Installing Audio Output Device

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If the above link does not resolve the issue then you may follow the steps as below.

Step 1: Verify that a sound driver is installed

Without a sound driver, you will not hear sound. Make sure that a sound driver is installed. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type Device Manager in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2. In the Device Manager dialog box, expand Sound, video, and game controllers .

If there is a speaker icon next to the sound driver, the driver is installed. If there is a yellow question mark next to the sound driver, the driver is not present or will not load.

Go to Next step to reload the current sound driver and test for sound.

Step 2: Reload the current sound driver

If you discovered in Step 1 that the sound driver was not installed, or if you discovered that the sound driver was installed but is not working, try to reload the sound driver. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type Device Manager in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2. In the Device Manager dialog box, expand Sound, video, and game controllers .
3. Locate the audio device that was included with the computer.
4. Right-click the device and then click Properties .
5. Click the Driver tab, and then click Uninstall .
6. Make sure that the Delete the Driver Software for this device check box is cleared, and then click OK .
7. In the Device Manager dialog box, click the Action menu, and then click Scan for hardware changes .

You receive a message that states that a hardware device is being installed, and then the uninstalled audio device appears in Device Manager.

Close the Device Manager dialog box.

Determine whether you can now hear sound. If you can hear sound, the issue is resolved.

You may also want to download the updated audio driver from the computer manufacturer’s website.

Fix: No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10

When you encounter No Audio Output Device is Installed Windows 10 error, no sound is emitted by your PC whether it is from HP, Lenovo, Dell or another Brand. As you hover the mouse over the speaker icon the error message pops up. This issue occurs when your system carries a corrupted sound driver, or the OS fails to recognize your PC’s audio device. In addition to this error message, the Windows 10 sound icon on the taskbar also displays a red cross mark. Follow our another sound-related article to Fix Beep Sound While Installing Updates in Windows 10.

So, in this guide, we present you a decent range of foolproof solutions to fix the error No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10.

Well, a number of Windows 10 users are frequently complaining about this recurring sound problem. But before you delve into the solutions, let us know the root cause(s) of No Audio Output Device is Installed Windows 10. Below are the few common causes of the error.

1. Infected or corrupted sound driver.

2. The sound driver is disabled by the OS.

3. The sound drivers are outdated.

4. Windows 10 Infected Registry database.

These are the common reasons for the error. So, let us walk ahead towards the solutions and try to fix the issue.

How to Fix No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10

Solution 1 – Run Playing Audio Troubleshooter

The first attempt you should take towards fixing No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10 is to simply troubleshoot Playing Audio. When you do so, Windows will automatically try to dig out the errors. In case, it finds any issues, it will try to repair them instantly. To do so, follow the below series of steps.

Step 1 – To get rid of No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10, first, open Settings application. Jointly press Win&I keys to open the same.

Step 2 – Click Update & security tab on the home page of Settings application.

Step 3 – Click Troubleshoot on the left sidebar of the following page. Shift to the right pane and click Playing Audio option.

Step 4 – Run the troubleshooter button will come into view, click it. Let the detection of problems begin. Follow the guidelines on the dialog and complete the troubleshooting process. In the end, the dialog will display the audio issues and their repair status.

Now, if troubleshooting Audio didn’t help you, try out the next solution.

Solution 2 – Check Windows Audio Services

If the audio service is not running Windows 10, you are likely to receive such error notes. To check them, do the below steps.

Step 1 – On Cortana search, type services and click the same that appears on the top.

Step 2 – In the Services window, search for two services namely Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and Windows Audio. When you see them ensure that they are running and both are set to Automatic.

Note – You must also check for other Audio services because the names may differ depending upon your hardware.

If Windows Audio services are performing perfectly but still you are getting No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10 note, then proceed to the next solution.

Solution 3 – Re-enable Audio Driver

Step 1 – Open Power user menu by pressing Win&X keys in one go. As an alternative, you can also open WinX menu Windows 10 by right-clicking Start icon.

Step 2 – Locate and click Device Manager from the menu that appears on your PC screen.

Step 3 – Search and expand the category namely Sound, video and game controllers by clicking its arrow. Conduct a right-click on your Audio driver and click Enable.

Note – If the Audio driver is already enabled, skip to the next solution. But if you don’t find this specific Sound, video and game controllers category, then follow the below guidelines.

Step 1 – Stay into the Device Manager and click Action on the menu tab. This will bring down a menu, click the option with a name Add Legacy hardware.

Note – Well, many users can only see Help in the Action tab. To see all the options, click somewhere on a vacant space on Device Manager without selecting any category. This will refresh everything and will display all the tabs and options on the menu bar.

Step 2 – Add Hardware dialog will come into view, click Next.

Step 3 – Moving on, the dialog will show up two options in the next screen. Click the first option that reads as Search for and install hardware automatically (Recommended).

Step 4 – Well, if the dialog displays that it can’t find any new hardware, click Next.

Step 5 – This will show a list of hardware types. So, in the list search for Sound, video and game controllers. When you see the specific hardware, select it and click Next.

Step 6 – Finally, select the model and manufacturer details of your sound card and moreover, click Next to finish the process.

Solution 4 – Uninstall and Reinstall Audio Driver

Step 1 – Open Device Manager and click the arrow that appears on the left sidebar of Sound, video and game controllers.

Step 2 – Perform a right-click on your audio driver. From the menu that pops-up click Uninstall device. Restart your PC and upon restart, the OS will by itself install audio driver Windows 10. Well, in this way, it installs the latest driver which will resolve the issue.

Solution 5 – Update Audio Driver

Step 1 – To try this workaround, first, open Device Manager. Look for Sound, video and game controllers and click its arrow on the left sidebar to expand it.

Step 2 – Conduct a right-click on the sound driver and click Update driver option.

Step 3 – Two update options will come up. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software, the first one. You may ask to restart the PC.

Solution 6 – Repair Registry Database

When some malware or virus begins infecting your PC, its main aim is to corrupt your Windows Registry Database. However, there is a possibility that if your Registry is infected, you are likely to receive some kind of driver issues including sound drivers.

So, the best solution is to repair Registry Database of your PC as soon as possible. Many third party tools are available in the market that can completely eradicate Registry issues. Hence, use a Registry Cleaner and follow their instructions to repair the same.

Solution 7 – Use sfc /scannow

Step 1 – Type the command cmd on the Cortana search. When Cortana’s Best match shows Command Prompt, do a right-click on it. From the pop-up menu on Cortana, perform a click on Run as administrator.

Step 2 – You may see a UAC prompt, so, click Yes to proceed.

Step 3 – Copy and paste the following command line and to execute it press Enter.

Step 4 – This will immediately start the scanning process. It will trace out if there exist any issues with registry or drivers.

Conclusion

Hopefully, following the above solutions will resolve your issue of continuously receiving No Audio Output Device is Installed in Windows 10 message. Well, some users may settle the issue with one solution whereas some may need more workarounds. Hence, give a shot to the solutions and let us know which solution worked for your PC.

how do I install an audio output device

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Also update or re-install the driver.

Control Panel — Device Manager — SOUNDS — look for HD Audio — Mine says RealTek High Definition Audio
(that is an example and yours may have an entirely different name/maker).

Write down description make and model — double click on it — drivers tab — write down version. Now
Click UPdate Drivers which may not do anything as MS is far behind certifying drivers. Then RIGHT
CLICK on it and UNINSTALL — REBOOT — this will rebuild the driver stack.

1st go to system maker’s site and look for latest driver Download — SAVE — go to right click on and RUN AS ADMIN
(This is your fallback.) REBOOT after each driver installation.

NOTE : Sound drivers often rollback so check the version after installation and the reboot to
see if the version you installed is there, if not repeat the install — reboot until it is. It can take
several tries depending on how many rollbacks it does.

Then do same for Device Maker’s site.

Manually look at manufacturer’s sites for drivers — and Device Maker’s sites.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driverssupport/ht/driverdlmfgr.htm

How to Install a Device Driver in Vista Device Manager
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/193584-device-manager-install-driver.html

Also Right Click Speaker near clock — Playback Devices — right click in the box area — check
Show disable and disconnected devices. Highlight speaker and on the lower Right click
Properties check settings for Device Usage enabled and so on. Also do same for Configure
on Lower Left of that box.

In Control Panel you can also look for an Audio Manager along with the Sound Settings.

«No Audio Output Device is installed» after Windows update

Replies (5) 

Let’s follow these methods to fix the issue:

Method 1: Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter to diagnose the exact issue.

Follow these steps to run the Troubleshooter.

a. Press “Windows Key + C ” to open Charms Bar.

b. Select Search option.

c. Select “Settings” then type “Troubleshooting ” in the Search box and hit enter.

d. Select “Hardware and Sound” from the Troubleshooter Window.

e. Select “Playing Audio” under Sound option.

f. Follow the On Screen instructions.

Method 2: Refer to the following link to perform some common troubleshooting steps for basic sound issues.

No sound in Windows

Step 1: Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest audio drivers for Windows 8 Pro.

Step 2: Un-install the audio drivers from Device Manager.

Follow the steps given below to un-install the drivers.

a. Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager .

b. Expand Audio inputs and outputs and right-click on the speakers .

c. Select Un-install .

Step 3: Install the audio drivers downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

Please let us know the results.

If you have any further questions about Windows Operating Systems, write to us. We are happy to be of assistance.

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Thank you for keeping us posted.

​I would suggest you to uninstall high definition audio from System Device Manager and reinstall the same. To do so, follow these steps:

a. Press Windows + R key and type compmgmt.msc

b. Click on Device Manager

c. Select disable and uninstall

d. scan for hardware changes and if still there is no sound, install the audio driver

Please revert for any clarification on this or any Windows issue. We will be glad to help you.

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Let’s try these following methods and check:

Method 1: I would suggest you to perform System Restore using Windows 8 bootable DVD or USB drive before performing Windows Update.

a. Insert the installation DVD or USB and boot Windows 8 from it.

b. In the ‘Windows setup’ page select the ‘language to install’, ‘Time and currency format’ and the ‘keyboard or input method’ and click on ‘next’ .

c. Click on ‘Repair your computer’ and select ‘Troubleshoot’ .

d. Click on ‘Advanced options’ and select ‘System Restore’ and select the operating system.

Method 2: You may install the audio drivers in compatibility mode and check if that does the trick.

Refer to this article for more information on installing audio drivers in compatibility mode:

Make older programs compatible with this version of Windows

Do get back to us and let us know the status of the issue, I will be glad to help you further. We, at Microsoft strive towards excellence.

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