Top 5 Ways to Reinstall a Sound Driver in Windows 10

Windows 10 is known to fight one problem or another, and audio / audio problems are the most important. Some common sound issues reported by Windows 10 users include loss of sound output after Windows updates, missing audio management app, audio imbalance, etc.

Interestingly, the majority of these Windows 10 sound issues come from a corrupt or missing audio / sound driver. Without a working audio / sound driver, expect poor or no sound output from your computer. If there is nothing (read: pilots) in the “Sound, video and game controllers” In the Device Manager of your PC, your audio / sound driver is missing, deleted or has been uninstalled.

In the paragraphs below, we list five (5) different ways to reinstall the audio driver from your Windows PC.

Method 1: Using Device Manager

The drivers responsible for the proper functioning of your computer hardware are listed in the Device Manager. In addition to organizing the drivers for your PC, the Device Manager also fixes all the problems encountered by the drivers. Follow the steps below to find out how to use Device Manager to reinstall your computer’s audio driver.

Step 1: Press the Windows logo + the I buttons on your keyboard to launch the quick access menu.

2nd step: Tap Device Manager.

Step 3: In the menu bar, tap Action.

Step 4: Now press “Search for hardware changes”.

You can also press the dedicated button “ Search for hardware changes ”.

This will refresh your device manager for about 1 to 5 seconds, and after that, you will see a yellow exclamation icon for new, unidentifiable hardware. Generally, any missing driver will be reinstalled on your PC automatically. An active Internet connection should help recover the latest version of the drivers.

After checking for hardware changes, you should see the newly (re) installed audio driver in the “Audio, video and game controllers” section of Device Manager. Simply expand the section by pressing the drop-down menu.

Method 2: Use the Windows troubleshooter

Another effective way for your computer to automatically reinstall its audio driver is to use the Windows troubleshooter. Here’s how.

Step 1: Tap the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.

2nd step: Select “Troubleshoot sound problems”.

This opens the Windows troubleshooter, which detects your PC’s sound problems. If your audio or audio driver is missing, the troubleshooter will automatically help you reinstall and update it. If the troubleshooter identifies that an audio / sound driver is missing, you will be prompted to restart your PC so that it can reinstall the appropriate driver.

Step 3: Press “Apply this fix” to restart your computer.

Upon reboot, the audio driver should have been reinstalled.

Method 3: Use third-party applications

If Device Manager and Windows Troubleshooter couldn’t get the audio driver back to your PC, there are third-party apps that do the job too. Colloquially known as Driver update software, these applications will automatically install new or missing drivers, update obsolete drivers, and correct driver problems that your computer may experience. If you cannot find the audio driver for your computer, you can reinstall it using these applications.

The best thing about using this software is that it fixes driver problems with a single click, thus eliminating the stress of doing it manually yourself.

There are many third-party driver update applications that you can use to reinstall the audio driver on your Windows PC. However, we have identified two that actually work without problems. We have also shown how you can use them to find the right drivers for your computer.

Method 4: Windows Update

Running a Windows update can also help you analyze, find and reinstall the missing drivers necessary for your PC to function properly.

Step 1: Type Windows Update in the search box of your PC and press “Check for updates” in the results.

2nd step: On the Windows update page, press the “Check for updates” button.

If the result of the update scan shows that there are audio / sound driver updates available for your PC, download them. If not, try the next step below.

Method 5: manufacturer’s website

Another way to reinstall an audio driver on your PC is to manually download the driver from the PC manufacturer’s website and install it on your device. For example, if you are using a Lenovo computer, just visit the official Lenovo support website and go to the Resource / Download section.

To help you find and identify the exact audio driver for your PC, you will probably be asked to provide information such as your computer model, serial number, operating system version, etc. When you find the audio / sound driver for your PC, download the installation file and install it on your computer. It’s so easy.

Repair your PC audio

Have you noticed anything unusual with your PC audio? You should verify that the audio driver is installed and working properly. If, by any chance, the audio driver is missing, follow one of the methods above to reinstall it and get your device to sound again without any problem. By the way, you should also learn how to back up your Windows 10 drivers so that you can easily restore them if something goes wrong.