Windows 7: no sound - what to do?
If you don't hear any sound on your PC with Windows 7, there can be many reasons. We will show you what you can do in this case.
No sound is heard in Windows 7 - check hardware beforehand
Before you dive into the depths of your system, you should check the following points in advance:
- Check that your external speakers are still powered and that no plug has come loose.
- If you have a laptop, you may have accidentally turned off the sound. Activate it with the key combination [Fn] + [F2]. Instead of [F2], another function key can be the right one. Pay attention to the loudspeaker symbol on the respective key.
- Also check whether the sound is switched on at the bottom right of the loudspeaker symbol in the task bar. If the sound is switched off, you will see a red circle symbol here.
- If the sound is switched on, the control may be reduced to 0. Click on the loudspeaker symbol in the task bar and, if necessary, lift the controller upwards.
Windows 7: Update the sound card driver
If your sound is still not working, your sound card may have outdated drivers or the driver may be striking due to a software error. In this case, update your drivers:
- To do this, open the Control Panel and click on "Device Manager" in the icon view.
- Click here on "Audio, Video and Game Controllers".
- Right-click on the audio device and select "Update Driver Software".
- Now select "Automatically search for the latest driver software" and wait until the new driver is installed or you are informed that the driver software is up to date.
- If this does not lead to success, then double-click on the device and remove the drivers in the "Driver" tab using the "Uninstall" button. Then repeat the above steps again.
Still no sound under Windows 7: Check sound settings
If you don't hear any sound after the driver update, go to the Control Panel and click on "Sound" in the icon view.
- Here you can see the various audio output devices that are available to your computer.
- Your audio output device should be selected as the default device.
- If not, right-click on your speakers and choose "Select as default device".
- Save the change with "OK".
If you continue to hear no sound, then your sound card may have said goodbye. We explain what you have to consider when installing a new sound card.