Speaker icon has a Red X on it, "no audio output device is installed".

Anonymous

original title: No audio output device is installed.

I have done nothing different to my computer but noticed yesterday that the speaker icon in the system tray has a red and white "X" over it and says that "no audio output device is installed." I have Windows Vista. When I go to my control panel and click on "Sounds and Hardwar," and again click on "Sound," it tells me that "No audio devices are installed." Yesterday I went to --> All programs --> Accesories --> System Tools --> System Restore and I did a system restore that way. After my computer re-started, the audio problem was solved but somehow my anti-virus protection was no longer installed. I fixed this with the McAfee support online chat and the audio was also working all day yesterday. However, today, it again says that "no audio output device is installed," and I do not want to restore my system again and have to deal with the anti-virus software going haywire again. Is there another way to fix this? Please help me. I have looked this up on other support sites and have found the answers too technical for me to understand. I have a one-year-old Toshiba Satellite M205 with an Intel Centrino processer and Vista with Service Pack 1 installed although I don't know if that is important information or not. My computer has a sticker on it that says "Dolby Sound Room," whatever that means. Thanks in advance!

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Anonymous

Hi m_kelsey,

It sounds like you might have an audio driver that isn’t working properly, please do the following:

1. Click Start

2. In ‘Start Search’ type Device Manager, press Enter (provide administrative credentials if prompted)

3. Click the “+” next to Sound, video and game controllers to drop down the menu

4. Check the status of any device listed in that category by right-clicking that device, clicking Properties, and then under the General tab check what it says under “Device status”. Let us know what the status was.

5. Then check all the devices (especially any that had a problem under “Device status”) listed in this category for updated drivers by right-clicking that device and then clicking Update Driver Software… (this step may take a moment so be patient).

Get back to us with your results so that we can further assist you if need be. We look forward to hearing back from you.

Brian

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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190 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-06-08T14:22:24+00:00

Hello,

I'm having a similar problem to this except my Sound, video and game controllers drop down box has disappeared. I have an hp 9700 pavilion and downloaded all hp updates but still at a loss. Any advice you can give?
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Anonymous

2013-02-26T05:46:01+00:00

I had this problem also. It may be different from many of yours but I believe this should help some of you. I was already writing a blog post about how I fixed it so I'll go ahead and post the link.

http://slodds.co/tutorial/the-audio-on-my-alienware-m17x-r4-shows-a-red-x/

It is confusing when everyone says the Intel(R) Display Audio is your main sound card (or close to it.) I didn't think I had to look elsewhere but I was wrong.
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Anonymous

2013-02-19T15:33:22+00:00

Hey people if anybody is getting tired of this problem then i myself realize that nothing gonna be better at all.all the procedure is fake and wont worth at all. the best and the intelligent way is to bye USB sound card which is very cheap that cost only Rs. 140 INR and available in any electronic online shopping sites...........

cheers

thanks

myself

Siije
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Anonymous

2013-02-18T16:12:29+00:00

Hi m_kelsey,

It sounds like you might have an audio driver that isn’t working properly, please do the following:

1.       Click Start

2.       In ‘Start Search’ type Device Manager, press Enter (provide administrative credentials if prompted)

3.       Click the “+” next to Sound, video and game controllers to drop down the menu

4.       Check the status of any device listed in that category by right-clicking that device, clicking Properties, and then under the General tab check what it says under “Device status”. Let us know what the status was.

5.       Then check all the devices (especially any that had a problem under “Device status”) listed in this category for updated drivers by right-clicking that device and then clicking Update Driver Software… (this step may take a moment so be patient).

Get back to us with your results so that we can further assist you if need be. We look forward to hearing back from you.

Brian

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

This device is working properly. this is the error message that I am receiving
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