Windows Error “Audio Output Device Not Installed” - Causes and Solutions

If the computer's operating system starts showing you an “Audio Output Device Not Installed” every time you move the mouse over a sound icon, this means that Windows may have problems determining the computer's audio device or it is possible that Windows Sound drivers are damaged. Usually, when you try to click on the Windows sound controller, it opens the “Play Troubleshooter” window to fix this problem, but it may not always solve the problem, and shows that “troubleshooting is impossible”, an error message on the screen PC, or perhaps sometimes it also shows that the problem is with the drivers.

The solution to the problem with the recognition of audio devices.

Causes of error

The error "Audio output device is not installed" can occur in any version of the Windows operating system, regardless of whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 7 on your desktop or laptop, as well as on servers. Here is a list of things that might be possible and cause this problem in the computer system:

  • Incorrect or outdated drivers (85% probability).
  • Windows problems (14% probability).
  • Malfunction of the audio connector of your PC, laptop or motherboard (1% probability).

And to find out what that means and which one is the main root cause for the “Audio output device not installed” sound issue on Windows 7 and others, you really need to troubleshoot, because without troubleshooting, no one can tell which of them is the main one. So let's see why problems occur and how to solve this problem.

What to do if the output audio device is not set

In most cases, problems are related to damaged PC drivers, and the best way to confirm this is to open Windows Device Manager, which lists all the drivers for the hardware.

Driver troubleshooting

What do we have to do? To do this, first, you need to open the Device Manager using a launch command called "devmgmt.msc", and in case you do not know how to open the "Run" window, press Windows + R at the same time, and then type "Devmgmt.msc" in the dialog box and press Enter. When the device manager opens before you, you need to check the sound drivers to know that everything is working fine or you may need to fix it.

Condition 1 - If the device manager shows you that the sound driver looks normal, and you still have this problem, then the PC or laptop has some basic drivers associated with it that cannot yet be identified. Or you can feel free to skip the solution to this condition and move on to the next one if there is some kind of abnormal sign on the PC sound drivers. In this case, you need to download the latest version of the PC sound drivers, which you can install after the download so that everything becomes normal again. If a driver update does not work for you, continue to the next solution to continue troubleshooting this error.

Condition 2 - if you find on your audio driver a yellow or disabled label that says, or perhaps all audio drivers are listed in the list of unknowns in the category of other devices, then it’s actually time that the PC audio drivers need to be updated. What to do if drivers are disabled? In case you find that Audio Drivers are disabled in Device Manager, you can quickly turn it back on by simply right-clicking on the Sound Driver and selecting the enable option, allowing you to turn the drivers back to the operating position.

What should I do if drivers have a yellow sign or are included in the category of other devices? A yellow or perhaps a red cross indicates that the drivers are damaged, and if the sound drivers are listed in the “Other devices” category, this means that the PC sound drivers on Windows 8 and others are not yet installed. In both cases, you will have to install the latest drivers, but if the PC shows a yellow or red sign on the old drivers, then you should first remove the old damaged drivers, because sometimes the latest drivers are installed. To remove the old drivers, you first need to right-click on the old sound drivers, and when the options appear, select “Remove” to remove this driver from the PC.

Troubleshooting the operating system

If installing or updating sound drivers to the latest did not solve the problem, in this case, the second most important and main thing that could be the cause of this problem is the own Windows operating system. In most cases, some kind of virus or, possibly, malicious software spoils Windows, and, basically, when malware or a virus gets onto a PC, it directly starts attacking programs and drivers to infect our system, and this is where the components run. which do some crazy things. So, the first thing to do is to scan your PC for viruses. What should I do if the removal of a virus or malware from my PC did not work? Basically, when malware or viruses begin to infect a PC, the main purpose with which they begin to spoil our Windows is the registry database, since it is the main controller of the Windows operating system.

It happens that anti-virus scanning sometimes did not show infected files on the PC, and yet you had this problem. This is only possible if the operating system was corrupted by any other spam software that you downloaded from the Internet while viewing an insecure website. To fix the registry problem, you just need to buy a best-in-class registry cleaner to repair and remove bad values ​​from the registry database. All working registry cleaners are only available in the paid version, but before spending money, you can first fix the registry using the Windows command line, because in most cases you can solve this problem by entering one command and you don’t even have to pay anything for it.

Use SFC / SCANNOW to restore Windows. Sfc Scan is a great command-line command that can help you repair Windows just by typing one command at the Windows command line. Now you just need to type a command on the CMD and wait until the scan is complete, and it will restore most of the Windows files, including the corrupted registry database:

  • Open CMD as administrator.
  • Then type “sfc / scannow” and press Enter. Make sure you do not close this CMD window until the check is 100% complete.
  • Restart the PC and check it, if the sound returns, then it is good, if not, now you need to buy a registry cleaner for the operating system.

If your PC does not have a tuner or registry cleaner, install the best-in-class cleaner on your PC to achieve perfect system performance and uptime. After downloading the registry cleaning program, simply click the scan button, which will automatically start a full system scan, and then it will show you every little problem found on your PC. After that, just click the "Fix the problem" button to restore everything that is displayed in front of you.

In case you still have this problem on your PC, it is possible that some important Windows files were damaged from the inside, and there was some problem that still prevents these files from fixing and working correctly. The only way to solve this problem is to reinstall Windows. Sometimes it happens that recovery is impossible. Thus, backing up and installing new Windows on a PC is the best option you can still try, and perhaps be sure to install the latest drivers, according to the version of the operating system after the Windows installation is complete.

Speaker Test

Even after reinstalling Windows, if you still have this problem with the PC, then this is a 100% hardware error, but there are some things you can still try - restore the PC sound by troubleshooting hardware problems. Troubleshoot the output device - it is sometimes possible that the audio output device you connected is already defective, and Windows is writing an error due to this faulty output device. In fact, it is always better to use headphones or earplugs in the audio jack of a PC or laptop to check for their internal or external problem.

Use a different audio jack (for desktop users only). If you have this problem, you can also try using the audio jack on the front panel of the PC, in addition to the rear panel, and if you already use the jack on the front panel, you can also try using the jack on the back panel, because everything is possible It works fine, but the problem is with a broken audio jack. Use the USB Sound Adapter is an external audio output device that you can use in the USB port of a PC or laptop, because repairing an Audio Jack or Audio Chip on a PC motherboard is really expensive, but for less than $ 10 you can buy a USB sound card for your PC, which can work on both laptops and desktop PCs.

Setting up the playback device

The sound function in Windows only works if there is an installed audio device in the system, and its absence will interfere with normal operation. Sometimes users encounter the “Audio output device not installed” error when they scroll the mouse over the sound icon that is in the lower right corner of the PC screen. Because of this error, the audio function of the PC stops working. This error can occur in any version of the Windows operating system, be it Windows 7, 8 or 10, depending on what you are using.

The error occurs when Windows is damaged and is faced with an identification problem with the computer device, or if the Windows Sound drivers are outdated or damaged. This can also occur if the computer’s audio jack has a malfunction. However, it is difficult to determine the exact cause that causes problems with the sound in the system. The sound icon displays a red X on the screen during an error, which indicates that the computer cannot make sound at this time. Many Windows users often complain about this problem. And if you are one of those whose Windows sound system is not working and shows the error "Output audio device is not installed, " you can fix your sound output device. Many methods can help you solve this problem so that the audio unit function works again, as before.

Using Microsoft System Restore

To correct the error “Audio output device is not installed, ” you can use the Microsoft System Restore feature or the System Restore method. This method is an excellent solution to eliminate the sound problem on the computer in order to re-enable the sound function. If there is no sound in the system, and the audio message “The audio output device is not installed” is still displayed on the sound icon, the system restore function of Microsoft will restore the system until the problem occurs. This method will allow you to check if time recovery solves the problem. However, if you still receive the "Audio output device not installed" error message, you may need to contact the service center to diagnose the error associated with the problem. In addition, an error can do something with a PC sound card, as this may lead to the termination of the sound system. In this case, you may need to remove or replace the card with a new one.

Reinstall the device driver

This is one of the very effective and efficient solutions for correcting a sound output device that has an error installed on a Windows computer. In this solution, you must first remove the current damaged sound driver, and then reinstall it from the Microsoft website. Follow the steps:

  1. First, open the device manager and click on the same sound and game control option.
  2. Then right-click the installed driver present there. Click on "Remove Device Driver".
  3. Now restart the computer and open the device manager again.
  4. Then right-click on the empty right side of this window. After that, click the “Scan hardware changes” button to determine the available sound drivers.
  5. If there are drivers, right-click them and select Install. If there are no drivers, download the sound device driver from the official site.

Re-enable audio device

By re-enabling the audio unit function, you can get rid of the error “Audio output device not installed”, so follow these steps:

  1. First, simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to launch the Run command. Enter "devmgmt.msc" in the Run window and click OK.
  2. Then find the option “Sound, video and game controllers” in the list that appears and click on it to expand the list.
  3. Now click the “Enable” button when the pop-up window appears to turn on the audio device again.

Use Scannow to fix the driver

This is another solution that many users have tried, and to a large extent this method solves the installed device error No audio output.

  1. First enter cmd in the Cortana search menu. When the command line appears in the Cortana search results, right-click on it. Then, when a pop-up window opens on Cortana, click “Run as administrator”.
  2. Now the UAC confirmation appears. Click "Yes" to move on.
  3. Type sfc / scannow and press Enter.
  4. This command will start the scanning process and detect problems with the driver or registry.

Update Legacy Audio Device Drivers

The sound problem that displays the error “Audio output device not installed” can also be caused by the presence of outdated drivers in the computer system that need to be replaced. For this method, you can use the Driver Easy tool, which automatically scans the needs of system drivers and finds suitable drivers. As the name implies, Driver Easy allows you to easily avoid the difficult task of finding the right driver that will meet the needs of your computer, and then load it. Using Driver Easy, you can update outdated drivers by following these steps:

  • First, download and install Driver Easy in the system.
  • Then open Driver Easy and select the “Scan Now” option. Driver Easy will now automatically scan your computer and detect the presence of any incorrect drivers.
  • Then click on the “Update” option, located just below the “Scan” option, to download and install the correct drivers for the system.

You can also click the “Update All” option to download the latest version of all drivers that are outdated or missing from the PC and are not compatible with the functions of the system. (For the “Update all” option you need to have a Pro-version of the Driver Easy tool for which you have to pay).

Change sound card

Sometimes when installing a device without audio output, an error may occur due to any problem with the computer hardware, which means that the sound card in the system may be damaged. Therefore, to try out this method, you can contact a computer technician or service center to replace the sound card, since you cannot do it yourself without knowing the hardware.

Repair corrupted Windows registry database

Sometimes the Windows registry database is damaged due to the presence of any virus or malware on the computer. These viruses or malware can actively harm the computer. Thus, if the Windows registry database is infected due to this, you will have driver problems even with the latest sound drivers, and errors such as “Audio output device is not installed” will be displayed. Thus, you can choose any third-party tool from the many available on the market, since it can completely eliminate registry problems. You can choose a registry cleaning tool, as it will help you to restore it.

Add a new audio device

To fix the error “Audio output device is not installed” go to the Device Manager window. Then click on the “Sound, video and game controllers” button to expand the list. Then, to add an audio unit, follow these steps:

  1. Open the device manager window by pressing the menu button, then select Action / Add Legacy Equipment.
  2. Then click “Next” in the “Welcome to hardware installation wizard” window, then select the “Search for updated driver software automatically” option and select “Next” again.
  3. In this method, if an audio device is not found, the wizard will help you choose the audio device that you want to add. Select “Sound, video and game controllers” again and click “Next”.
  4. After that, a sound device will appear on the computer, and you can select it and click “Next” to complete this process.

Audio Troubleshooter

Microsoft Windows, be it 7, 8, or 10, has a unique feature that you can use as a sound troubleshooting tool. This feature is designed to automatically detect problems related to audio and sound devices. To use this audio troubleshooting feature to correct the "Audio output device not installed" error, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the system sound icon, which shows a red cross and an error. This icon is located at the bottom right of the screen. Now click on the "Fix audio problems" option.
  2. The audio troubleshooting feature automatically scans your computer for sound problems. Allow time for the process to complete, as it will take several minutes.
  3. After you have completed the troubleshooting process, it will display the result and make changes to the system.
  4. Now you can check if the sound system is working or not.
  5. However, if the sound is still not working and the “Audio output device is not installed” error is displayed, you can click the “Advanced Settings” button in the troubleshooting results window. You can switch to another way of reinstalling the audio driver on the PC.

Windows Audio Services

If the Windows computer cannot play audio services, you may receive an error message "The output audio device is not installed." Therefore, to eliminate the error, you need to check the sound system on your computer by following these steps:

  1. Go to the Cortana search menu, enter the services and click on it when it appears. Run it as administrator.
  2. Now the “Services” window will open, in which you will find two windows. This is Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. (These audio services are available on a Windows 10 computer, so if you are using a different version of Windows, you can search for other audio services, depending on your hardware).
  3. When you see these windows, make sure they are up and running automatically.

If they work correctly, try another method to resolve the "Audio output device not installed" error.

Restart computer

Sometimes the error “Audio output device not installed” can be caused by a change in the configuration of your hardware during Windows startup, as this creates problems with hardware, such as audio devices. To prevent this problem from recurring, you should stop connecting or removing any part of your computer, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer, while the computer is booting. You can connect or remove them after Windows completes the boot process. Therefore, if you restart your computer, it will help Windows to restore the hardware configuration again and solve the problem of lack of sound.