Updated your PC to Windows 11 recently but unable to listen to any audio? This is quite a common problem and can prevent you from listening to any sounds on the computer, including playing music, attending video calls, and even using peripherals like speakers and headphones.

Errors like 'No audio output device is installed' can occur when Windows cannot detect any connected audio devices. This can happen due to various reasons, such as corrupt system files, driver-related issues, changes in system settings, etc. If you're wondering how to fix this problem, this is just the guide for you.

Run the Audio Troubleshooter

Windows has built-in troubleshooters to detect and resolve problems with different components, including audio devices. You can try to run the audio troubleshooter and see if that can help fix your problems.

  1. Right-click on the sound icon on the taskbar and click on the 'Troubleshoot Sound Problems' option.
  1. Alternatively, you can open the Settings page and type troubleshoot in the search box on the upper left. This will show you a few options.
  1. Click on the 'Troubleshoot Other Problems' option and you will be taken to the troubleshooting page.
  1. Here, click on the option 'Other Troubleshooters'.
  1. From the list of options that appear, click on the 'Run' button to the right of the Audio option to run the audio troubleshooter.
  1. This will open the 'Get Help' app on Windows 11 and 'Troubleshoot Audio Issues' will be listed as the problem.
  1. The app will ask for your permission to run diagnostics to detect the problem. Click on the 'Yes' button to allow it to do so.
  1. Windows will run a diagnostic and then recommend the steps you need to follow to resolve the problem.
  1. Follow the instructions that appear in the Get Help app and check to see whether the 'No audio output device is installed' error is resolved.

Reinstall the Audio Driver

A corrupted audio driver can prevent Windows 11 from accessing your audio devices and peripherals. You can fix this issue by reinstalling the audio driver using the Windows Device Manager.

  1. Open the Start menu, type device manager, and press the 'Enter' key or click on the utility to launch it.
  1. When the Device Manager opens, click on the 'Audio Inputs and Outputs' option to expand it.
Note: If your audio devices are not visible in the Device Manager, go to the 'View' option at the top and click on the 'Show Hidden Devices' option.
  1. Now, right-click on your audio device and click on the 'Update Driver' option.
  1. Next, you will have to choose how to search for drivers. Click on 'Browser My Computer For Drivers'.
  1. On the next page, click on the option 'Let Me Pick From A List Of Available Drivers On My Computer'.
  1. Windows will show the available drivers that you can install. Make sure the 'Show Compatible Hardware' option is enabled. If it is not, click on the check box to enable it.
  1. Finally, select the 'Generic Software Device' and click on the 'Next' button.
  1. Once Windows finishes installing the driver, you can close the device manager and test whether the error still shows up.

Enable Disabled Audio Devices

You may have accidentally disabled an audio device, resulting in the 'No audio output device is installed' error. In such a case, enabling the device might help fix the issue.

  1. Open the Control Panel and select 'Large Icons' from the drop-down list on the top.
  1. Click on the 'Sound' option.
  1. In the box that opens up, make sure you are on the 'Playback' tab. Right-click on the speakers or headphones for which the error appears, and click on the 'Enable' option, if it is available.

    If your devices are enabled, you will only see the option to disable them.
  1. After enabling your speakers or headphones, right-click on them again and click on the 'Properties' option.
  1. By default, the Properties box will open on the 'General' tab, Click on the 'Levels' tab next to it.
  1. The levels tab allows you to adjust the volume for the device you selected. Move the slider to the right to increase the volume level.
  1. Finally, go to the 'Advanced' tab at the top.
  1. Disable the 'Allow Applications To Take Exclusive Control Of This Device' option by clicking on the check box so it is unchecked.
  1. After following these steps, restart your PC and check whether the problem persists. If it does, you may need to remove the driver that was installed and install another one from the website of your computer manufacturer.

Reinstall the Audio Driver from the Manufacturer's Website

The audio driver installed on your system may be out of date causing the error. The best solution in this instance is to visit the website of your computer manufacturer and download the latest audio driver from there.

  1. First, you need to find your system model and manufacturer. To do that, open the Start menu and type msinfo32 and click on 'System Information' when it appears in the results.
  1. This will open up the System Information window where you can find the make and model of your machine. With that information, you can visit your computer manufacturer's website and download the latest audio driver.
  1. Now all you need to do is to visit the website of your device manufacturer using your web browser and download the latest audio driver from there.
  1. After downloading the driver, install it on your PC and reboot it. Depending on your PC manufacturer, installation can be as simple as clicking on the 'Install' button. Hopefully, this should resolve the 'No audio output device is installed' error.
Note: Before reinstalling drivers, make sure to uninstall the old ones from the Control Panel by going to the 'Programs and Features' option.

Ensure Audio Services are Running

The Windows Audio Service and Windows Audio Endpoint Service need to be running on your PC for audio to work properly. You can check them and start them if they are not running to deal with the 'No audio output device is installed' error.

  1. Open the Start menu, type services.msc, and click on the 'Services' utility to open it.
  1. When the utility opens up, search for 'Windows Audio Endpoint Builder' and right-click on it.
  1. Click on 'Properties' in the right-click menu.
  1. In the Properties window, make sure the 'Startup Type' is set to 'Automatic'. If it is not, click on it and set it to automatic. Click on 'OK' to save.
  1. Now, right-click on the 'Windows Audio Endpoint Builder' service and click on the 'Restart' option, which will be available if the service is stopped.
  1. Close the service and check your audio to verify whether the error is gone.

Perform a DISM Scan

Windows 11 comes with a Deployment Image Service Management (DISM) utility, which can help repair the OS using the command prompt. If the error is occurring due to problems with your Windows image, this tool can help fix it.

  1. Open the Start menu and type cmd or command prompt. Click on the 'Run As Administrator' button to start it.
  1. In the command prompt window, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and press the 'Enter' key.
  1. Wait until the scan completes, which can take some time. If it detects any errors, type in the command DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
  1. Let the scan complete, and then restart your PC to check whether the error is fixed.

Perform a System Restore

The System Restore utility in Windows allows you to revert your PC to an earlier state. This means you can use it to revert it to when the error was not present.

To use the restore point, you must have set it up before the problem occurs. Only then can you revert your PC to a state when the audio error does not appear.

  1. Open the Control Panel and click on the 'Recovery' option.
  1. On the next page, click on the 'Open System Restore' option.
  1. When the System Restore window appears, click on the 'Next' button.
  1. On the next page, you can select the restore point which you want to use. If there are multiple restore points, they will all be visible here. Select the restore point you created earlier by clicking on it and click on the 'Next' button.
  1. To complete the process, click on the 'Finish' button. Windows will restart and restore your PC to when you created the restore point.

If you're running into the 'No audio output device is installed' error on your Windows 11 PC, the above methods can help you fix the issue. However, sometimes the issue may occur due to faulty hardware, or due to a problem that is not easy to detect. In case the error occurs due to a software issue that is hard to detect, a possible solution is to perform a fresh install of the OS. If that also does not work, the cause is probably a defect with your audio hardware. We recommend replacing your sound card with a new one to fix the problem in such instances.