"No Audio Output Device Is Installed" Issue and Fix

It can be incredibly frustrating to shut down your PC in perfect working order one day and boot it up to find that your audio playback has gone missing and the system is displaying the error message "No Audio Output Device Is Installed". Thankfully, the solution to this issue is relatively quick and easy.

The most common reason for seeing the "No Audio Output Device Is Installed" error message and seeing your sound device icon with a red cross on it in the taskbar is an issue with your audio drivers.

Corrupted or otherwise faulty drivers will cause this and a handful of similar messages to appear on your system and you will not be able to hear audio playback through any application or the browser you use. The way to fix this issue is a simple audio driver reinstallation.

To reinstall your audio driver, follow these simple steps:

  • Open your start menu and type "Device Manager", then click the icon of the app that shows up.
  • In the Device Manager window, scroll down until you see the expandable device category titled "Sound, video and game controllers". This category will include the device that Windows sees your sound card as. You should see a red cross over the faulty device that needs its drivers reinstalled.
  • Right-click the faulty device in the list, then click on "Update driver".
  • In the screen that shows up, click on "Search automatically for drivers". Windows 10 has a huge database of default sound drivers that cover every sound card currently on the market, assuming your computer was built within the last ten or so years, so you shouldn't need to look for drivers manually.
  • Follow the steps of the driver updater wizard until it completes.

In the vast majority of cases connected with audio driver issues and the "No Audio Output Device Is Installed" error message, this will resolve the situation and you will be able to keep using your Windows computer as normal, with sound working properly.

January 24, 2022
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