Technology

The Magic of Audio: Reviving Your Computer’s Silent Speakers and Unmuting the Red ‘X’ Mark

Once you have installed all the necessary audio drivers, plugins, and plugged in your speakers correctly, it can be quite frustrating to encounter the error message "No Speakers or Headphones Are Plugged In" with a red cross mark on your PC or laptop.

Administrator

7 January, 2024

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It’s not unusual to encounter audio issues on Windows 7, and they can vary in nature. To resolve audio problems on Windows 7/8, start by diagnosing the specific issue. One common problem is intermittent or no sound with no apparent cause.

Step 1: Press Windows + R, then type regedit and hit Enter to launch 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, then select Permissions from the menu.

Step 4: In the Permissions window, grant Full Control to SYSTEM, Administrator, and user.

Step 5: Click Apply, followed by OK to save these changes.

Step 6: Now, navigate to this registry key:

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

Step 7: Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to ensure full control for Admin, user, and SYSTEM.

Step 8: Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer. This method should resolve the red X issue on the volume icon in Windows 10. If the problem persists, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Verify and Start Windows Audio Services

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

Step 2: Locate Windows Audio Services, right-click, and choose Properties.

Step 3: Ensure the service is running and set the Startup type to Automatic.

Step 4: Click Apply, then OK.

Step 5: Repeat these steps for the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.

Step 6: Close all programs and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Method 3: Update Your Audio Driver

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

Step 2: Expand Sound, video, and game controllers. Right-click on the Audio Device and choose Enable if it’s disabled. If it’s already enabled, right-click and select Update Driver Software.

Step 3: Opt to Search automatically for updated driver software and wait for the process to finish.

Step 4: If the update fails, select Update Driver Software again.

Step 5: This time, choose to Browse my computer for driver software.

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

Step 7: From the list, choose the appropriate driver and click Next.

Step 8: Once the process is complete, restart your computer.

Step 9: If you can’t find the right driver, visit the manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest version.

Method 4: Uninstall the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver

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

Step 2: Go to Uninstall a Program and locate Realtek High Definition Audio Driver.

Step 3: Right-click and choose Uninstall.

Step 4: After uninstalling, 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 resolve the red X issue on the volume icon.

If the issue persists, try the following method:

Go to the Control Panel and select Hardware and Sound. From there, choose Realtek HD Audio Manager. Click on the Information button and uncheck “Display icon in the notification area.” Click OK, then select Connector Setting. Finally, choose “Disable front panel jack detection” and click OK.

We hope this guide helped resolve your audio issues. If you found it useful, please share it with your friends. Good luck!

Frequently asked questions

Audio issues on Windows 7 can vary, but one common problem is intermittent or no sound with no apparent cause. To resolve audio problems, start by diagnosing the specific issue. You can try methods such as editing the registry, verifying and starting audio services, updating your audio driver, or uninstalling and reinstalling the audio driver.

Press Windows + R, type ‘regedit’, and hit Enter to launch the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices. Grant full control to SYSTEM, Administrator, and user in the Permissions window. Repeat this process for the ‘Audio’ subkey. Exit and restart your computer.

Press Windows + R, input ‘msc’, and press Enter. Locate Windows Audio Services, right-click, and choose Properties. Ensure the service is running and set the Startup type to Automatic. Click Apply, then OK. Repeat these steps for the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.

Open the Device Manager by pressing Windows + R and entering ‘msc’. Expand ‘Sound, video, and game controllers’. Right-click on your Audio Device and choose ‘Update Driver Software’. Search automatically for updated drivers and wait for the process to finish. If it fails, try browsing your computer for driver software or picking from a list of device drivers.

If you can’t find the appropriate driver, visit the manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest version.

If other methods haven’t worked, you can try uninstalling the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver. Go to the Control Panel, locate the driver in ‘Uninstall a Program’, right-click, and choose Uninstall. Restart your computer and open the Device Manager. Click on ‘Action’ and scan for hardware changes. The system should automatically resolve the audio issues.

Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Realtek HD Audio Manager. Click the Information button and uncheck ‘Display icon in the notification area’. Then, select ‘Connector Setting’ and choose ‘Disable front panel jack detection’. Click OK.