How do I reset my Sound device settings?

Sound device settings refer to the audio configurations on your computer, including volume levels, default playback and recording devices, sound effects, and more. You may need to reset your sound device settings if you are experiencing issues like no audio output, audio glitches, incorrect playback device settings, or to restore default configurations after changes were made.

Resetting the sound settings can help resolve audio problems by restoring to a clean slate. It’s a useful troubleshooting step if sound has stopped working, devices aren’t being detected, balance is off, or you’re getting error messages. Resetting clears any corrupted settings and resets to the default manufacturer configurations.

There are a few different ways to reset sound devices on Windows 10 and 11 depending on your specific hardware and audio needs. This guide will walk through the various methods available to reset sound device settings.

Back Up Important Settings

Before resetting your sound device settings, it’s highly recommended to backup any customized settings you want to keep.

This will allow you to restore your preferred settings later instead of having to redo them from scratch. According to Can I backup/restore my custom Windows Sound settings?, you can use the Export and Import functionality in the Sound control panel to backup and restore settings like volume levels, spatial sound, enhancements, and more.

You may also want to create a full system backup before resetting sound settings. As recommended by Create a full system backup of working configuration, this allows you to restore your entire PC to the previous working state if issues arise after resetting audio services.

Backing up customized sound profiles, settings, and a system image enables an easy restoration if needed after troubleshooting with a reset.

Update Drivers

Before resetting your sound device settings, it is recommended to first update your audio drivers to the latest version. Outdated or corrupted audio drivers can cause issues with sound output and resetting device settings may not resolve the problem if the drivers are not up to date.

To update audio drivers on Windows:

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting it.
Expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” section.
Right click on your sound device and select “Update driver.”

Choose to search automatically for updated drivers or browse your computer if you have downloaded them.
Restart your computer after the update is complete.

Updating to the latest audio drivers from your sound card manufacturer can often fix sound issues before needing to reset your device. It is a quick process and may prevent you from needing deeper troubleshooting. Check for driver updates before resetting your sound settings.

How to Update and Install Audio Drivers on a Windows PC

Reset from Device Manager

You can reset your audio device settings directly from the Device Manager in Windows. Here are the steps:

Open the Start menu and search for “Device Manager”. Launch the app.

Expand the “Sound, video and game controllers” section.
Right click on your audio device and select “Properties”.
Go to the “Driver” tab and click on “Roll Back Driver”. This will revert any driver updates that may have caused issues.

If rollback is not available or does not fix the problem, select “Uninstall Device”. This will completely remove the driver.
Restart your computer and Windows will reinstall the audio driver automatically.

Resetting the driver from Device Manager often resolves audio issues caused by problematic driver updates or installations. Just make sure to backup any customized audio settings before rolling back or uninstalling the driver.

Reset From Control Panel

The Control Panel in Windows provides an easy way to reset your audio device settings and preferences. Here are the steps:

Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Windows search bar or selecting it from the Start menu.
Click on the Hardware and Sound category.

Under Sound, click Manage audio devices.
On the Sound dialog box, go to the Playback tab.
Select your speaker or headphone device, then click Properties.

Go to the Enhancements tab and check the box for Disable all enhancements. Click Apply.
On the Levels tab, click Balance and set it to the middle. Click OK.
Repeat these steps for any other playback devices listed.

This will reset any customized audio enhancements and balance settings for your playback devices. It essentially restores the default settings. You can test audio after resetting to see if the issues are resolved.

Reset Audio Services

One way to reset your audio device settings is by restarting the Windows Audio service. The Windows Audio service controls audio devices and audio streams in Windows. Restarting this service resets any problematic audio settings and reconnects devices.

Here are the steps on how to reset Windows Audio Service on Windows:

Open “Services” by pressing the Windows key + R on the keyboard, then type “services.msc” and click OK. This opens the Services management console.
Locate the “Windows Audio” service in the Name column and right click on it.
Select “Restart” to stop and restart the service.

Restarting the Windows Audio service will reset any problematic audio settings that may be causing issues like no sound, distorted sound, etc. It’s a quick way to refresh the audio services and reconnect devices without a full reboot. Just keep in mind this will briefly disconnect audio while the service restarts.

For more details on this method, see the Super User guide (source).

Reset Using Manufacturer Tools

Resetting sound drivers using manufacturer tools can often resolve issues by completely removing the current driver and installing a fresh copy. Follow these steps:

1. Identify your sound device manufacturer and model. You can find this information in Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers.

2. Go to the manufacturer’s website and locate the product support page for your specific sound device model. Common manufacturer sites include:

Realtek: https://www.realtek.com

Intel: https://www.intel.com
AMD: https://www.amd.com

3. Download the latest sound driver for your operating system.

4. Completely uninstall the current driver through Programs and Features in Control Panel.

5. Reboot your computer.

6. Install the sound driver you downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

7. Reboot your computer again after the installation completes.

This will fully remove the old driver and replace it with a fresh copy from the manufacturer. Check if the audio issue is resolved.

Reset Network Audio Devices

Networked audio devices like Sonos, Chromecast, and Bluetooth speakers often need to be reset when having connection issues or trouble pairing. Follow these steps to reset settings on common networked sound systems:

Sonos Speakers

Open the Sonos app and go to Settings > System > Factory Reset. This will clear all paired Sonos speakers and controllers.
Press and hold the mute and volume down buttons on the speaker together until the status LED blinks white.
The speaker will restart and can be set up again through the app.

Chromecast Devices

On your Chromecast or Chromecast-enabled TV, locate the reset button (a small recessed button).
Press and hold the reset button for 25-30 seconds until the device reboots.
Re-configure and set up the Chromecast through the Google Home app.

Bluetooth Speakers

Check your speaker manual for the reset button location.
Press and hold the reset button for 5-10 seconds until the speaker enters pairing mode.
Pair and connect the Bluetooth speaker to your phone or tablet again.

Resetting eliminates any glitchy settings and allows network devices to be repaired. If issues persist, update the device firmware or check for interference problems.

Reset Mobile Device Audio

If you are having audio issues on your mobile device like an iPhone or Android phone, you can try resetting the audio settings to default.

iPhone

To reset audio settings on an iPhone:

Go to Settings > General > Reset
Tap “Reset All Settings” – this will reset volume and other audio settings without erasing data
You can also go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and toggle settings like “Change with Buttons” to reset behavior

According to Apple Support discussions¹, restoring default settings often resolves sound issues on iPhones.

Android

On Android devices, audio settings can be reset in a few ways:

Go to Settings > Sound and tap “Reset app preferences” to reset defaults

You can also go to individual sound settings like Volumes or Do Not Disturb and reset options
Some devices have an option in Settings > System > Reset options to “Reset app preferences” including audio

Check your device manufacturer’s support site for model-specific steps to reset sound. This should clear any corrupted settings causing audio problems.

Test and Troubleshoot

After resetting your sound device settings, it’s important to test that audio is working again properly. Try playing some music or a video with audio to see if you can hear sound.

If you still have no audio output after resetting settings, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check that volume is turned up in the volume mixer and on your speakers/headphones. Make sure mute is not enabled.

Go back to the Sound control panel and double check that your speakers/headphones are set as the default playback device.
Try updating your sound drivers again if available. Old, corrupt drivers can prevent proper audio function.
Plug headphones directly into the 3.5mm audio jack on your computer to isolate the issue.

For external speakers/headphones, try different cables or connections. The issue could be with cables/connectors.
If on a desktop PC, check that speakers are powered on and connected properly to the computer.
Restart your computer again after changing settings to refresh audio services.

If you still can’t get audio after trying these steps, you may need to contact the device manufacturer for further support.