There are several possibilities to explain why sound might not work on your laptop. It can be one simple move or a few steps to rectify the situation. Your sound could be malfunctioning when you try to listen to music, but will still make noises when the computer turns on and off or when you press an incorrect button, according to computer technician James Lavoy.

Simple Solutions

A simple solution could be that the volume is muted. To verify this, click on the speaker icon at the bottom right task bar and ensure that the volume is the highest it can be. If that does not work, or the icon does not appear there, click on the "Start" menu. Click on "Control Panel," then "Sounds, Speech, and Audio." Click on "Adjust the system volume."

Intermediate Solutions

Verifying the sound is up, the next option is to make sure the sound card is working. Right-click on "My Computer" and select "Properties." Select the "System Properties." Locate the "Hardware" tab and click on the "Device Manager" button. Locate your sound card listed and check to make sure there are no yellow or red exclamation marks.

Advanced Solution

If the problem continues, uninstall the sound drivers. Click on the "Start" menu. Click "Control Panel" and "Add or remove programs." Scroll down and select "Sound Drivers" and "Remove." After this, reinstall the sound drivers with the original disks. Open the driver on the hard drive, insert the disk and click "Install" after the window opens with prompting instructions.

Crackling

If you are using exterior speakers for more sound and your laptop is producing cracking or distorted sound, check the speakers to make sure they are plugged into the computer. When not plugged in all the way, the speakers will produce a crackling sound that might fade in and out.

In-Line Connection

Plugging in outside sources like headphones is called "in-line connections." The volume will need to be manually adjusted for this. Click on the "Start" menu. Click "Control Panel" and then "Hardware and Sound." Click on "Sound." Locate the "Playback" tab and after clicking that, click on "Speakers," followed by "Properties." Click on "Levels" and, under "Line-in," click the "Mute" button.

Source:

James Lavoy; Computer Technician, NapaNet; Napa, California

Microsoft Windows