Member Avatar for wmc1956

I'm needing some help with my mother-in-law's computer. The sound was working fine and then one day there was no sound. I opened Sound and Audio Devices in Control Panel and it says there is "No Audio Device". I ran DirectX Diagnostic Tool to find out which driver to download and it has no device or driver listed under the Sound tab. Does anyone have a clue what to do next? I appreciate your help!

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Dani AI

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Summary and suggested diagnostic order for the situation described by (DxDiag and Control Panel both show "No Audio Device"). Reboots were already tried (see ). Reinstalling drivers (as suggested) or doing a System Restore (as suggested) can fix driver-related losses, but because DxDiag shows no device at all the first goal is to determine whether Windows can even see the audio hardware.

  1. Confirm Windows sees the hardware: open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc). Look under "Sound, video and game controllers" and "Other devices"; use View -> Show hidden devices and Action -> Scan for hardware changes. If a device appears with a yellow icon, note the Device Manager error code (Code 28 = driver not installed, Code 22 = disabled, Code 10/43 = cannot start/reporting problems, Code 45 = device not connected). Use the device Properties -> Details -> Hardware Ids to identify the chipset if a vendor driver is needed.

  2. If no audio device appears at all: check firmware/BIOS. Enter setup at boot (common keys: Del, F2, F10) and verify onboard audio is enabled. On desktops, confirm any add-in sound card is seated and the PC was powered off and unplugged before reseating. On laptops check function-key mute/hardware mute and the speaker/headphone jack for stuck switches.

  3. Services and detection: ensure the Windows Audio service is running (services.msc). If hardware is present but drivers are corrupt, uninstall the audio device in Device Manager, reboot, then install the correct vendor driver (motherboard or OEM support page). If the device is still invisible, boot a Linux live USB/CD to see whether another OS detects the sound chipset — if Linux does not see it, a hardware failure is likely.

  4. Final options: System Restore can be attempted if the failure coincided with a recent software change. If the onboard audio is dead, inexpensive USB audio adapters or a replacement PCI/PCIe card restore sound quickly. Avoid BIOS changes without a backup and ground oneself before touching internal cards.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for ozman

Have you tried to reboot the computer?

Member Avatar for wmc1956

Yes, it's been rebooted several times.

Member Avatar for FlamingClaw

what kind of type her motherboard (MSI,Assus,etc) ?
Reinstall the sound driver.

Member Avatar for xcellpro6

Hi

Do a System Restore to a few days ago .... to a time you knew the sound was working.... To start system restore......

Click start ..... all programs..... accessories.... system tools ..... system restore..... follow the on screen instructions and choose an earlier date

Darren

Member Avatar for markwright

It can be your pc hardware problem.

Member Avatar for crunchie

It can be your pc hardware problem.

WOW :?:

Member Avatar for caperjack

WOW :?:

LOL, I was going to make similar comment when i first read the post but help back!lol

Member Avatar for crunchie

LOL, I was going to make similar comment when i first read the post but help back!lol

He is just another signature flasher posting useless replies.

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