Tips to fix computer speakers with no sound, red X mark on speaker icon

On Windows 7, audio issues are not uncommon, but there are many different types of issues. To fix the audio issue on Windows 7/8, you need to diagnose the problem first. One common issue is the sound being muted or intermittent without a clear reason.

Step 1: Press Windows + R and type regedit then press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to the following registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices

Step 3: Click on MMDevices and then choose Permissions.

Step 4: In the Permission window, select Full Control for SYSTEM, Administrator, and user.

Step 5: Click Apply and then OK to save the settings.

Step 6: Now, navigate to the following registry key:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio

Step 7: Repeat steps 4 and 5 to have full control over Admin, user, and SYSTEM.

Step 8: Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. This method should fix the red X on the volume icon in Windows 10. If this method does not solve your problem, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Ensure the Windows Audio Services are running

Step 1: Press Windows + R, then type msc and press Enter.

Step 2: Scroll down until you find Windows Audio Services, right-click on it, and choose Properties.

Step 3: Make sure the service is running by clicking Start and then setting the Startup type to Automatic.

Step 4: Click Apply and OK.

Step 5: Follow the same steps for the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.

Step 6: Close all programs and restart your computer to save the changes.

Method 3: Update the audio driver

Step 1: Press Windows + R, then type msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager.

Step 2: Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section and right-click on the Audio Device, then choose Enable (skip this step if it’s already enabled).

If the audio device is already enabled, right-click on the Audio Device and select Update Driver Software.

Step 3: Select “Search automatically for updated driver software” and let the process finish.

Step 4: If the graphics card cannot be updated, select Update Driver Software.

Step 5: This time, select “Browse my computer for driver software“.

Step 6: Next, select “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer“.

Step 7: Choose the appropriate driver from the list and click Next.

Step 8: Wait for the process to complete and restart your computer.

Step 9: If you cannot find the appropriate driver, visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver.

Method 4: Uninstall the Realtek High Definition Audio driver

Step 1: Press Windows + X and select Control Panel.

Step 2: Click on Uninstall a Program and search for Realtek High Definition Audio Driver.

Step 3: Right-click on it and choose Uninstall.

Step 4: Restart your computer and open the Device Manager.

Step 5: Click on Action and select “Scan for hardware changes“.

Step 6: The system will automatically fix the red X on the volume icon.

If all the above methods fail, try the following method:

Go to Control Panel

Select Hardware and Sound

Select Realtek HD Audio Manager

Click on the Information button as shown below

Uncheck “Display icon in the notification area” >> click OK

Next, select Connector Setting

Select “Disable front panel jack detection” >> Click OK, this step is crucial

Thank you for reading the article. If you find it helpful, please share it with your friends to help them troubleshoot audio issues. Good luck!