Technology giant Microsoft’s newly released operating system has brought a few inherent bugs and post-update audio problems. If your sound isn’t working properly, these tips will help to troubleshoot the problem.
Set Correct Playback Device
The ‘Sound’ dialog contains a list of playback devices connected to your PC/laptop. By going through Hardware and Sound > Sound in the Control Panel window, you will be prompted to choose a default playback device. Set your speaker as the default device.
Get Sound Card Updates Compatible with Windows 10
Obtain the latest sound card updates from the manufacturer’s website. Post-update issues can appear due to compatibility problems.
Enable Sound Effects
Make sure the sound effects are not disabled. Under the Enhancements tab in the Speakers Properties dialog, you can re-enable them. Just click the ‘Properties’ button after choosing your playback device in the Sound dialog.
Set a Sound Scheme/ Theme
A ‘Sound Scheme’, also known as a ‘Sound Theme’, is a set of sounds applied to events in Windows and programs. You may encounter Windows 10 audio problems if the ‘Windows Default’ sound theme was changed to ‘No Sounds’. Revert the original changes from the ‘Sounds’ tab in the same dialog we earlier opened.
Reinstall Sound Driver
Sound/audio driver installation may have failed after upgrading to Windows 10 or some driver files may be missing, deleted, corrupted, moved or renamed. Close all open programs, uninstall and reinstall the sound driver from Control Panel > Programs & Features.
Scan for Hardware Changes
Uninstall the sound driver from root node in ‘Device Manager’. Make sure all driver files are successfully deleted. After uninstalling it, restart your PC and then scan for hardware changes.
Use Troubleshooter
Windows 10 has a troubleshooting utility to diagnose issues with sound playback and recording. If you are logged in from an administrator account, launch the wizard by typing “Find and fix audio playback problems” into the ‘Search’ feature. Alternatively, you can open it from the ‘Control Panel’ under System and Security > Troubleshoot common computer problems (Security and Maintenance).
Rollback Previous Sound Driver
Are you experiencing Windows 10 audio problems just after you updated the sound driver? If so, you need roll back the driver to its previous version to prevent conflicts. Use the ‘Driver Properties’ dialog box > Drivers tab after opening Device Manager from System and Security > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
Run Sound Driver in Compatibility Mode
If the manufacturer hasn’t offered new updates which are compatible with Windows 10, try running the setup program in compatibility mode by choosing that option in the ‘Compatibility’ tab in your ‘File Properties’ dialog box.
Download Update KB 2962407
Microsoft has released KB 2962407 as an optional update for Windows 10 sound issues. Install it through the ‘Windows Update’ utility from the ‘Settings’ page > Update & Security; or visit Microsoft Download Center and use the ‘Search’ feature.