What should I do if I can't hear sound coming from my computer?

Here are some things to check:

• If you have external speakers, make sure that they're plugged into a working power source and that they're turned on.
• Make sure your speakers are correctly connected to the computer.
  On your speakers, make sure that the cable that plugs into your computer is plugged into both the speakers and the correct jack on your computer (the jack that goes to your sound card). Most sound cards have at least three jacks. Plug the speaker cable into the line-out jack. This jack often has a symbol showing an arrow pointing away from the jack. If the jacks aren't labeled, check the information that came with your computer to see what each jack does.
  Most sound cards have at least one line-out jack to connect speakers and a line-in jack to connect an audio input device.
• Make sure the speaker volume isn't turned down too low or muted. This is particularly important for laptops, which often have small speakers that can be hard to hear.
  1. Click to open Volume.
  2. Move the slider up to increase the volume.
     Make sure the Mute button is not turned on. If the button looks like this: muting is turned off. If the button looks like this: click it to turn off muting.

     Note

     • Some laptops have an external volume control on the outside of the case. If you're using a laptop, check the external volume control to make sure it's not turned all the way down.
• Make sure your headphones aren't plugged into the line-out (headphone) jack of your sound card or computer (unless you want to listen with headphones rather than speakers). When you plug in headphones, most computers automatically cut the sound to the speakers.
• If your computer is supposed to have a sound card, make sure that the sound card is installed and that it's working properly.
  You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps.

  To make sure that your computer has a sound card

  1. Click to open Device Manager.‌  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  2. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category. If a sound card is listed, you have one installed. If no sound card is listed, check the information that came with your computer to see if there's supposed to be a sound card installed. If there should be a sound card installed, you'll need to install one. See Install or remove a sound card.

     Note

     • If you think you have a sound card installed but you don’t see it under Sound, video and game controllers, double-click Other devices to check for any audio devices listed there.

  To make sure that your sound card is working properly

  If there's a yellow question mark next to the name of the sound card, there might be a problem.
  1. Click to open Device Manager.‌  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  2. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category, right-click the name of the sound card, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the General tab, and then check the Device status box to identify problems with the sound card.
     If there's a problem, you might need a new driver for your sound card. For more information, see Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly.

If these actions don’t solve the problem, there might be a problem with the hardware for your sound card, although in most cases sound problems are caused by missing or out-of-date drivers, or a problem with your speakers. If you suspect you have a hardware problem, contact the manufacturer of your computer or sound card.