• Around The HomeToggle Menu

    • Entertainment
    • Productivity
    • Smart Home
  • FamilyToggle Menu

    • Parenting
    • Toys
    • Pets
    • Travel
  • Product ReviewsToggle Menu

    • Phones
    • Tablets
    • Laptops
    • Desktops
    • Wearables
    • Audio
    • Cameras
    • Headphones
    • Printers
    • Smart Home
    • TVs
    • Gaming and Video
  • One Cool ThingToggle Menu

    • Frugal Tech
    • Kickstarters
    • Videos
Techwalla
  1. Home
  2. Around The Home
  3. Productivity
  4. How to Troubleshoot a Dell Latitude With No Sound

How to Troubleshoot a Dell Latitude With No Sound

March 31, 2015
By: Gregory Hamel
  • Share
  • Share on Facebook

Dell Latitude is a series of laptop computers produced by Dell that run on Windows based operating systems. A common PC issue is lack of audio when performing activities that should play sound, such as watching videos or playing music files. There are many issues that can potentially cause sound to fail on a PC; it is best to start by troubleshooting the most common causes of the problem and move on to more advanced technical support if necessary.

Video of the Day

Frustrated businessman with laptop computer
credit: Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Step

Verify your system audio is not muted and that sound is turned up. Click "Start," "Control Panel," "Sound," right click on "Speakers," select "Properties," click on the "Levels" tab, change the "Speakers/Headphones" to 50 or higher and make sure the blue speaker icon does not have a red circle over it. It if does, click on the speaker icon to turn of mute. Your sound options may be accessible in a shortcut on your taskbar.

Step

Make sure that the media player you are using has the sound turned up. Media players such as Windows Media Player that you may be using to play sounds have their own sound settings that are separate from your main system sound. While using a player, make sure the sound level slider is well above zero and that sound is not muted.

Step

Make sure there are no external audio devices plugged into your computer. If you have microphones or external speakers plugged in, it may cause sound issues.

Step

Fully update Windows. Click "Start," "All Programs" and then run "Windows Update."

Step

Check to see if your sound card is recognized and working properly. Click "Start," "Control Panel," "Administrative Tools," "Computer Management," "Device Manager," expand "Sound, Video and Game Controllers," and look for your video card. Right click on it and select "Properties." It should say it is functioning properly in a dialog box; if not, click on the "Driver" tab and click "Enable" if the option is available.

Step

Download and install the latest driver download for your sound card. In the Device Manager Properties window from step 5, click on the "Driver" tab and click "Update Driver Software..." You can also download driver software from Dell. (See resource link 3 at the bottom of this page.) You will have to enter your Latitude's service tag number, which will be on a label on the bottom of the system. This will allow you to search for driver updates designed for your machine.

Show Comments

Related Articles

How to Restore a Dell Latitude D620 to Factory Settings

How to Restore a Dell Latitude D620 to Factory Settings

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Joshua Duvauchelle
How to Find the Serial Number on a Dell Latitude Laptop

How to Find the Serial Number on a Dell Latitude Laptop

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Holly Smith
How to Replace the CMOS Battery in a Dell Latitude 600

How to Replace the CMOS Battery in a Dell Latitude 600

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Joe Thomas
How to Fix a Flickering Dell Latitude Screen

How to Fix a Flickering Dell Latitude Screen

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Bear Naff
How to Get Sound Back If Your Computer Stopped Playing Sound

How to Get Sound Back If Your Computer Stopped Playing Sound

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Chelle Handley
How to Get Sound Back On Your PC

How to Get Sound Back On Your PC

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Techwalla Contributor
  • HOW WE SCORE
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • TERMS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COPYRIGHT POLICY
  • Advertise

An error occurred. Try again later.

Thanks for signing up!
© 2018 Leaf Group Ltd. Leaf Group Media

Get great tech advice delivered to your inbox.

Keep your family productive, connected, entertained, and safe.

Please enter a valid email.