Dell Laptop Speakers Not Working?: Easy Fixing Steps

A high-quality sound is one of the really important criteria to witness the best user experience when you are working on your Dell laptop. In almost all types of laptops, the sound card of the speakers is integrated into the motherboard. Therefore, they are called onboard sound cards. Also, Dell is manufacturing laptops with speakers integrated into them. But sometimes, Dell users report facing certain problems with the speakers. The issue of Dell laptop speakers not working Windows 10 may pop up every time when they try to play a sound. 

The Dell laptop sound not working occurs when users update their laptop to Windows 10 OS. So, Windows 10 can be a reason for the error occurrence. To know more about the reasons you have to follow the next section of the article. In order to, to carry out the fixing process, you need to know the reasons behind the error. Knowing the reasons will help you to easily and efficiently fix the error on your own.

Possible Reasons for the Dell Laptop Speakers not Working

In this section, you will get to know the reasons behind the error occurrence. Therefore, have a look below:

1. The most common reason for this issue can be the audio drivers. After the Windows 10 update, if the audio drivers are removed or damaged, then there is a chance for a glitch.
2. The second one could be that the sound card of your laptop could be outdated or it is not properly working.
3. Next, there can be an abnormal change in the settings of the sound system of the Dell laptop.

After knowing the reasons behind the problem, now we will discuss some of the symptoms that you can face. 

Some of the Symptoms Behind the Speaker not Working Error

Below are some of the symptoms that lead to the Dell laptop speakers not working. Follow the next section of the article:

• You will not be able to hear the sound from the Dell laptop.
• The sounds of your Dell laptop may play abnormally or may get interrupted.
• When you upgrade the laptop to Windows 10, then you will not be able to hear the sound from the device.
• When you try to play the sound on your Dell laptop, the system crashes, stops, or restarts on its own.
• You can get some error messages like ‘Sound System not working Windows 10’. Other errors are ‘WAV sound playback error detected’, and the ‘CD audio device is in use by another application’.
• ‘MIDI output error detected’, ‘no wave device that can play files in the current format is installed’, and ‘Bootcamp error sound not working’ are some of the other errors that you can face.

So, these are the symptoms of the error Dell laptop internal speakers not working. If you are facing any one of these issues, then follow the next section of the article.

Technical Methods to Fix the Dell laptop Speakers not Working Issue

Now, as you have some knowledge about the reasons and the symptoms of the error, you can follow the methods to fix this issue. Therefore, below are some of the methods that you can follow:

• Verify or test the speakers on another system.
• First, disable and then, enable the Sound Card.
• Try to update the Sound Card Driver.
• Disable the front panel jack detection.
• Try to disable the HDMI sound.
• Run the process of System Restore to fix the issue.
• Try to enable Audio Card in BIOS or UEFI.
• Change your current Sound Card.

Method 1: Verify or Test the Speakers on Another System

If you are having a problem with the external speakers, then you can follow this method. To verify or test that your speakers are working appropriately, you have to connect them to another computer or laptop. Additionally, if you do not have any other laptops, then you can test them with the help of your smartphone. If they are working well, then the problem must be on your Dell laptop. Otherwise, if the speakers are not working, then you can try to fix them or replace them.

In case, if you are not having an external speaker, then you can skip this method and proceed to the next method.

Method 2: First Disable and then Enable the Sound Card

If you have inbuilt speakers on your Dell laptop, you can follow this method. In order to troubleshoot the issue, you can have a look at the steps which are given below:

1. First of all, you have to hold on to the Windows logo key and then, press the R key at the same time.
2. After doing that, the Run box will pop up. Type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the box and then, press the Enter key.
3. Now, the Device Manager window will open. Now, you have to expand the ‘Sound, Video and game controllers’ option.
4. From the list, you have to right-click on the Sound Card and then, after that, you have to click on the Disable option.
5. Then, from the choice, you have to select the YES option so that the sound card is disabled.
6. Next, you have to wait for a few seconds and then, click on the Enable option. This step will enable the sound card.
7. Then, you have to restart your laptop. Finally, test if the speakers are working or not.

If these above steps fail to resolve this issue, then you can follow the next method.

Method 3: Try to Update the Sound Card Driver

Read through this method in order to fix the Dell laptop speakers issue. This method includes the updating process of the sound card drivers. The steps to troubleshoot the error are as follows:

1. You have to follow the same process as in method 2. First press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time.
2. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and then, hit the Enter key. This action will open the Device Manager window. 
3. Again, expand the ‘Sound, Video and Game controllers’ option. Then, right-click on the sound card name and now, you have to click on the Uninstall Device option. 
4. After that, you have to click on the ‘Delete the driver software for this device’ and at the end, click on the Uninstall option.
5. You need to restart your Dell laptop and then, you have to download the latest driver of the sound card. 
6. Now, install the driver by following the on-screen instructions. When the installations finish, then you have to restart the Dell laptop again.
7. Finally, play a sound to test if the speakers are working or not.

Therefore, these were the steps that will help you to update the sound card driver of your Dell laptop. If this method does not resolve this issue, then you can follow the next method which is given in the next section.

Method 4: Disable the Front Panel Jack Detection 

Follow this method as it will help you to learn how to disable the Front Panel Jack Detection. The steps for this method are as follows:

1. First of all, you have to left-click on the Start icon and then, have to type ‘Realtek HD Audio Manager’. Please note that Realtek is an inbuilt audio manager software.
2. This action will open the Realtek HD Audio Manager window and then, you have to choose the Speakers tab.
3. Now, you have to click on the folder which will be under the Device Advanced settings option. This action will now open the Connector Settings.
4. From the Connector Settings, select the ‘Disable front jack detection’ option. Finally, you have to click on the OK button to complete the process.
5. In the end, check for the speakers, if they are working or not.

If your Dell Inspiron laptop speakers not working issue still persists, don’t worry. However, we have other easy and important methods that can try on your own. The rest of the methods are as follows.

Method 5: Try to Disable the HDMI Sound

In case, if you are using an HDMI cable to transfer sound and audio, then you need to disable the HDMI audio. If you don’t know how to disable the HDMI output, then follow the steps which are given below:

1. From the taskbar, right-click on the Speaker icon, which is at the lower right corner of the screen.
2. Now, from the list of options, select the Playback Devices option. This will open the Playback tab.
3. After that, you have to click on the S24D590 option which will be using the HDMI. Then, you have to select the Disable button.
4. Finally, to apply the changes, you have to click on the Apply option and then, you will have to click on the OK button.
5. Check if the error is resolved or not.

After checking the speakers of your Dell laptop, if the issue is not resolved, then you can follow the method.

Method 6: Run the Process of System Restore to Fix the Issue

Many a time, Windows update stops the audio card driver from working. So, to resolve this issue you need to revert back to the previous version of Windows. Some of the users found this method to be useful and effective. However, if you do not know how to restore the Windows Operating System to the previous version, then follow this section of the article. In this section, you will get the steps to restore the Windows Operating System, so have a look:

1. First thing first, press and hold the Windows logo key and then, press the Enter key.
2. When a new window appears, you have to type ‘rstrui.exe’ and again press the Enter key.
3. Now, you have to click on the ‘Choose a different restore point’ option and then, click the Next button.
4. After that choose the proper checkpoint and then, you have to click on the Next option.
5. Finally, to finish the process click on the Finish button.
6. To apply the restoration, restart the Dell laptop and wait for Windows to complete the system restore process.
7. In the end, check if the issue is resolved or not.

With these steps, we hope that you could resolve the issue on your own. If not, then proceed to the next method.

Method 7: Try to Enable Audio Card in BIOS or UEFI

If Windows Operating System restore does not give you the best solution to fix the issue, then have a look at this method. If you have an integrated sound card on your Dell laptop, then you need to check the BIOS or UEFI settings. In some cases, the sound card may be disabled in the BIOS, then you need to enable it. 

For changing the settings, you need to access the BIOS of your Dell laptop. For performing all the steps, you need to follow the section below:

1. You need to first restart the Dell laptop.
2. When the booting process starts, immediately press Del or the F2 key, so that you can access the BIOS or UEFI.
3. Now, you have to press the F2 key to access the Advanced Mode.
4. After that, you have to click on the OK button to confirm access to Advanced Mode.
5. In the next step, choose the Advanced option and then, you have to click on the Onboard Devices Configuration option.
6. Next, you have to navigate to the onboard audio devices option and then, you will see two audio options. The first audio device option is HD Audio Controller and the second one is the Realtek LAN Controller. Here, you need to enable both options.
7. To finish up the process, you have to press the Exit button and then, click on the ‘Save Changes & Reset’ option.
8. Now, boot your Dell laptop and check for the issue is resolved or not.

Hope that these simple and easy steps will help you to fix the issue at the earliest. However, if you are still struggling with the problem, then you can follow the next method.

Method 8: Change the Current Sound Card

If you want, you can change the current sound card of your Dell laptop, if none of the methods above works out for you. Though this process is a bit tricky, however, you can take help from a professional. Otherwise, you can follow the methods above and try to resolve the issue efficiently. 

You can also perform a method multiple times in order to get the best out of it. So, these were the methods that will help you to eradicate the issue associated with Dell laptop speakers not working. Without any skip, try to follow all the steps to get the best result. If you are facing any trouble while performing the steps, then get back to us and we will help you out. Also, if you have any suggestions or ideas, then post them in the comments section below.