Broken laptop speaker

by Milan Stanojevic

Windows & Software Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Read more

Updated: May 7, 2020

• While performance can vary, having working speakers is essential for a good experience. 
• These instructions apply for software related issues.
• If you are interested in the sound scene, check out the Speakers section of the site.
• The Laptop and PC Troubleshooting section helps you lead an error-free tech life.

Laptops are great devices due to their portability, but many users reported that laptop speakers are not working for them. This can be a big problem, but today we’ll try to fix this issue.

Problems with laptop speakers can be quite annoying, and speaking of which, here are some common problems that users reported on their laptop:

• Laptop speakers not working but headphones work
  • This issue can occur if your speakers aren’t properly configured. Check the sound settings and make sure that your laptop speakers are set as the default audio device.
• Sound not working on laptop
  • This problem is usually caused by your drivers, so be sure to reinstall them and check if that solves the issue.
• Laptop speakers not working Dell, Lenovo, Acer, HP, Toshiba, Sony Vaio, Samsung
  • Problem with speakers can appear on almost any brand of laptop, but you can fix this problem using one of our solutions.
• Speakers not recognized, showing in playback devices
  • Sometimes this problem can appear if you don’t have the proper drivers or if your speakers are disabled.
• Laptop speakers not working failed to play test tone
  • This is another fairly common problem, but we covered this issue in-depth in our Failed to play test tone article, so be sure to check it out.

Laptop speakers not working, how to fix them?

1. Reinstall your audio drivers

1. Press Windows Key + X to open
     
2. Find your audio drivers on the list, right-click it and choose Uninstall device from the menu.
   
3. If available, check Remove driver software for this device Now click on the Uninstall button to proceed.
   
4. Once you remove the driver, click Scan for hardware changes icon to install the default driver.

If laptop speakers are not working, the issue might be your drivers. Sometimes the audio drivers might get corrupted, and in order to fix the problem, users are suggesting reinstalling them. This is quite simple to do, as shown in the steps above.

After doing that, the default driver should be installed and your issue will be resolved.

2. Update your audio driver

1. Visit your laptop manufacturer’s website.
2. Navigate to the Drivers section and look for your laptop model.
3. Now locate and download the latest audio drivers for your device.
4. Once the drivers are downloaded, run the setup file to install them.

If you’re having problems with laptop speakers, the issue might be related to outdated drivers. Sometimes default driver might not work with your laptop, and in order to fix the problem, it’s advised that you update your drivers.

Another simple operation requires just a few steps as shown above.

As you can see, this process isn’t complicated, but if you don’t know how to search and where to download the drivers, you can always use a third-party tool to automatically update all your drivers with just a couple of clicks.

Some of the most common Windows errors and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even BSoDs.To avoid these types of problems, you can use an automatic tool that will find, download, and install the right driver version on your Windows PC in just a couple of clicks, and we strongly recommend DriverFix. Here’s how to do it:

1. Download and install DriverFix.
2. Launch the application.
3. Wait for DriverFix to detect all your faulty drivers.
4. The software will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d liked fixed.
5. Wait for DriverFix to download and install the newest drivers.
6. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

3. Modify your registry

1. Press Windows Key + R and enter regedit. Now press Enter or click OK.
   
2. Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following key:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionMMDevicesAudioRender
3. Right-click Render in the left pane and choose Permissions from the menu.
   
4. Now select Users from the list of accounts. Check Full Control in the Allow column and click Apply and OK to save changes.
   

Many users reported that their laptop speakers aren’t working on Asus laptop. This issue can occur while using Realtek drivers, and in order to fix the problem, you need to change a couple of settings in your registry. To do that, follow the steps described above.

After making this change, check if the problem is still there. Users reported that this solution fixed the problem for their Realtek device, but even if you don’t use Realtek audio, you might want to try out this solution.

4. Make sure that your audio sensor is working

All laptops have an audio output jack, but sometimes issues with an audio jack can occur and that can cause your laptop speakers to stop working. Audio jacks have their own sensors, and if you connect your headphones the sensor will recognize them and automatically turn off your speakers.

However, glitches with the audio sensor can sometimes occur, and your sensor might become jammed. As a result, your PC will act as if the headphones are connected and disable your built-in speakers. This can be a problem, but there’s a quick and easy workaround that can help you.

According to users, you just need to connect any audio device to your audio jack on the laptop and the audio sensor will get unstuck. In case you don’t have an audio device, you can use other objects such as toothpicks, but the audio jack works the best.

Many users reported that their audio sensor was the problem, but they fixed the issue by using this solution.

5. Make sure that your sound isn’t muted

If your laptop speakers are not working, it might be possible that your sound is muted. To check if your sound is muted, look for the volume icon in the bottom right corner of your desktop. Click the icon and make sure that your volume is set to maximum.

In addition to volume control, it’s also advised to check your audio mixer. In case you don’t know, Windows has its own audio mixer that allows you to control audio levels for individual applications.

To check if your audio mixer is the problem, do the following:

1. Play any multimedia file. You can do that by playing a
2. A new window will now appear. Resize the window so you can see all the audio Look for your multimedia player and move the volume slider all the way up. In addition, make sure that Speakers and System Sounds channels sliders are set all the way up.
   

After doing that, check if the problem with audio is still there.

In addition to the volume control and audio mixer, it’s also advised to check if the sound is actually enabled on your laptop. Many laptops have built-in audio control buttons, as well as a mute button, so be sure to check them.

These keys are usually assigned to F keys on the top of the keyboard, and in order to activate them, you need to hold the Fn key on the laptop and press the appropriate F key.

6. Check the default audio device

1. Right-click the audio icon in the bottom right corner. Select Sounds from the menu.
   
2. The Sound window will now appear. Go to the Playback Right-click the empty space and make sure that Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices options are checked.
   
3. Now right-click your Speakers and choose Set as default device from the menu. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

If your laptop speakers are not working properly, it’s advised that you check your default audio device. Sometimes your speakers might not be set as the default audio device, and that can lead to various problems. In the steps above, you can see how to check your default audio device.

After making these changes, check if the problem is still there.

7. Run the built-in troubleshooter

1. Open the
2. Follow the instructions to complete the troubleshooter.

If you’re having problems with laptop speakers, perhaps you can fix the issue simply by running the built-in troubleshooter. In case you don’t know, Windows has many built-in troubleshooters that allow you to fix various computer errors.

These troubleshooters are fully automated, so you should be able to fix the problem with just a couple of clicks like you see above.

Once the troubleshooter is finished, check if the issue is still there. If the problem is still there, you can try running additional troubleshooters such as Hardware and Devices troubleshooter and check if that helps.

8. Try external speakers or headphones

If this problem keeps appearing on your laptop, it’s possible that there’s an issue with your speakers. Sometimes this problem can occur if your speakers are disabled or if there’s an audio issue on your PC. To determine if the cause of the problem, it’s advised that you connect external speakers or headphones to your laptop and check if they work.

If the issue appears while using speakers or headphones, the problem is most likely related to your audio settings or drivers.

In case your laptop speakers aren’t working, the issue is most likely related to your drivers or settings, so be sure to update them and check if that helps. If the issue is still there, feel free to try any other solution from this article.

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