How To Fix Sound Not Working After Windows 11 Update

Have you ever tried updating your Windows 11 PC and suddenly noticed that your system is no longer working? It happened to me. After installing the January cumulative update for Windows 11 version 24H2, my laptop's audio stopped working. However, some people also had the same issues, as they reported across tech forums and communities.

How to Troubleshoot

Firstly, run the built-in Windows Audio Troubleshooter

Go to the Settings tab, click on System, then Troubleshoot, and select Playing Audio. If you're lucky, Windows might automatically detect the issue and fix it. For me, this single step helped me re-enable the Realtek driver.

However, you can try rolling back or reinstalling drivers

To do this, open Device Manager by pressing the Win + X key, select Device Manager from the options, and click on Sound, video & game controllers. Right-click on the driver and click on properties. On the drivers tab, uninstall the device, reboot your computer, and allow Windows to reinstall the driver.

Alternatively, try disabling audio enhancements.

Open system settings by pressing the Win + I key, click on sound and select output device properties, go to the advanced tab, check disable all enhancements, and verify if it fixed your audio.

Also, you can restart Core Audio Services to see if it fixes

Open services by pressing the Win + R key, then type services.msc, scroll down, look for Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, and restart them. This will refresh the audio subsystem on your system.

Try Fixing System File Corruption

If audio still fails after trying all the above steps, try using Command Prompt to fix system file corruption. Here's how to do it. Open CMD and type the code below:

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth  
sfc /scannow

This will repair the system files that may have been corrupted during the update or driver installation.

Lastly, perform an In-Place Repair or clean install.

If everything I mentioned didn't work for you, you can perform an in-place upgrade using the Windows 11 ISO. This will preserve your files and apps while repairing the OS and often resolves lingering driver issues. Moreover, a true clean install of version 23H2 may even bypass the audio bugs entirely.

Best Strategies You Can Apply To Avoid Common Issues

First, always pause updates for 7 days after any cumulative update.
Secondly, try backing up your audio drivers using DriverStore Explorer or Double Driver.
Finally, always create a restore point before installing patches.

By following the guide in this article, you’re definitely equipped to solve even the toughest post-update audio issues.

Why is there no Sound after Windows 11 update 2025?