How to start the audio service on Windows 10 if it does not respond: instructions

In Windows, there may be times when, when you start the computer, an icon in the form of a red cross appears on the microphone speaker. This icon indicates that the Windows Audio service is not running or the speakers are muted.

The first way to solve this problem is to click on the sound icon and increase the volume. Or just turn on the sound. But situations arise when this action simply does not help. And we have to turn to more effective and actually working methods. These methods allow you to restart the audio service on Windows 10 and get the audio back to working order. But how to do this? And what ways are there to solve this problem?

Why does the sound service turn off?

Windows Audio does not start and may fail for several common reasons, each of which deserves detailed consideration to fully understand the topic:

Driver problem. Typically, Windows ten automatically downloads the necessary drivers after booting. However, the driver for the RealtekHigh Definition Audio Driver software may be missing. To fix the error, you will need to download it yourself from the official Realtek website.
The audio device is faulty. For example, the speakers that are connected to the computer are broken and cannot produce sound. In this situation, the headset needs to be replaced.

Appearance of computer speakers

Hardware problems. A malfunction of the operating system or the lack of certain updates can also cause sound services to not work.
Virus infection of the computer. Malware that gets onto your PC after installing programs from the Internet can block some system functions, modes and services. Therefore, if such a problem occurs, first of all, it is recommended to check your desktop computer or laptop for viruses using a licensed antivirus or a specialized utility. You can stop the spread of the software by deleting it.

Note! The problem with the functioning of audio services may be related to PC components. Perhaps the parts installed in it are incompatible with each other. There may be problems with the CPU or the last restore point.

Installing the Realtek driver on Windows 10

Method 2: manual start

Automatic correction is a good tool, of course, but its use is not always effective. This is due to the fact that the service may not start for various reasons. If this happens, you must try to do it manually.

Open the system search engine and enter “Services”. Let's launch the application.
We look for “Windows Audio” in the list and double-click on it, after which the properties window will open.
Here we set the service startup type to “Automatic”, click “Apply”, then “Run” and OK.

Possible problems:

The service did not start with any warning or error.
After startup there was no sound.

In such a situation, we check the dependencies in the properties window (double click on the name in the list). On the tab with the appropriate name, we expand all the branches by clicking on the plus signs and look at which services our service depends on and which ones depend on it. For all these positions, you must perform all the actions described above.

Please note that you should start the dependent services (in the top list) from bottom to top, that is, “RPC Endpoint Mapper” first, and then the rest in order.

A reboot may be required after the setup is complete.

How to start the Audio service on Windows 10

This service is responsible for the functioning of sound on operating systems of the Windows family. Sometimes, by default, the audio service is not running in Windows 10, and then devices connected to the PC will not play sound, that is, they cannot respond.

There is no sound on a computer with Windows 7 - reasons for how to fix the problem

You can check whether Windows Audio is active using the following algorithm:

Press the “WIN + R” buttons on your computer keyboard to open the “Run” window.
In the “Open” line, write the command “services.msc” and click on “Enter”.
After performing the above manipulations, a menu of all operating system services will open. From the list presented, the user will need to find “Windows Audio”. All elements in the window are arranged alphabetically, so there shouldn’t be any problems finding the right service.
If the word “Disabled” is written in the “Startup Type” column, then you will need to double-click on the service name with the left key of the manipulator.
An additional service properties window will appear. Here in the “Startup type” line you will need to set “Automatic”.
Click on “Apply” and then on OK and close the menu.
Return to the previous window, select this service and click on the “Run” button at the top of the window,
Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Important! It is recommended to set it to “Automatic”. In this situation, the service will activate itself when external audio recording devices are connected to the computer.

Solution 2: Checking Audio Components

Before we move on to more technical workarounds, we'll make sure all audio components are working. If neither of them are, this may be the reason why you are getting the error. Also temporarily disable your antivirus as they sometimes block some services due to which you are facing difficulties. These are services, and excluding any of them may cause discrepancies.

Press Windows R, type “Services.MCM” and press Enter.
Now make sure the following services are running. If they are not, right-click them and select "Get Started."

RPC Endpoint Mapper

Remote Procedure Call (RPC)

DCOM server process

Also, make sure that all these services are set to "automatic".
Once the processes have started (if they were turned off), check if the problem at hand is resolved. If this does not happen, try restarting your computer and check again.

What to do if sound services are not responding on a Windows 10 laptop

How to start the audio service on Windows 7: procedure

There are several solutions to this problem. The most common and effective of them will be presented below. The final result depends on the correctness of the user's actions.

Activating the Windows Audio service

Remote procedure call RPC

This method of solving the problem involves activating secondary services that in one way or another affect the functioning of Windows Audio. The process of turning them on is carried out according to the following instructions:

In the same way, get to the menu of all operating system services.
Activate Windows Audio.
In the presented list of elements, find “Audiosrv” and enable this service. To achieve this goal, you will need to select the element by clicking on it with LMB, and then right-clicking the manipulator and clicking on the “Start service” line in the context menu.
When the service starts, the word “Running” will be written in the “Status” column.
Start the Media Class Scheduler service. Also find it in the list of local services and activate it, tap on the corresponding parameter in the context menu.
Start "PNRP Protocol" if it is disabled. Without activating this service, the functionality of the operating system will be minimal.

Additional Information! After making changes to the operation of the above services, your desktop computer or laptop on Windows 10 will need to be restarted in the standard way through “Start”.

Media Class Scheduler on Windows 10

Possible difficulties

What if Windows Audio refuses to start? This also happens. The reason for this is the violation of the loading order of Windows services that depend on each other. Many services are not self-sufficient. Their work may depend on the work of others. In the case we are examining, the normal operation of Windows Audio depends on the following system components:

From the Media Class Planner.
From the RPC subsystem (it controls remote procedure calls).
From AudioSrv endpoint builder tool.

If these components are inactive, AudioSrv cannot start. All dependent components must be enabled. How to enable these services? Yes, exactly the same as above: find them in the list of processes and check their status. If they are not running, click on the “Launch” button for each listed component.

Problems with audio playback on a PC can be caused by several reasons. Let's look at the main ones. The very first level that should be checked is the BIOS. If it is based on the popular Realtek ac97 codec and is built into the motherboard, you should check whether it is enabled.

The BIOS section where you can look for sound card settings is called something like Internal Perpheral. After enabling this function, you will need to boot the system and install drivers either from the installation disk of the motherboard, or previously downloaded from the official website of the motherboard manufacturer, but the latest version is usually located on the official AC97 website.

If after all these manipulations the sound does not work, then perhaps there is a hardware conflict in the system. Find out if there are devices installed in the system that can “sit” on the same address spaces and interrupts. Although for modern Windows systems this is a rare case.

There is another level of problems associated with incorrect operation of the operating system. One possible reason is that the audio service is not running. Go to the “Control Panel”, “Administration” icon. Select "Services". If the Windows Audio service is not running, try starting it.

If everything worked out, then congratulations. You can enjoy your favorite tunes. You have overcome the "Audio service is not running" problem. But it happens that the computer produces errors. They can be very diverse. There are two universal ways to eliminate them.

Let's tell you a secret - it doesn't matter what the mistake is. The solution will be effective even if the audio service is not running on a relatively new version of Windows. Windows 7 is no exception. The first method is designed for users who are not “accustomed” to anything other than a graphical interface.

Just go to the “Accessories” menu and select “System Restore”. Then select “Restore the system to an earlier state.” A calendar is displayed, with the dates of the month in bold when the system restore point was made. Now you just need to remember the date when everything was still in order.

We choose, wait a few minutes and everything is ready. But another scenario for the development of events is also possible. You entered the menu but there are simply no recovery points. This may be due to the fact that someone turned off the system restore service and then turned it on.

Then the task of sound restoration becomes a little more complicated. You will need to arm yourself with the Windows distribution and boot (get to the stage where the system prompts you to press the R key to load the recovery console). Then you will need to copy the SYSTEM file from C: just in case.

WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIG simply to drive C: with the command C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSYSTEM C:, and then replace our current SYSTEM with the version that was immediately after installing the system. It should be noted that during this operation we will have to show the system where all the device drivers are located.

An alternative to this operation may be to search for those system restore points that may have been saved in the System Volume Information folder on drive C. But let’s return to our operation of putting Windows services in order. Copy a clean registry hive copy C:

WINDOWSREPAIRSYSTEM C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIG and agree to a replacement, because we have an archived copy of the old SYSTEM. We try to boot the system with a new file. Most likely, the “audio service is not running” problem will disappear into oblivion, since all dependencies are met this time.

If the audio service is not running even after all the steps, then you should restore the old file and try using the command to check Windows system files for integrity. To do this, open the console (Start button > Run > cmd) and type the command sfc /scannow.

First, do not forget to put the distribution kit of the installed version in the drive. The file versions will be compared and, if incorrect ones are found, they will be replaced. The difference between the two methods given is their versatility; the problem with the lack of sound can be solved in another way, but the methods given are a 90% guarantee.

There is also a “cosmetic” problem when, with Realtek HD codecs installed, the system reports that the audio service is not running, but, oddly enough, there is sound. This is caused by the fact that the driver loads before the Windows service and “thinks” that Windows Audio does not start.

If you became the owner of Windows 10, you probably found not only a lot of interesting things, but also encountered sound problems. A series of audio problems in the latest Windows OS is one of the most common complaints - resulting in people being unable to watch videos, use certain applications, or hear anything at all.

And you feel very sad when the sound does not work on Windows 10. So let's not listen to the strange sound of silence, but do some troubleshooting. Here are ways to help you restore sound on Windows 10.

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Problems with sound drivers

Setting up sound on a Windows 7 computer: managing sound balance

This is important software, without which the headset connected to the computer will not be able to function. Experienced experts recommend taking several steps when resolving this issue:

Right-click on the “My Computer” icon on the desktop.
Go to the properties of the classic application by tapping on the corresponding line in the context menu.
Tap on the “Device Manager” section in the parameters column on the left of the window that appears after performing the previous action.
In the list of values, find the “Audio inputs and audio outputs” parameter and expand it by clicking LMB on the arrow on the left.
Right-click on the device that is currently used to play sound. For example, these could be speakers or a microphone.
In the context menu, click on the line “Remove device”.
Restart the computer, insert the speakers back into the connector, download a new driver for them from the Internet and install it, following the installer’s instructions.
Check if the device makes sound.

Note! As a last resort, you can restore Windows 10, i.e. roll back the system to a state in which it was still functioning normally. Also performed through Safe Mode, which can be accessed when the PC is restarted.

Cleaning your computer from viruses using a licensed antivirus

Solution 5: Install a realtek or high definition audio device

Many users reported that installing High Definition Audio Device driver instead of IDT High Definition Audio CODEC etc. solved the problem for them. We can try this last solution before resorting to System Restore or Clean Install.

Now click Windows X to launch the Quick Launch menu and select Device Manager from the list of available options.
In Device Manager, expand the "Sound, video, and game controllers" category.
Right-click on your audio device and select Update Driver. Now it will be possible to install drivers automatically or manually. Select "Browse my computer for driver software."

Now select “Let me choose from a list of available drivers on my computer.”

Uncheck the "show compatible hardware" option to make sure all results are listed in your driver list. Navigate through all drivers until you find "High Definition Audio Device". Select it and click Next.

Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation. Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

Note: If this doesn't work, try downloading the drivers from the manufacturer's website and installing them using the method mentioned above. In most cases this also solved the problem.

How to check system files for integrity

The operating system files may be damaged, as a result of which the PC will not be able to play sound from external devices. You can check the integrity of files using the following scheme:

Log in to Start.
Type “Command Line” in the search bar.
Tap on the classic application icon that appears on the screen.
In the field with the blinking cursor, you must manually write “sfc/scannow” and then tap “Enter”.
Wait until the check is completed. If all services and files are functioning normally, the command line will display the message “No integrity violations detected.”

You can also reinstall the operating system from a bootable USB flash drive or CD to resolve sound problems. You may not be able to get rid of the system error on your own. It is not recommended to send your PC to a service center; it is better to install a new Windows 10 OS in the shortest possible time by downloading an ISO image from the official Microsoft website.

Thus, the main part of the problems associated with sound inoperability on Windows ten can be solved by starting certain services or reinstalling the driver. After reading this article, every user will be able to understand what to do if Windows 10 sound services are not responding.

Solution 3: Run some command line commands

If both the above solutions don't make any difference, or the checks on your computer were already correct, we can try to run some instructions from an elevated command prompt in your Command Prompt. Please note that you will need an administrator account to perform this operation.

Click Windows S, type “command prompt,” right-click the application, and select “Run as administrator.”
At an elevated command prompt, type the following command and press Enter.

Administrators net localgroup / add network service

Now type the following command and press Enter.

:/> windows — How do I echo and send console output to a file in a bat script? - Stack Overflow

net localgroup Administrators / add local service

After completing both instructions, type “exit” and press Enter.
Now restart your computer and check if the problem at hand is resolved.