Quick 5 Fixes: Dell Laptop Sound Not Working on Windows 11

This article describes in detail why Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11 and gives five effective solutions. Try it now!

Miya

By Miya Updated on October 31, 2023

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Why Is Dell Laptop Sound Not Working on Windows 11?

There can be several reasons why Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11. Here are some possible causes and solutions to consider:

  • Audio driver issues: Outdated or incompatible audio drivers can lead to sound problems. To resolve this, update your audio drivers to the latest version compatible with Windows 11. You can download the drivers from the Dell website or use a driver update utility.
  • Incorrect audio settings: Check your audio settings to ensure they are properly configured. Right-click the volume icon on the taskbar, select "Open Sound settings," and verify that the correct audio output device is selected.
  • Audio enhancements and enhancements conflicts: Disable any audio enhancements or enhancements conflicting with the sound output. Open Sound settings, click on "Device properties," go to the "Additional device properties" section and disable any enhancements enabled there.
  • Hardware issues: Verify that the speakers or headphones are properly connected to the laptop and functioning correctly. Try connecting different audio devices to determine if the issue is specific to one device.
  • Windows updates: Check for Windows updates and install any available updates. Sometimes, sound issues can be resolved by installing the latest updates that include bug fixes and driver updates.
  • Malfunctioning audio services: Restart the Windows Audio service to address any potential issues. Press Windows + R, type "services.msc," and press Enter. Locate "Windows Audio" in the Services window, right-click on it, and choose "Restart."

Dell Laptop Sound Not Working on Windows 11

Audio Problems You May Encounter on Windows 11

Whatever the reason above, you may be experiencing the following audio problems such as Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11. Here are some common audio problems you may encounter:

  • Dell laptop sound not working after update
  • Sudden loss of audio
  • Intermittent audio loss
  • "No audio output device is installed" error
  • Audio services not running
  • Any other issues that hinder proper audio functionality

To address these audio problems such as Dell audio not working on Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can try the following solutions.

How to Solve Dell Laptop Sound Not Working on Windows 11 (5 Ways)

To address these issues, in this section, we'll list five effective ways to help you. Please read them carefully!

1. Run Playing Audio troubleshooter

Consider this tool as a preliminary solution to address audio issues. The built-in Playing Audio troubleshooter can automatically detect and resolve audio problems.

To access the troubleshooter, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the System section.

Step 2. Within System, select Troubleshoot, then proceed to Other troubleshooters.

Step 3. Locate the Playing Audio troubleshooter and click on the Run button beside it.

Playing Audio

After a brief moment, you will observe that the Playing Audio troubleshooter has identified and resolved certain problems. However, if the troubleshooter discovers issues that it is unable to fix, proceed to explore the additional methods outlined in this guide.

Resolved Problems

2. Update Audio Driver

In many cases, audio problems can be attributed to issues with the audio drivers. If you suspect that the audio driver is causing the problem on your system, you can attempt the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button or press Windows + X, then select Device Manager.

Step 2. Within Device Manager, expand the category labeled Sound, video, and game controllers or any section that lists audio devices.

Step 3. Locate your audio device or driver, then double-click on it.

Step 4. Verify if the device status displays This device is working properly.

Note: If you do not find any installed audio driver listed under "Sound, video, and game controllers," visit the website of your device manufacturer. Search for audio drivers specific to your system model and download them. Install the downloaded drivers as you would with any other software. Once installed correctly, they should appear under "Sound, video, and game controllers" in Device Manager.

Sound Video Game Controllers

3. Update or Roll Back Your Audio Driver

If the audio driver is listed and functioning correctly, but you are still unable to resolve your audio issue, the next step is to update the audio driver. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1. Double-click on the audio driver listed in Device Manager.

Step 2. Go to the Driver tab.

Step 3. Click on the Update driver button.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the driver update process.

Note: If the audio problem you are experiencing occurred after updating your driver, you can utilize the "Roll back driver" option instead. This will allow you to revert the audio driver to a previous version, restoring it to a state when it was functioning properly.

Update Driver

4. Disable Audio Enhancements

If the previous methods did not provide a solution to solve Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11, you can attempt disabling audio enhancements as an alternative approach:

Step 1. Navigate to Settings> System> Sound. Click on More sound settings.

Step 2. Click on More sound settings.

Step 3. On the Sound tab, select your primary audio device and click on Properties.

Step 4. In the property sheet, navigate to the Enhancement tab.

Step 5. Check the box that says Disable all enhancements. Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Disable All Enhancements

Tip: To address audio issues with specific apps, access the Advanced tab in the Sound properties and deselect the option that allows applications to take exclusive control of the device. Save the changes by clicking Apply and then OK.

Clicking Apply

5. Resolve Audio Services Issues

If running a troubleshooter and adjusting the audio driver did not resolve the issue, you can proceed to check the audio background services. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and click OK.

Step 2. In the Services window, ensure that the following services are running and set to Automatic startup type:

  • Windows Audio
  • Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
  • Remote Procedure Call

Windows Audio

That's all the five effective solutions on how to fix Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11. These methods also apply to Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 10.

Backup Windows 11 Dell Laptop to Protect Your Data

If you wish to avoid excessive duplicates and save storage space while continuously backing up your Windows 11 Dell laptop system, AOMEI Backupper Standard is a reliable software solution with the following notable backup features:

Functionality: It allows you to perform system backups, disk backups, partition backups, and file/folder backups.
Compatibility: You can back up your data to various locations such as local disks, external hard drives, network shares, NAS devices, and cloud drives.
Backup scheduling: The software enables you to automate your backup tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly, and event triggers, USB plug in with schedule backup feature.

To get started, download AOMEI Backupper and refer to the following steps for performing a File Backup.

Download FreewareWin11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Select the Backup option and choose File Backup if you wish to back up specific files. Alternatively, if you want to create a backup of the entire hard disk, select Disk Backup instead.

File Backup

Step 2. Click on Add File or Add Folder to choose the specific files or folders on your laptop that you wish to include in the backup.

Add Folders Files

Step 3. Choose the destination path where you would like to store the image file as the backup location.

Select Destination

Step 4. Once you have reviewed and confirmed your settings, click the Start Backup button and patiently wait for the backup task to complete.

☎Advanced features you may find useful:
If you upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional, you can access additional customization options:
Differential Backup: This feature allows you to back up only the changed files, helping you save storage space when performing continuous system backups.
Backup Scheme: With this feature, you can efficiently manage your backup disk space. It automatically deletes older backup files based on the backup version limit you set, ensuring optimal utilization of storage.

Your Turn

This article describes in detail why Dell laptop sound not working on Windows 11. and gives five effective ways to solve this problem, you can choose any one of them to try to solve this problem.

We strongly recommend you use professional backup software - AOMEI Backupper to backup your Dell Windows 11 PC, which can effectively protect your data. This program not only backs up your data but also has sync, clone, and other functions. Download it now and give it a try!

Miya
Miya · Editor
Miya has an excellent insight and receives professional and systematic technical training since joining AOMEI. She has a comprehensive understanding of computer issues, aiming at helping users troubleshoot all kinds of problems. A lot of computer users around the world have found her articles very helpful!