Troubleshooting common computer audio problems

Computer audio problems can be frustrating, especially if you are just sitting down to start a video call or trying to play music. Here are 4 troubleshooting steps to try if your computer is having sound trouble.

Your computer has several volume controls. If one of these controls is turned down, your computer will make no sound even if the others are set to full volume, so always start by finding and adjusting all the computer's volume controls before considering other causes.

1. If your computer has external speakers, check that they are connected to a power supply and that their external volume controls (if present) are turned up. Make sure that the speaker cables have not become disconnected from the computer.
2. Check that the main audio output is not turned down too low. If you have a PC, you can probably find these settings by going to Control panel -> Hardware and sound -> Audio devices and sound -> Sound -> Adjust system volume, where you can then turn the main volume up to its maximum. If you are a Mac user, adjust the volume by simply clicking on the speaker icon in the Menu bar.
3. If there's still no sound, the volume may be turned down or off in the program or website that you are running. Find the volume control (its location varies with each program) and turn it up.
4. If you're using a PC, check the status of your sound card by navigating to Control panel -> System and maintenance-> Device manager -> Sound, video and game controllers. A yellow question mark next to the name of the sound card indicates a problem. This can often be solved by updating the card's software driver. To do this, double-click the name of the sound card, then click on Driver -> Update driver software. Your computer will need to be connected to the internet in order to update successfully.

If you try all of these troubleshooting steps and are still having problems, you may need to seek external help from an online technical support forum or a computer store.