Sound problem

H Jadidi 0 Reputation points
2026-07-26T18:06:31.28+00:00

My PC using winows11 connected to my monitor via HDMI cable worked perfect for years. After sending an MP4 to my phone via Bluetooth, my PC windows11 thinks my audio output device is now my phone. I deleted the phone reference in device manager/sound. Now it shows no sound output device and volume control is greyed out and silent. It refuses to see my monitor as an audio output after reboot. Any suggestion please on how to get back to normal operation? Thank you

Surface | Surface Laptop | Sound and camera
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  1. AI answer

    2026-07-26T18:06:51.19+00:00

    Try these steps in order for Windows 11:

    1. Check the selected output device.
      • Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
      • Select the arrow to the right of the volume slider to open the list of audio devices.
      • If the monitor appears there, select it as the output device.
    2. Make sure the audio device is not muted or disabled.
      • Right-click the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
      • Select the arrow to the right of the volume slider, then select the settings icon for More mixer settings.
      • Confirm the device is not muted.
      • Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
      • Under Advanced, select More sound settings.
      • On the Playback tab, select the monitor or audio device, choose Properties, and make sure Device usage is set to Use this device (enable).
    3. Set the correct default audio device.
      • Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
      • In Output, select the monitor or HDMI audio device to make it the default output device.
      • If an external monitor without speakers is selected, there will be no audio, so make sure the correct HDMI display audio device is chosen.
    4. Check for Windows updates.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update.
      • Select Check for updates.
      • Install available updates, including audio driver updates, then restart the PC.
    5. Reinstall the audio driver.
      • In the taskbar search box, type Device Manager and open it.
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • Right-click the sound card or audio device and select Uninstall device.
      • If prompted, confirm uninstall.
      • Restart the PC. Windows should automatically reinstall the audio driver.
      • Save open work first, because this step requires a restart.
    6. If reinstalling does not help, update the driver manually.
      • In Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • Right-click the audio device and select Update driver.
      • Select Search automatically for drivers.
      • If Windows does not find a newer driver, install the latest audio driver from the device manufacturer.
    7. If sound stopped working after updates, roll back the audio driver.
      • In Device Manager, right-click the audio device and select Properties.
      • Open the Driver tab.
      • Select Roll Back Driver if available.
    8. Restart Windows audio services.
      • In the taskbar search box, type services and open it.
      • Restart these services one by one:
        • Windows Audio
        • Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
        • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
    9. If the device uses IDT High Definition Audio CODEC, try the manual driver switch.
      • In Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • If IDT High Definition Audio CODEC is listed, right-click it and select Update driver.
      • Select Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
      • Select High Definition Audio Device, then select Next.

    A practical order for this specific HDMI scenario is: set the output device, verify it is enabled, reinstall/update the audio driver, then restart audio services.

    References:

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  2. S.Sengupta 32,031 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-07-27T00:13:47.71+00:00
    1. Fully remove the Bluetooth pairing

    Settings → Bluetooth & devices → remove the phone (not just in Device Manager, which can leave orphaned audio stubs).

    1. Restart audio services in this order: Open Run menu and type services.msc > hit the Enter key

    RPC → Windows Audio Endpoint Builder → Windows Audio.

    1. Unhide your real output device

    Right-click speaker icon → Sound settings → More sound settings → right-click empty space in Playback tab → check "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices" → find your HDMI audio device → Enable → Set as Default.

    1. Check Device Manager

    Sound, video and game controllers → look for "Intel/NVIDIA/AMD Display/HD Audio" → if disabled, Enable; if missing, Uninstall it then Action → Scan for hardware changes.

    1. Run the troubleshooter

    Win+R → msdt.exe /id AudioPlaybackDiagnostic

    1. Reinstall the audio driver fresh.

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