A computer is a very complex multifunctional device that likes to throw out all kinds of tricks at the most inopportune moment: either the video card will fail, the south bridge will burn out, or for no reason the sound will disappear on Windows 7 or some other operating system. Even the average user needs to know everything about how to deal with these troubles. The most common problem is sound failure after the next system update or for some other unknown reason. But in order to correctly solve this problem, you must first determine what went wrong and identify the source of all troubles. This will be discussed in this material. So, how to return the computer "voice"? Let's try to figure it out.
The reasons for the lack of sound on the computer
There are several reasons why the computer may lose sound. All of them are divided into hardware and software. If the problem is of a hardware nature, then it is very likely that a replacement sound adapter will be required. If the problem has a programmatic nature, then you can get by with "little blood" and on your own. If sound is lost on Windows 7 or some other version of the OS, then the first thing to do is check all the connections and the performance of the speakers or headphones. If the problem persists, check the drivers for the sound card. If the drivers are OK, then you need to check the sound adapter for performance. And if this did not help, we check it for hardware damage.
Hardware problems are the most complex. If the user has a full-fledged computer with a system unit, then replacing the sound card is not difficult. And if you only have a laptop or PC using the built-in sound controller, then you can’t do without going to a specialist. In any case, you will have to spend a certain amount of finance on professional help or a new sound card. This is the main nuisance of hardware problems with sound. So, the sound disappeared in the computer. How to restore it? Let's take a closer look at the most popular methods.
How to fix? Method 1: mindfulness test
Often, inexperienced users simply do not notice that the system volume control is at a minimum or the sound is turned off altogether. To eliminate this problem, just look at the system tray - at the volume icon (speaker). If it is crossed out, then the sound is simply turned off. To enable, click on the icon and again on it. Then a sound should appear. If the icon is not crossed out, it makes sense to look into the tray and move the volume control to the maximum. This, by the way, is also the answer to the question of how to increase the sound on the computer.
If after all the above manipulations nothing happened, then the problem may be with speakers or headphones. Make sure the speaker is plugged in and turn the volume control to the maximum. After that, turn on some song on the computer. A sound should appear. If this is not the case, check the speaker connections to the computer or laptop. Sometimes someone can swap plugs without your knowledge. If everything is in its place, but there is no sound, then the problem is much more serious than it seemed at first glance. Now we will seriously understand why the sound disappeared in the computer and how to restore it.
How to fix? Method 2: turn on the sound device
Sound tuning on Windows 7 is not such a difficult task. However, before moving on to manipulating drivers and other software, you need to make sure that the standard audio device is turned on and in use. It is very easy to do. Go to "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Device Manager". There we look for the name of our audio device and see which icon is next. If the gray arrow - the equipment is turned off. To enable it, you need to do the following manipulation: right-click on the device and select "Enable" in the menu that appears. After that, a sound should appear. If the sound has disappeared in the computer, and you do not know how to restore it, then the following chapters are just for you.
But it happens that this does not help either. So, the sound on the computer disappeared. What to do if everything is empty at the place of the audio device in the "Device Manager"? This happens after someone has removed the device along with all the drivers. To fix this, you need to restart the computer. The system itself will determine the new device and try to install the necessary drivers. But! Even if this option works, you don’t have to rely on the relevance of system drivers, which smoothly moves us to the next chapter of the material: installing drivers and other software.
How to fix? Method 3: drivers
Often the lack of sound on a PC or laptop is caused by software problems. The most common of them is the lack of the necessary drivers in the device’s operating system. Checking this is very simple: go to "Control Panel" - "Device Manager" and look at the section with audio devices. If there are yellow question marks instead of icons, then there are definitely no drivers. Therefore, there is no sound. What to do? If there is no sound in the computer speakers due to drivers, you need to refer to the official website of the device manufacturer and download the latest utilities. You can, of course, try updating them with regular Windows tools, but the Microsoft servers are quite old versions. So it’s better to download it yourself.
Sometimes instead of a yellow question mark in place of the desired device in the “Device Manager”, an inscription like “Standard audio device” may flaunt. Do not rush to rejoice. It also means that there are no necessary programs, which means that the device may work unstably. With various tricks and glitches. Therefore, drivers must be installed in any case. This will positively affect the overall speed of the PC or laptop. Do not forget only that after installing the drivers, the computer must be restarted. If, after installing the necessary software, sound playback on the computer did not start, you need to prepare for the worst.
How to fix? Method 4, hardware
If you have a standard personal computer with a system unit, then it is highly likely that you are using a separate sound card. What to do if the sound is lost in the computer? How to restore it? Perhaps there was a hardware failure in the sound card itself. You need to remove it, then put it in place and turn on the computer. Of course, there are few chances, but a sound may appear. If he did not appear, then you need to determine exactly what the sound card is to blame. To do this, you need to take a familiar working card from friends and insert it into the connector of your motherboard. If a sound appears - a problem with the card. If not, the problem is in the motherboard. And both of these components will require replacement.
If you have a laptop or computer that uses a sound controller that is built into the motherboard, then things are much worse. So, the sound on the computer disappeared. What if the hardware problem is in the controller that is built into the motherboard? Nothing can be done here yourself. You will have to carry the computer to a service center where there are professionals with the most modern equipment. As a rule, it will not work out on your own to determine that the problem is in the 3.5 mm mini-Jack jack (if there is no sound in the headphones on the computer). Therefore, a trip to a specialist is indispensable, although the nest could have been changed by ourselves.
Why is there no sound when watching a video?
Sometimes it happens that there is no sound when watching a video on a computer. The most common reason is a video player that lacks codecs. This is usually the case with the standard Microsoft player. Everything is simple here. There are only two options: either install new codecs, or change the player. The latter, by the way, is preferable, because the standard player does not know how much of what modern free utilities are capable of. The best today is Daum PotPlayer. It reproduces all audio and video formats without any problems. He also has an impressive library of built-in codecs. And this is important.
However, it also happens that when watching a video, the sound on the computer disappeared. What to do if everything is ok with the player and codecs? The player may be using the wrong audio output device. You need to view the settings and make it play sound through a standard device, which should be installed by default. Each player has its own settings tree, so it will not be possible to describe the process of changing the output device step by step. Here you need to act by the method of "scientific poking." But finding these settings is not difficult. Moreover, most video players now support the Russian language.
Improving the sound quality. Method 1, software
It also happens that the sound quality decreases markedly after any action in the computer's operating system. Cracking, noise, tunnel effect and other noise may appear. This should be due to the recent installation of a program that has managed to somehow affect the sound quality in a PC or laptop. The sound volume on the computer may also be affected. The easiest way to rectify the situation is to remember which program you installed and uninstall it. After that, you need to restart the computer. If this method did not work, then you need to use the "System Restore" from the "Start" menu and roll back the operating system to the time when everything was normal with sound.
Some users want to make the computer sound better. There are several products that will help to implement this idea. The best sound program on your computer is SRS Premium Sound. It has a huge number of settings and a bunch of effects that will help improve the sound quality on your computer. And although its interface is completely in English, no one should have problems with it, because it is simple and intuitive. This utility "settles" in the system tray and improves the sound of a PC or laptop in real mode. However, there is one drawback: the program is not free. And the trial version is very limited in customization options.
Improving the sound quality. Method 2, hardware
No matter how advanced the program for sound on a computer, it is not able to improve the sound beyond the limits of the sound card. And here the problem of the hardware capabilities of the audio chip appears. But she also has a solution, albeit a rather expensive one. You can purchase an external DAC that provides the highest quality sound. But there are some nuances that can lead to the rejection of such an option. First of all, DACs are quite expensive. Not everyone has the opportunity to purchase it. Secondly, you need a receiver (aka an amplifier), because without it you cannot connect a good speaker system (or headphones) to the DAC. And if you listen to him on the office "tweeters", then there will be no difference.
From the above thesis, the need to acquire a good speaker system logically follows . This, by the way, will be the answer to the question of how to increase the sound on the computer. For a good amplifier, coupled with a high-quality speaker system, is quite capable of coping with this task. But that is not all. Ideally, a high-quality sound requires an almost silent computer. The best option is a laptop or ultrabook. Standard system units are already very buzzing. But this is not at all necessary. A high-quality DAC and speakers or headphones of the corresponding class are quite enough. This will help take sound quality to the next level.
How to increase the sound volume?
Sometimes it is vital to know how to increase the sound on a computer. This is necessary in cases where the built-in speakers of the laptop are not able to give out many decibels or in the presence of an acoustic system without a volume control (or it does not work). This can be done using special programs (SRS, Realtek Audio) or using frequency selection. It's no secret that equalizer settings can greatly affect the sound volume. So it makes sense to play with the sliders and find the optimal sound volume for yourself on a laptop or PC.
Conclusion
So, now you know what to do if there is no sound in the computer, and how to restore it. There are two types of reasons why this problem can occur: hardware and software. If software problems can still be dealt with on their own, then hardware problems can often be unsolvable. Only a trip to the service center for repairing PCs and laptops will help here. There are specially trained people with the right tools who can quickly tidy up your car. Trying to fix the hardware problem yourself is not worth it. You can disable other computer components. And their repair can be very expensive. Therefore, it is better to trust professionals. And you can play with drivers and all kinds of programs to improve the sound as much as you like. They cannot cause physical harm to the sound card.