Audio device is disabled in Windows 11/10

According to some users, the audio on their Windows 11/10 computer stopped working after a recent Windows Update. To solve that issue, they ran the Playing Audio troubleshooter but instead of fixing the problem, the troubleshooter displayed the error that the Audio device is disabled on their Windows 11/10 computer. If such a problem happens with you also, this article might help you fix it.

Why is my sound disabled?

There could be many reasons because that sound is disabled on your Windows computer. Maybe you have disabled your audio output device accidentally or you have configured it incorrectly. The most likely cause of this problem is also the outdated or corrupt audio drivers. Therefore, you should try configuring your audio device correctly and keep your audio drivers updated.

Audio device is disabled in Windows 11/10

If the audio device is disabled on your Windows 11/10 computer, try the following solutions:

1. Enable audio device from Sound settings
2. Configure your audio device
3. Reinstall the sound card driver.

Let’s see these solutions in detail.

1] Enable audio device from Sound settings

The error message is self-explanatory. Therefore, to get rid of this error, you need to enable your audio device using Sound settings. Here are the steps:

1. Open Sound settings in your Windows computer
2. Click on the Playback tab
3. See if your audio device is listed there. If not, right-click on the empty space, and select the Show Disabled Devices option. This will show your audio device
4. Right-click on the audio device
5. Select the Enable option
6. After enabling the audio device, you can also set it as default. For this, right-click on the device again and select the Set as Default Device option
7. Click on the Apply button
8. Click on the OK button.

Now, check if the issue is fixed.

2] Configure your audio device

If the above solution does not fix the problem, you should configure your audio device. Follow the below instructions for that:

1. Open Sound settings of your Windows 11/10 computer using Command Prompt, Settings app, or any other preferred way
2. Access the Playback tab
3. Right-click on your speaker from the list
4. Select the Configure Speakers option. It will open the Speaker Setup box
5. In that box, click on the Test button to check the functionality of both of your connected speakers
6. Click on the Next button
7. Press the Finish button to complete the configuration.

This might fix the problem.

3] Reinstall the sound card driver

The issue might be occurring due to outdated or corrupt sound card drivers. Therefore, we suggest you uninstall and reinstall your sound card driver. The steps are as follows:

1. Click on the Search box of your Windows 11/10 computer
2. Type device manager in the Search box
3. Press the enter key to open the Device Manager window
4. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section
5. Right-click on your sound card driver
6. Select Uninstall device option. This will open an Uninstall Device box
7. Press the Uninstall button in that box
8. After uninstalling the driver, restart your computer.

After restart, Windows will automatically detect the hardware changes and install the latest version of your sound card driver.

If the issue still persists, download the latest version of your sound card driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it. Or else, you can also download and install the driver using the Settings app of your Windows 11/10 computer.

How do I enable Audio output device?

You can enable the audio output device via the following methods:

1. Windows Settings app
2. Device Manager
3. Control Panel
4. Registry Editor.

Hope this helps.

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