How To Fix No Sound issue After Windows 11 Update

Ever run into that sinking feeling when your Windows 11 suddenly plays deaf? Especially after a big update, it’s kind of maddening. Sometimes it’s little things, like drivers or settings, that get tangled up during that awkward upgrade process. If sound’s gone AWOL and nothing’s playing through your speakers or headphones, here’s a few quick fixes that usually do the trick. Because of course, Windows has to make it a little harder than necessary.

Basically, the goal here is to get your audio working again without ripping your hair out. These methods target common culprits like driver hiccups, corrupted files, or misconfigured settings. Expect to see your sound return, or at least get a better idea of what the heck is going wrong. A lot of times, just a quick check or toggle can reset things without you having to deep dive into complex troubleshooting. So let’s get that sound back.

How to Fix Windows 11 “No Sound” After an Update

Below are some practical steps. They’ve worked in many real-world setups, some on the first try—and others needed a couple of tries or a quick reboot to finally stick. Every machine can be a bit different, but these are solid starting points to revive your audio after an update fumble.

Perform Obvious Checks and Quick Fixes

First, the super easy stuff—often magicians, but overlooked. Checking these can save a lot of head-scratching. Some bugs just get stuck in mute or lose recognition of your audio device during updates.

Mute button and volume levels. Peek at the System Tray in the bottom right, click on the Sound icon. Is there an “X” through the icon? That’s mute. Also, drag the volume slider while you’re at it.
Ensure your headphones/speakers actually work outside of Windows. Plug them into another device or test in a different app to verify it’s not hardware-related.
Test different applications—like, can you hear media in your browser but not in other programs? If all media are silent, it’s probably system-wide. If just one app, likely app-specific settings.
Make sure Windows is fully up to date. Sometimes, missing patches or hotfixes cause conflicts. Head to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates, then install what’s missing.
Sometimes, a quick restart can fix driver glitches or temporary bugs. If you haven’t rebooted lately, now’s your chance.

Use Windows Built-in Troubleshooter

Windows actually has a handy audio troubleshooter that tries to fix common issues automatically. It’s wonky sometimes, but worth a shot. To fire it up:

Right-click the Sound icon in the taskbar and select “Troubleshoot sound problems”.
Follow the prompts—telling Windows to detect and fix issues. It might identify that your default device isn’t set correctly or reset services behind the scenes.

This little helper sometimes does more than expected, especially if the problem’s just misconfigured settings or disabled services.

Double-Check Your Audio Devices

Even if your headphones or speakers are plugged in, Windows might not recognize them properly after an update. Here’s how to verify:

Right-click Sound icon > “Sound Settings”.
In the Output section, you’ll see a list of recognized devices. Make sure your preferred device is selected—click on it to highlight.
Test the device by clicking “Test”. If you don’t see your device listed or no sound plays, try adding it manually by clicking “Add device”.

Sometimes, Windows forgets devices for some reason, especially after updates. Re-adding or manually setting your output can fix this.

Restart Windows Audio Services

This one is kind of weird, but restarting the audio services helps clear out stuck states or errors. Here’s how:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
Type services.msc and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run as admin.
Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder in the list.
Right-click each one, select “Restart”. If “Restart” isn’t available, try “Stop”, then “Start” again.

It’s a quick refresh of the core sound engine. Sometimes, Windows just needs a moment to clear out the cobwebs in those services.

Turn Off Audio Enhancements

Windows’ sound enhancements are supposed to improve quality but can backfire, especially if they become corrupted after updates. Disabling them has fixed sound for many:

Open Settings (Windows + I) and go to System.
Click on Sound, then under Output, select your device.
Scroll down and click on All sound devices.
Choose your output device again if needed, then locate Enhance audio or similar toggle in the Output settings.
Slide the Enhance audio toggle to Off.

Hopefully, turning these off will restore clarity if the enhancements were causing conflicts. On some setups, turning off enhancements made a drastic difference, but on others, it didn’t do much. That’s the fun of Windows troubleshooting.

If none of these work, you might need to consider updating or re-installing your audio drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website or via Device Manager. But start with these basics—they often fix the problem without too much hassle.