Why can’t I hear my video on my computer?

Check Your Speakers

The first thing to check when troubleshooting no audio from your computer is to ensure your speakers are properly connected and powered on. Speakers require both a power source and an audio connection to your computer in order to function.

First, check that your speakers are plugged into a wall outlet or power strip and the power light on the speakers is illuminated. Speakers may have a power button or switch that needs to be in the “on” position as well. Make sure the power cable is firmly inserted into the back of the speakers.

Second, verify your speakers are connected to your computer’s audio output jack, typically labeled with a headphones icon or red and white RCA connectors. Make sure the audio cable is firmly inserted into both the computer and speakers. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cable or swapping to another cable if available.

Finally, check that your speaker volume is turned up. Look for a volume knob on the speakers themselves and turn it clockwise to increase loudness. Also make sure your computer’s volume is turned up by using the volume controls on your keyboard, desktop, or volume icon in the system tray. You may need to check both areas to make sure nothing is muted.

If your speakers are powered on, connected via audio cable, and have volume, but you still hear no sound, there may be another issue with your audio setup. Continue troubleshooting using the steps below.

Check Sound Settings

The sound settings on your computer control which device is used for audio output. To check your sound settings on a Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings > Sound. (Source)

2. Click the Output tab on the right side.

3. Your default output device will be highlighted. Make sure it is set to the speakers or headphones you want to use.

4. If the wrong device is selected, select the correct speakers or headphones from the list.

This ensures your computer is routing audio to the expected output device. If the wrong device is set as default, you may not hear any audio even though the volume is turned up.

Update Audio Drivers

One reason you may not be hearing audio from your computer is because you need to update your audio drivers. Audio drivers act as the software interface between your computer’s operating system and the speakers, headphones, or other audio devices. Over time, bugs, incompatibilities, and optimizations may be introduced in new driver versions that can improve or fix audio issues.

To update your audio drivers on a Mac, first go to the Apple menu and click “About This Mac.” In the window that appears, click “System Report.” In System Report, go to the “Software” section and expand the “Extensions” category. This will show you the current version of drivers for your audio devices. Make note of the versions.

Then go to the website of your audio device manufacturer (such as Realtek or Nvidia if you have an add-in sound card) and download the latest audio drivers for your model. Make sure to get the proper Mac drivers. Install the updated drivers and restart your computer.

You can then check System Report again to confirm your drivers have been updated to the newer versions. With updated drivers, you may find the audio issue is resolved. If not, continue troubleshooting other potential causes.

Test with Headphones

One of the easiest ways to determine if the issue is with your speakers or somewhere else in the audio system is to plug headphones or external speakers into your computer to see if you can hear audio that way. Headphones typically plug into the 3.5mm audio jack or a USB port on your laptop.

If you can hear the audio through the headphones, then the issue likely lies with the built-in speakers. This could indicate a hardware problem with the speakers themselves or just that something got set incorrectly for outputting to the speakers specifically. If the headphones don’t work either, then the problem is likely an issue with your overall audio configuration or drivers instead.

Sources:

[1] “Why are laptop speakers not working but headphones work?”, Quora, https://www.quora.com/Why-are-laptop-speakers-not-working-but-headphones-work

[2] “No sound from speakers but headphones work!”, Dell Forums, https://www.dell.com/community/General/No-sound-from-speakers-but-headphones-work/m-p/5127491

Check Individual Apps

The problem may be isolated to a specific app rather than a system-wide issue. Try playing videos in different video players or streaming services to see if the problem persists.

For example, if you have no sound when playing YouTube videos, test if videos work properly in the Windows Media Player app or VLC media player. If videos play fine in other apps, then the problem may be limited to YouTube settings or the app itself rather than your overall audio drivers or settings.

Likewise, if watching streaming videos on Netflix or Hulu has no audio, check if locally stored video files work. If the problem only occurs in streaming apps, it could be related to internet connectivity issues rather than a speaker or audio driver failure.

“No sound from videos but audio works otherwise windows 11” [1].

Check File Format

Certain file types may not play sound properly. Video files come in many different formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WMV, FLV among others Video file format – Wikipedia. Each format has its own audio encoding methods which may not be supported by your computer’s media players. For example, WMV files require Windows Media Player while MP4 files require QuickTime or VLC player. If you are trying to play a file format that is not supported by your media player, it will likely not play audio even if the video plays fine.

Try playing the file in a different media player like VLC which supports most formats. You can also try converting the file to a more universal format like MP4 using a free online converter. If it plays fine after conversion, then the original file format was the issue. You may need to install additional codecs on your computer to play certain proprietary formats. But converting to a common format like MP4 is often the easiest solution.

Adjust App Volumes

Sometimes the issue may be that the volume for a particular app is turned down or muted. Each app on your computer may have its own individual volume settings. Check the volume mixer in Windows or macOS to ensure the app you are trying to play audio or video from has the volume turned up.

In Windows, click the volume icon in the system tray and select “Open Volume Mixer”. This will display sliders for the volume of each open app. Make sure the slider is turned up for the app you want to hear audio from. You can also access volume sliders for individual apps in the Windows Settings > System > Sound menu.

On Mac, open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences > Sound. Click into the Output tab and you’ll see volume sliders for each running app. Adjust these sliders as needed so you can hear audio from the desired apps.1

Apps may also have their own built-in volume controls and audio settings. Check within the app’s preferences or settings menu for a volume slider or audio options you can adjust.

Update Apps

Outdated apps can sometimes develop issues with sound after multiple updates to your operating system or other programs. Apps that haven’t been updated recently may not be fully compatible with the latest version of your computer’s operating system or audio drivers. Updating all apps to their newest versions can potentially resolve any compatibility issues that are causing sound problems.

Check the app store on your device to see if any updates are available for installed apps. Prioritize updating multimedia apps that rely on audio and video playback, such as media players, games, video streaming services, and social media apps. Even productivity apps and system tools may require updating to maintain proper audio functionality. Take some time to update all your apps to rule out any conflicts with the current OS as the culprit behind no video sound.

After updating apps, test video playback in each one to see if audio is restored. Fully closing apps and restarting your device after updates can also help complete the update process. Up-to-date apps designed for your current system software are less likely to suffer from sound issues.

Check for Malware

Malware or viruses can sometimes cause issues with audio on your computer. Malicious programs may interfere with sound drivers or audio settings, preventing you from hearing audio as expected [1].

To check for malware, run a full antivirus scan on your computer. Use trusted antivirus software like Windows Defender or Malwarebytes to scan for and remove any infections [2]. An antivirus scan may detect and eliminate malware disrupting your audio.

Reset Audio System

If you’ve tried everything else and your computer still has no sound, resetting the audio drivers and services may help. This resets all audio settings back to their default factory settings and reinstalls the audio drivers. According to MakeUseOf, “This refreshes the audio stack and often resolves pesky audio issues” (source).

On Windows 10 and 11, open Settings > System > Sound and scroll down to “Reset sound devices.” Click it to restart the audio services and revert any changes made to sound settings.

You can also reset from an elevated Command Prompt by running “net stop audiosrv” to stop audio services, “net start audiosrv” to restart them, and “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” to repair corrupted files. This completely resets the audio stack according to ZDNet (source).

As a last resort, updating or rolling back your Windows version can also refresh audio drivers and settings. This nuclear option resets all drivers and services, including audio. It should resolve even the trickiest driver-related audio problems.

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