{"id":2034,"date":"2015-08-05T14:57:24","date_gmt":"2015-08-05T06:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/?post_type=knowledgebase&p=2034"},"modified":"2025-07-09T17:57:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:57:23","slug":"easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix “No Audio Output Device is Installed” Error in Windows 10\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When the sound icon in your taskbar has a red x on it (as illustrated above), your computer won’t play any sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is usually caused by one of two problems: either Windows has disabled your audio device or your PC doesn’t have the latest correct device drivers installed, and Windows therefore can’t ‘talk’ to the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you see No Audio Output Device is installed<\/strong>\u00a0when you hover your mouse over the sound icon, your audio problem is probably caused by one of these issues, and there are\u00a0three repair methods you can try that have helped other users. You may not need to try them all; just start at the top of the list and work your way down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Make Sure Audio Services are Started<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Manually Uninstall & Reinstall Your Audio Driver<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Update Your Audio Driver<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Re-enable the Device<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Check for Windows Updates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Method 1: Make Sure Audio Services are Started<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    First, you need to ensure that Windows Audio service is enabled or started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1) Press the Windows logo key + R <\/strong>simultaneously to open the Run box, copy and paste services.msc <\/strong>and hit Enter.
    \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2) Locate Windows Audio<\/strong> and double-click it.
    \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) Click on the Log On <\/strong>tab, tick Local System account<\/strong>, and then click Apply > OK <\/strong>to save the changes.
    \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4) Right-click Windows Audio <\/strong>and select Start<\/strong>.
    \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Method 2: Manually Uninstall & Reinstall Your Audio Driver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If a driver update doesn’t fix your issue, try to reinstall your audio driver:
      (You can also do that on       Driver Easy<\/a>. )<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo + R keys <\/strong>simultaneously to open the Run box. Then type devmgmt.msc<\/strong> and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Find Sound, video, and game controllers<\/strong>, then double-click on it to expand the list. Right-click on your audio device and select Uninstall device<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2) Restart your PC. After restarting, Windows should automatically re-install the sound driver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Method 3: Update Your Audio Driver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      This error can be triggered by an outdated audio driver. You can obtain driver updates through the Device Manager or Windows Update. Or you can do it automatically with Driver Easy<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Driver Easy is a user-friendly tool designed to simplify the process of updating drivers on your Windows PC. With an extensive database of drivers that are direct from the manufacturers, it ensures that your hardware components, including keyboards, are always equipped with the latest and most compatible drivers. The software automatically scans your system, identifies outdated or missing drivers, and installs the appropriate updates with just a few clicks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1) Download<\/a><\/strong> and install Driver Easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2) Run Driver Easy and click Scan Now<\/strong>. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any missing or outdated drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      3) Click the Activate & Update<\/strong> button next to a flagged audio driver to automatically download the correct version of this driver. Or click Update All <\/strong>to automatically download and install the correct version of all<\/em> the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. Both are available in the paid version, but you can start a 7-day free trial<\/a><\/strong>, which gives you access to all premium features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      4) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Should you need further assistance or have any questions, Driver Easy\u2019s support team is available to help. You can reach them by emailing support@drivereasy.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Method 4: Re-enable the Device<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      To fix the problem, follow these steps (Steps below are for your reference. The specific steps in different system versions may be different. ):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + R keys<\/strong> at the same time to invoke the Run box. Type devmgmt.msc<\/strong> hit Enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2) Locate the Sound, video, and game controllers<\/strong> category in the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      If you don’t see this category in your list, continue with step 2a) below. Otherwise, skip to step 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2a) Click the Action<\/strong> menu and select Add Legacy hardware<\/strong> (if you see only the Help in this menu, click somewhere in the white space around the list (i.e. make sure nothing in the tree is selected), then click the Action menu again) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2b) Click\u00a0Next\u00a0<\/strong>to start the Add Hardware wizard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2c) Select Search for and install hardware automatically (Recommended)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2d) If the wizard tells you it can’t find any new hardware, click Next<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2e) You should now see a list of hardware types. Scroll down until you see Sound, video and game controllers<\/strong>. Select it and click Next<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2f) Select the manufacturer and model of your sound card, then click Next<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      If you’re not sure what manufacturer and model to select, press the Windows logo + R keys <\/strong>simultaneously to open the Run box, type dxdiag, <\/strong>and hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Select the Sound <\/strong>tab and you should be able to see your sound card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2g) Click Next <\/strong>to install the device, then when the installation is complete, click Finish<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/a>3) Expand the Sound, video and game controllers<\/strong> category, right-click on your audio device, and select Disable device<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Once again, right-click your audio device and select Enable device<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      After making the changes, restart your device and check if the error still occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Method 5: Check for Windows Updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Windows updates often include improvements that stabilize core system components, like audio services, sound settings, and system services, which can fix errors such as “No\u202fAudio Output Device\u202fIs\u202fInstalled.” To ensure your system is fully updated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1) Press the\u00a0Windows logo key\u00a0<\/strong>to invoke Search. Then type\u00a0check for updates<\/strong>, and\u00a0<\/strong>select it from the list of results.
      \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2) If you\u2019re told that\u00a0“Updates available to install”<\/strong>, simply click on the\u00a0Install all\u00a0<\/strong>button.
      \"\"

      Or you can click on the button\u00a0Check for updates\u00a0<\/strong>to see if there are updates available.
      \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3) Then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the latest Windows updates. You should be prompted to restart your device upon completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That wraps up our full guide on how to fix the error “No Audio Output Device is installed”. Hope you find it helpful. If you have additional questions, feel free to write them down in the comment section below. We’ll get back to you ASAP, and the community may also be able to offer a hand.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      When the sound icon in your taskbar has a red x on it (as illustrated above), your computer won’t play any sound. This is usually caused by one of two problems: either Windows has disabled your audio device or your PC doesn’t have the latest correct device drivers installed, and Windows therefore can’t ‘talk’ to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","knowledgebase_category":[17],"knowledgebase_tags":[38],"class_list":["post-2034","knowledgebase","type-knowledgebase","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","knowledgebase_category-common-error","knowledgebase_tags-windows"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Fix "No Audio Output Device is Installed" Error in Windows 10\/11 - Driver Easy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Fix "No Audio Output Device is Installed" Error in Windows 10\/11\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Driver Easy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-09T09:57:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"735\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"417\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/\",\"name\":\"How to Fix \\\"No Audio Output Device is Installed\\\" Error in Windows 10\/11 - Driver Easy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-05T06:57:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-09T09:57:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Knowledge Base\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Common Errors\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kbc\/common-error\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"How to Fix “No Audio Output Device is Installed” Error in Windows 10\/11\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/\",\"name\":\"Driver Easy\",\"description\":\"Best Driver Updater Software 2020\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Driver Easy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/logo-de.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/logo-de.jpg\",\"width\":168,\"height\":112,\"caption\":\"Driver Easy\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Fix \"No Audio Output Device is Installed\" Error in Windows 10\/11 - Driver Easy","description":"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Fix \"No Audio Output Device is Installed\" Error in Windows 10\/11","og_description":"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/","og_site_name":"Driver Easy","article_modified_time":"2025-07-09T09:57:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":735,"height":417,"url":"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/","url":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/","name":"How to Fix \"No Audio Output Device is Installed\" Error in Windows 10\/11 - Driver Easy","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg","datePublished":"2015-08-05T06:57:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-09T09:57:23+00:00","description":"To fix No audio output device is installed problem, try to re-enable the device. In Device Manager, double-click the audio device then click Enable to enable the device. If this method doesn't work, try other methods.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/no-audio-output-device-is-installed-win-10.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/easy-to-fix-error-no-audio-output-device-is-installed\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Knowledge Base","item":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Common Errors","item":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kbc\/common-error\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to Fix “No Audio Output Device is Installed” Error in Windows 10\/11"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/","name":"Driver Easy","description":"Best Driver Updater Software 2020","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#organization","name":"Driver Easy","url":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/logo-de.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/logo-de.jpg","width":168,"height":112,"caption":"Driver Easy"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase\/2034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledgebase"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase\/2034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":199644,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase\/2034\/revisions\/199644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"knowledgebase_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase_category?post=2034"},{"taxonomy":"knowledgebase_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledgebase_tags?post=2034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}