Windows 11 Audio Errors

[carnobytes]

Currently trying to figure out an awful issue my PC is having with audio input and output for seemingly no reason (I'm not the smartest with PCs)

The correct input and output are selected, the cords are all situated right, and I even checked to see if my audio drivers were up to date, but there's 0 audio going in or out. It's puzzling me because I use a mic on a stand and headphones that connect to two different ports, so I'm a little lost on what the issue might be.

I even connected separated devices just to see if I was utilizing faulty equipment, with no luck. No matter what I use I am receiving 0 input or output on all devices. My mic is not muted, and neither is my volume.

I have also attempted to troubleshoot and reset my audio drivers, and that didn't help me out either. Anyone have a clue what's going on?

Note: This issue was abrupt, all devices were working fine as of last night, and this issue started when I booted up this morning. It has persisted past multiple restarts.

OS Build Number: 26100.6584

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — this can be frustrating. Short version: most sudden “no audio in or out” problems come from (A) Windows audio services stopping, (B) the wrong/default device (or device disabled), (C) a driver/service corruption after an update, or (D) front-panel jack detection/hardware fault. Try the steps below in order and tell me what changes or what you see (especially any error messages, yellow icons in Device Manager, or whether the sound meters move).
Quick checks (5–10 minutes)

• Confirm which jacks you’re using: front panel or rear motherboard jacks? Are the mic/headphones 3.5mm analog or USB? (If USB, try a different USB port.)
• Play audio and watch Settings > System > Sound: do any output devices show and does the volume meter move? In Sound Control Panel (type mmsys.cpl) open Playback and Recording tabs, right‑click and choose “Show Disabled Devices” and “Show Disconnected Devices” — enable and set the correct device as Default.
• Check microphone privacy: Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone — make sure “Microphone access” is ON and apps you test with are allowed.

If quick checks don’t fix it, follow these next steps (I can walk you through any of them)

1. Restart Windows audio services:
   • Press Win+R, type services.msc → Enter. Ensure these services are Running and Startup = Automatic: Windows Audio, Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, and Multimedia Class Scheduler. If they’re stopped, right‑click → Start; if they’re disabled, set to Automatic then Start.
2. Device Manager driver reset:
   • Win+X → Device Manager → expand “Sound, video and game controllers”.
   • Right‑click your audio device → Uninstall device. If prompted to “Delete the driver software for this device,” do NOT check it on the first try; just uninstall and reboot so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically. If that fails, repeat and this time check the box to remove drivers, then reboot and install the latest driver from your motherboard/audio device maker’s website.
   • If a Roll Back Driver button is available, try it (in Driver tab).
3. Test hardware isolation:
   • Plug your headphones into the rear motherboard green jack (if you were using front panel) and test. Try a known-good USB headset if available. This determines if front-panel jack or internal audio header is faulty.
4. Check levels and metering:
   • In Recording tab (mmsys.cpl), speak into the mic — do the green level bars move? If they move but apps don’t receive audio, it’s an app/permission issue.
5. Run built-in troubleshooters:
   • Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > “Playing Audio” and “Recording Audio”.
6. System file & driver health (if still nothing):
   • Open an elevated Command Prompt (admin) and run:
     • sfc /scannow
     • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   • After those finish, reboot.
7. If this started right after a Windows update:
   • Settings > Windows Update > Update history — any recent audio-related update? Consider System Restore to a point before the problem (if you have restore points) or uninstalling the update.

If none of the above fixes it, tell me:

• Are you on a desktop or laptop? Motherboard/make & model (or laptop model).
• Which exact ports are you using (front/rear, color, labeled mic/line out)?
• Does Device Manager show your audio device name or a generic “High Definition Audio Device”? Any yellow warnings?
• Did anything change overnight (Windows update, driver update, BIOS change)?

Tell me the results of the “services.msc” check and whether the sound meters move — I’ll give the next specific command or, if needed, steps to reinstall the exact driver from your PC/motherboard vendor.

 

[datawizard0103]

First, press Win + R, type services.msc, and make sure Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder are running. If they’re running, right-click and Restart both. Also, check Sound Settings → Advanced → App Volume and Device Preferences to ensure nothing is being rerouted or muted. Sometimes, Windows updates or a minor corruption can make audio completely fail, so running sfc /scannow in an admin Command Prompt can fix system file issues affecting sound. If this still doesn’t help, a quick test is to create a new Windows user account and see if audio works there. If it does, it’s a profile-level glitch. Most of the time, one of these steps gets audio back without reinstalling drivers.

 

[ChatGPT]

Good troubleshooting so far — you’ve already covered the obvious checks. Let’s run a short, prioritized checklist (safe → more invasive) with exact commands and the specific things I want you to paste back if it still fails. I’ll also call out the most common hidden causes so you don’t miss them. Many users fix sudden “no input and no output” by restarting the audio services, re‑selecting/enabling endpoints, disabling exclusive mode/enhancements, or rolling back a bad update.
Quick checks (2–5 minutes)
1) Confirm the Windows audio services are running (you already suggested this — do it once more and send the output if anything looks different):

• Open an elevated PowerShell (right‑click Start → Windows Terminal (Admin)) and run:
  Get‑Service AudioSrv, AudioEndpointBuilder, MMCSS
  If any show Status Stopped, run:
  Restart‑Service -Name AudioSrv,AudioEndpointBuilder,MMCSS -Force
  (If Restart fails, set them to auto and start:
  sc config AudioSrv start= auto
  sc start AudioSrv )
  (Recommendation to check/restart services comes from standard troubleshooting steps).

2) Check sound endpoints and meters

• Open Settings → System → Sound. Under Output and Input, pick each device and watch the volume meter while playing sound or speaking. Also run: Win+R → mmsys.cpl → Playback and Recording tabs: right‑click → Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices → enable and set the expected device as Default. If the meters move but you still get no sound into apps, paste what you see.

3) App routing / per‑app device preferences

• Settings → System → Sound → Advanced → App volume and device preferences. Make sure none of the apps are routed to an unexpected device or muted. This often silently reroutes audio.

If quick checks still show zero in/out, do these next steps in order:
Step A — Disable enhancements & exclusive mode (very common hidden culprit)

• Win+R → mmsys.cpl → Recording (or Playback) → double‑click your device → Advanced tab → uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.” On the Enhancements / Signal Enhancements tab, check “Disable all enhancements” (or similar). Apply and test. Numerous threads show this fixing apps that “steal” the audio chain.

Step B — Run the built‑in troubleshooters

• Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → run “Playing Audio” and “Recording Audio”. These can auto‑fix device defaults and driver flags.

Step C — Reinstall / Roll back drivers (safe-first method)

1. Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers:
   • Right‑click device → Properties → Driver tab → if Roll Back Driver is available try it.
   • If not, right‑click → Uninstall device (do NOT tick “Delete the driver software” on first pass). Reboot so Windows reinstalls the driver.
2. If that fails, download the vendor (motherboard/PC) audio driver and install it (OEM drivers often work better than the generic Microsoft driver). Community reports frequently show success after switching to OEM driver.

Step D — System file / component health (safe and recommended)

• Elevated PowerShell / CMD:
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  sfc /scannow
  Reboot and test. These repair corrupt system components that sometimes break audio initialization.

Step E — Test with a clean profile / clean boot

• Create a temporary local user account (Settings → Accounts → Family & other users → Add account → “I don’t have this person’s sign‑in information” → Add a user without Microsoft account). Log into that account and test audio. If audio works there, it’s a profile/config issue; if it doesn’t, it’s system/driver/hardware level. (You mentioned this test — it’s a very useful isolation step.)

Step F — If the problem started after an update

• Check Settings → Windows Update → Update history. If you see a recent cumulative or driver KB, consider uninstalling that update or using System Restore to a point before the failure. If you want help removing a specific package, I can give the exact DISM or wusa command once you paste the KB or Package Identity.

Advanced checks (paste the outputs)
If none of the above fixes it, please paste the output of each of these (open elevated PowerShell or CMD and run; paste the text here):
1) Service status:
Get‑Service AudioSrv,AudioEndpointBuilder,MMCSS | Format‑Table -AutoSize
2) Device list (paste the Device Manager names shown under these panes):

• Open Device Manager → copy the exact entries under:
  • Audio inputs and outputs
  • Sound, video and game controllers
    (If you prefer, take screenshots and attach them.)

3) powercfg blockers:
powercfg -requests
powercfg -lastwake
These show any app or driver preventing audio or sleep/power interactions (useful because audio endpoints sometimes get disabled by power requests).
4) Event Viewer errors

• Open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System and filter for errors around the time you booted or tried playback (look for Kernel‑Power, WHEA, or AudioEndpointBuilder errors). Paste any errors/warnings that mention “Audio”, “AUDIOSRV”, “Endpoint”, or a driver name.

If a hardware/port issue is possible

• Try rear motherboard jacks if you’ve been using front panel jacks, or try a known‑good USB headset. If everything fails on every port and device, that strongly points to a driver/service or update issue rather than headset hardware.

What I can do next for you

• If you paste the three outputs above (service list, Device Manager names, and powercfg -requests) I will:
  • Tell you exactly which service/device to restart or reinstall and the exact command.
  • If it’s update/driver related, I’ll give the exact DISM/wusa command to remove the package (and how to block it).
  • If it’s a profile issue, I’ll give the cleanup steps to fix the account without a full reinstall.

Useful references I used for these steps (so you know why we’re doing each one): Windows audio services, services restart, and driver/restore flows.
If you want, start by running the three paste‑requests above and tell me whether you’re on a laptop or desktop and whether your devices are analog 3.5mm or USB. I’ll be ready to walk through the exact next command or driver install.