How to Fix the “No Speaker or Headphones are Plugged In” Error on Windows
Sometimes, you may notice a red X on the sound icon on the Windows taskbar. If you hover the cursor over it, it shows a no speaker, or headphones are plugged in error. This error can occur due to issues with the audio driver or Windows audio services.
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Here are a few troubleshooting steps to help you fix the no speaker or headphones are plugged in error on Windows.
1. Run the Windows Audio Troubleshooter
you’re able to troubleshoot sound problems on Windows using the built-in audio troubleshooter. It scans your Windows system for common audio issues and tries to fix them automatically.
To run the troubleshooter:
If the troubleshooter left a good impression on you, check out ourguide to every troubleshooter on Windows 11for more of them.
2. Perform an Audio Device Driver Rollback
If a Windows or driver update has messed up your audio device, you can perform a driver rollback to reinstall the last known good driver. You can use the Device Manager toroll back a driver in Windows.
To roll back an audio device driver, follow our guide onhow to roll back a driver in Windows. You’ll likely find your audio drivers in theSound, video, and game controllerssection of Device Manager.
3. Add Network Service and Local Services to the Local Administrator Group
Another way to fix this error is to addNetwork serviceandLocal Servicesto the Local Administrator Group. Network Service and Local Service are predefined accounts part of the service control manager. Adding these accounts to the Local Administrator Group should help you fix the sound problem on your Windows PC.
Note that Local Users and Groups is not available on the Windows Home edition. Home users, however, can add Network Service and Local Services to the local administrator group using Command Prompt.
To add Network Service and Local Services to the Local Administrator Group using Local Users and Groups:
If you use the Windows Home edition, you can use Command Prompt to add Local Network and Local Services to the local administrator group. Here’s how to do it.
4. Uninstall the Audio Device and Driver
Temporary glitches with the audio device driver can cause this error on Windows. To fix the issue, uninstall the audio device and the associated driver from Device Manager. After the restart, Windows will automatically reinstall the driver to resolve the issue.
To uninstall an audio device:
If the issue persists, manually reinstall the audio device driver from the manufacturer.
5. Manually Reinstall the Audio Device Driver
If the automatic reinstall doesn’t work, check if your computer manufacturer or the audio device OEM has a stable driver version available. On a laptop, visit your computer manufacturer’s website and download the latest audio drivers. On a desktop, you can download the latest drivers for your sound card from the manufacturer’s website.
Alternatively, you can also manually reinstall the existing drivers for your audio device. Check outhow to update Windows, Apps, and driversfor more information.
If the issue persists, change the device installation settings and then reinstall the driver. To change device installation settings:
With the automatic driver download disabled, reinstall the existing driver to fix the no audio issue.
Fixing the “No Speaker or Headphones Are Plugged In” Error
The error often occurs due to a bad driver update. To fix it, it’s possible to perform a rollback or manually reinstall the audio device driver. In addition, try to update the audio device driver from the manufacturer’s website.
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