After installing updates, the problem with headphones not working in Windows 10 is most common. Below are the steps required to resolve this issue.
Windows 10 Headphones not working in Windows 10
You can check if your headphones aren’t working on your computer by looking at the bottom-right corner.
You can restore the Sound Icon if it is not present by following the steps in this guide How To Restore the Volume Icon from Windows 10 Taskbar.
Click on the Sound Icon to raise the volume if it is visible. If that doesn’t work, you can try the troubleshooting steps provided below.
1. Restart the computer
If you’re using wired Headphones on your computer, disconnect them from it for at least 15 seconds. Then plug them back in.
2. Use the Sound Troubleshooter
Start by using the Windows 10 built-in Audio Troubleshooter to diagnose and fix any problems with your headphones.
Navigate to Settings > Update and Security > Select Troubleshoot from the left pane. Scroll down to the bottom and click on Additional Troubleshooters.
Next, click Play Audio and then click Run the Troubleshooter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to help Sound Troubleshooter diagnose and fix your computer’s problems.
In our case, we chose to play Test Sounds and the Troubleshooter was capable of fixing the problem.
3. Update Audio/Sound Drivers
Right-click the Start button to open Device Manager. Expand Sound, Video, and Game Controllers > Right-click on Audio Device, and then click on Update driver option.
Next, click Search Automatically for Driver Software and follow the steps to install driver software.
4. Restart Windows Audio Service
Right-click the Start button, and then click the Run option. Click on OK and type services.msc into the Run Command window.
Right-click Windows Audio entry on the Services screen and choose the Restart option.
Start the computer again and check if the headphones are working.
5. Reinstall audio drivers
Right-click the Start button to open Device Manager. Expand Sound, Video, and Game Controllers > Right-click on Audio device, and then click on the Uninstall option.
Next, click Action tab at the top-menu and choose Scan for Hardware Changes option from the drop-down menu.
Start your computer again and the drivers should be installed automatically.
