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

Anonymous
2009-03-15T21:20:24+00:00

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!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

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Anonymous
2009-03-16T13:45:31+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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-11-27T06:43:02+00:00

    Type in msconfig in the start bar.  Under general make sure you have normal startup selected in order to load all drivers and services.  Mine had selective startup when I found this. Under services unselect Windows audio endpoint builder, and window audio.  Click apply and ok and it'll reboot.  If the sound isnt on, msconfig then make sure windows audio, and window audio endpoint builder ARE selected then apply and ok, then it should reboot and have sound.  I've been trying to figure it out for a while and this worked.  trying to reinstall drivers and all that other junk did nothing.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-25T23:15:16+00:00

    I had the same error "no audio output device is installed" and my Win Media Player wasn't working

    I realized the problem was caused by the corrupted "avrt.dll" file in BOTH

    C:\Windows\System32 and ...\SysWOW64 folders

    I used "7-Zip File Manager" to extract the original "avrt.dll" file from the windows installation disk

    you can google on how to do that

    and replaced with the corrupted ones and everything was OK

    the sound device was back again

    and the media player was also working fine

    but I had difficulty replacing related to file ownership issues but

    there is enough info on the net about how to solve that

    And I still have no idea how that dll file was corrupted

    All the best,

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-11-25T22:58:24+00:00

    Brian,

    So I did the above steps for my Bluetooth Hands-free audio and for my Bluetooth Stereo Audio.  For both devices the Properties was "The device is working properly"  when I clicked update device the response was "The best driver software for your device is already installed.  Windows has determined the drive software for your device is up to date"

    Something ain't right for I stil get "No audio output device is installed."

    By the way I have that realy swell vista version of windows installed on a HP Pavilion Entertainment PC.

    Thanks,

    sje001

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-11-20T18:33:39+00:00

    the Intel(R) Display Audio is the only thing listed under Sound, video and game controllers. I tried downloading the Realtek HD drive from asus this morning and it would not install completely.

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