After the latest Windows update, my computer has completely lost sound. The speakers show as working in Device Manager, but there's just no audio coming out at all. I've tried the basic audio driver troubleshooting steps like checking volume levels, making sure nothing is muted, and running the Windows audio troubleshooter, but nothing has worked.
The weird part is that if I plug in headphones, those work fine. It's just the built-in speakers that aren't working. I've tried rolling back the audio driver, updating to the latest version from the manufacturer's website, and even doing a clean install of the driver, but still no luck.
Has anyone else experienced similar audio driver troubleshooting issues after updates? I'm wondering if there's something specific I should be looking for in the sound settings or if there are known conflicts with certain audio drivers and Windows updates.
Audio driver troubleshooting after Windows updates is unfortunately common. First, try going to Sound settings > Manage sound devices, and make sure your speakers are set as the default output device. Sometimes updates reset these settings.
Also, check if there's a separate audio control panel from your sound card manufacturer (like Realtek Audio Console). Windows updates sometimes break the connection between Windows sound settings and the manufacturer's control panel.
For audio driver troubleshooting, I'd recommend trying a complete driver removal and reinstall. Use a tool like DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in safe mode to completely remove the audio driver, then install the latest version from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's website.
Also, check Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click your audio device > Properties > Driver tab. If the driver provider is Microsoft, that's your problem. You need the manufacturer's driver.
The fact that headphones work but built-in speakers don't suggests it might be a configuration issue rather than a complete driver failure.
I've had similar audio driver troubleshooting issues. One thing that worked for me was disabling audio enhancements. Go to Sound settings > Device properties > Additional device properties > Enhancements tab, and check Disable all enhancements."
Also, try running the audio troubleshooter in Windows Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Playing Audio. Sometimes the built-in troubleshooter can fix issues that manual audio driver troubleshooting misses.
Update on my audio driver troubleshooting: I used DDU in safe mode like I suggested, and that did the trick! The Microsoft driver was indeed the problem. After a clean install of the Realtek driver from my motherboard manufacturer's site, the built-in speakers are working again.
I also disabled audio enhancements as SystemSavvy suggested, and that seems to have improved the sound quality too. The Windows audio troubleshooter actually helped identify the driver conflict once I had the right driver installed.
Thanks everyone for the audio driver troubleshooting advice. It's frustrating how often Windows updates break audio functionality, but at least there are solutions.