Let’s see together how to resolve the “No audio output device installed” error if you no longer hear any sound on your PC speakers
The error “No audio devices installed” on Windows can suddenly appear after a failed Windows update or after installing a new audio device on the system (or after installing a program that had a virtual audio device inside); in these scenarios Windows can accidentally turn off all devices or make the audio driver is not working, making it impossible to play any sound.
You must then restore listening to the audio on the PC’s default speakers and correct the error “No audio devices installed” on Windows 11 or even on Windows 10, where the menus are almost identical.
READ ALSO -> How to change audio output on Windows
1) Check if the audio device is enabled
The first check to be carried out concerns the correct enabling of all audio devices used for sound reproduction.
To check the enabled devices on Windows we open the Start menu, search Audio settingswe press on Other audio settingswe right-click in the empty space of the card Playback and let’s get the voices out Show deactivated devices e Show disconnected devices.
If disconnected devices are displayed, all we have to do is right-click on the device and press up Abilityso as to enable it and make it visible.
2) Check if the audio service is running
Another frequent problem with Windows is the failure to start the service that manages the system audio; This issue can make it impossible to enable or use any Windows audio devices.
To carry out this check we open the Start menu, search Services and we identify the service in the list Audio di Windows.
At this point we right click on the service, press on Propertywe press on Start and we set Automatic next to the entry Startup type. To check that the audio starts correctly, restart the PC and check if the sound is reproduced correctly from the default audio device (speakers, speakers or headphones).
3) Use troubleshooter
An excellent way to get back to listening to sounds and music on Windows involves using the troubleshooter, which can automatically resolve most errors that cannot be managed via settings, apps or services.
To start the audio tool, look for the app Settings in the Start menu and take us along the path System -> Troubleshoot -> Other troubleshooters.
In the new window we click on the button Run next to the entry Audio; a check and restart of all audio-related components and services will be initiated. Once the check is complete, we restart the PC for the changes to take effect.
4) Use generic audio driver
A good expert trick for solving most audio problems is to use a generic audio driver; This driver does not provide all the expected features but in an emergency it can be used to listen to sounds and play audio.
To enable this generic audio driver, right-click on the Start menu and press on Device management and we expand the menu Input e output audio.
Now we right-click on the name of the broken device, click on Propertylet’s get into the tab Driverwe select the item Update driverswe press on Search your computer for driverswe press on Choose from a list of drivers available on your computer and finally select Generic software device.
We restart the computer to check that the audio is working correctly; We remind you that this driver works well but is not suitable for all use scenarios and may lack some fundamental functions (automatic audio switching, equalizer or separate audio between the various sources).
5) Reinstall audio drivers
As a last attempt to fix the error “No audio devices installed” we can completely uninstall the audio drivers on the PC and reinstall the official driver from Windows Update or by downloading the suitable driver for our computer.
To proceed, let’s go back to the menu Device management (right button on the Start menu), press up Audio, video and game controllerswe right-click on the item Realtek audio and finally click on Uninstall devicetaking care to also tick the item Attempting to remove the driver for the device.
Let’s now restart the operating system and let Windows Update download the update for the new audio driver; alternatively we can update/install Realtek Audio drivers manually.
Conclusions
If the PC comes without any audio device to play sounds we can try some of the expert tricks for restore the audio correctly of any app or any service installed on Windows (including sounds made by the browser or multimedia apps).
To learn more we can read our guides on how to restore classic volume mixer menu on windows 11 come on how to play audio on headphones and speakers together from PC.