click the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and look at the volume slider. If it sits at the bottom or shows a small cross, drag it up and click the speaker symbol to unmute it. Check the mute key on your keyboard too, and turn the volume up inside the app or video you are playing.
Unplug your headphones or speakers, wait a few seconds, then plug them back in firmly. If the plug feels loose or you have a second port, try that one instead. A loose plug after moving a laptop or desk can leave sound silent even when Windows looks fine.
Try sound in a second app or video, such as a different browser tab or a music app. If one app plays sound and the other does not, the problem sits in that first app, not in Windows. Check its own volume control and its mute button before you move on.
If the volume is up, the plugs are firm, and no app makes sound, the cause is more likely a setting or driver. Move on to a restart and the built-in troubleshooter.
Restart the PC and run the sound troubleshooter
Restart the PC once, even if you already closed your apps. A restart clears a stuck audio service after an update and puts the output and volume checks you just did on a clean start. When the PC is back on the desktop, play a short video or song before you change any setting.
Open Sound settings, then run the audio troubleshooter from that page. In Windows 11, the troubleshooter is also under System, Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters, where you run Audio. In Windows 10, it is under Update and Security, Troubleshoot, then Additional troubleshooters, where you run Playing Audio.
Let the troubleshooter finish and follow each prompt it gives you. It may fix a muted output, restart the audio service, or say it could not find a problem. Write down its exact result in a few words, because that result tells you whether to check the device next or move on to the driver steps.
If it says the device cannot start, use the Code 10 steps for a sound card that cannot start. If it says a driver is missing, the next step is how to get the missing driver from your PC maker. If it found nothing, keep that note for the Device Manager check.
Look in Device Manager for a warning on the sound device
Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the menu. Expand Sound, video and game controllers to see the sound device on your PC. The name often includes the maker or the word Audio. Look for a yellow triangle, a down arrow, or a device that is missing from the list.
Double-click the sound device to open its Properties window. Read the Device status box on the General tab and write down the exact words or code it shows. A clear status with no warning tells you the device is seen by Windows, even if sound is still missing. Do not uninstall or update the driver from this window yet.
If the status shows Code 10 and says the device cannot start, stop here and follow the Code 10 steps for a sound card that cannot start. Those steps cover that exact fault, so there is no need to try a driver change in this section first.
If the device is missing, has a yellow warning, or says its driver is not installed, see how to get the missing driver from your PC maker. Note the exact device name and any code you saw before you move on, so the next section starts with the right details. Keep that note with you for the next step.
Roll back or reinstall the sound driver
Open Device Manager again, double-click the sound device, then open the 'Driver;' tab. Select 'Roll Back Driver;' only if the button is active and the sound stopped right after the update. That step returns the driver to the version used before the update, so skip it if the button is greyed out or the problem started earlier.
If roll back is not available, or it did not bring the sound back, uninstall the device from the same 'Driver;' tab. Select 'Uninstall Device;', restart the PC, and let Windows install the driver it already has when the PC starts again. Test the sound after the restart before you change anything else.
If Device Manager still shows that the device cannot start, follow the Code 10 steps for a sound card that cannot start instead of repeating the driver steps here. That page covers the Code 10 case in full. If the device is missing, or Windows says no driver is installed, follow how to get the missing driver from your PC maker.
Only get a new driver from your PC maker. Use the model name on the PC to find the sound driver for your version of Windows on the maker's support page, then follow the maker's install steps. Do not use a driver updater, a cleaner, or a download site that offers to fix the sound for you.
If sound is still gone, check the update and decide what to do next
Start with reading your update history to find the failed update. Open Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history, and look at the most recent update listed just before the sound stopped. Write down its KB number and the date it installed, so you can name it if you need help later.
Next, check for a newer fix. In Windows Update, select Check for updates and install any update offered, then restart and test the sound. Also check your PC maker for a newer sound driver. A later update can fix a sound fault from the earlier one, so do this before you remove anything.
Only think about removing the update if the sound worked right before that one update, and the output, troubleshooter, and driver steps did not bring it back. Read when to uninstall a bad Windows update and when not to before you act, because removing an update can also remove a security fix and the sound fault may return with the next install.
If the sound is still gone after a newer update, and removing the update is not the right move, leave the driver and update settings as they are and get help with the KB number, date, and the notes you made from the troubleshooter and Device Manager. That record lets someone else pick up where this checklist ends, without starting the checks again.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my sound stop after a Windows update?
An update can change the output device, reset a volume or mute setting, or replace the sound driver with a version that does not work on your PC. The checklist checks the output first because that is the most common cause.
Should I uninstall the update to get sound back?
Only if sound worked before that one update and the output, volume, troubleshooter, and driver checks did not help. Check for a newer update or a driver from your PC maker first, because removing an update can also remove a security fix.
Neighbouring cases in this cluster: Camera Not Found (0xA00F4244): For Family Video Calls and Bluetooth Mouse or Keyboard Keeps Disconnecting.
Conclusion
Sound lost after an update is often a setting that moved, not a broken speaker. That is why the order in this checklist matters: the quick output and volume checks settle the common cause before any driver change. If sound came back, note which step did it, so the same fix is fast next time.
If sound is still gone, keep the notes from the troubleshooter and Device Manager and use them when you ask for help. Do not download a driver from a site that offers to scan or fix your PC. A newer update or a driver from your PC maker is the next safe check.