Why Don't I Have Sound on My Laptop

A laptop computer provides the option of taking your entire computer workstation with you wherever you go. Although you can use add-ons like external audio speakers with your laptop, it comes with a built-in speakers. If you can't hear sound on your laptop, the root cause may or may not be a malfunction with this speaker.

The Internal Speaker

Unless you've plugged another audio accessory -- such as headphones or external speakers -- into one of your laptop's line-in ports, sound plays through its internal speaker by default. The quality of sound that comes from this speaker and the maximum volume it can reach vary depending on the make and model of your computer. In general, the internal speaker is less crisp, clear and loud than what you hear when you use an auxiliary output device.

Audio Accessories

One reason why you might not hear sound through your laptop is if you have an audio accessory plugged in and have forgotten about it. Headphones in particular -- which are small -- can get tangled or hidden. Regardless of the device that ends up being the culprit, unplugging all jacks from your computer's ports is one way to fix your problem. Keep in mind that if you can hear sound through headphones or external speakers but not your internal speaker, the internal speaker is likely defective.

Muted Sound

If you unplug audio devices attached to your computer and you still can't hear sound through headphones or speakers, it's possible that you simply have your computer's sound on mute. To check, inspect the bottom, right corner of the your computer screen. If a red circle -- such as the one you find on "No Smoking" signs -- appears over the "Audio" icon, your sound is muted. Click the icon, then again inside the ticked box next to "Mute" to restore sound to your computer.

Sound Card Problems

An internal device known as a sound card is responsible for all the audio on your laptop -- and if neither audio accessories nor inadvertent muting is to blame for your lack of sound, it's possible that your sound card could be defective. This could be caused by a software glitch or because of a defect in the hardware itself. Regardless of the root of your sound card malfunction, it's best to resolve it with the help of a professional, lest you risk damaging your computer further.

References

• Microsoft: No Sound in Windows