How to Fix Realtek Audio Driver Problems in Windows 11 and 10

If your PC uses a Realtek audio chip, Windows needs the right driver to play sound through it. If your sound stopped working, often after a Windows or driver update, work through the steps below in order. Start with the quick checks, because a muted app or the wrong output device looks exactly like a driver problem.

1. Check Your Output Device and Volume

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Before you change any drivers, make sure Windows is sending sound to the right place.

1. Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar, then select the arrow to the right of the volume slider.
2. Make sure your speakers or headphones are selected in the list.
3. Check that nothing is muted and the volume is turned up, including the volume inside the app you're using.
4. Check cables and connections, make sure the plug is in the right jack, and try a different USB port for USB headsets. Unplug headphones to test your speakers.

On Windows 10, you can also open Control Panel > Sound, select the Playback tab, right-click your speakers or headphones and select Set as Default Device.

Expected result: the volume slider moves when you play something, and the sound comes from the device you picked.

2. Run the Audio Troubleshooter

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Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that checks common audio settings for you.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Next to Audio, select Run, and follow the steps it suggests.

On Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot and choose Playing audio.

Expected result: the troubleshooter fixes a setting or tells you what it found.

3. Check the Realtek Driver in Device Manager

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Device Manager shows whether Windows can see your Realtek audio device and whether its driver has a problem.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Select the arrow next to Sound, video and game controllers to expand it.
3. Find your Realtek device. It has Realtek in its name, for example Realtek High Definition Audio.
4. Right-click it, select Properties, and read the Device status box. If there's a problem, it shows an error code there.

If the device has a warning icon or an error code, the driver is the likely cause, so continue with the next steps. If you don't see a Realtek device at all, skip to step 7.

Expected result: you know whether the Realtek device is listed and whether Windows reports a problem with it.

4. Update the Realtek Audio Driver

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1. In Device Manager, right-click your Realtek device and select Update driver.
2. Select Search automatically for drivers (on Windows 10: Search automatically for updated driver software).
3. If Windows doesn't find anything, check Windows Update too. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. If a driver update is listed, select it, then select Download and install.
4. Restart your PC, even if Windows doesn't ask you to.

Windows Update installs recommended drivers automatically, but optional driver updates aren't installed until you choose them. On Windows 10, the path is Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then View optional updates after you check for updates.

Expected result: Windows installs a newer driver, or tells you the best driver is already installed.

5. Roll Back the Driver After a Recent Update

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If the sound stopped right after Windows Update or a driver update, going back to the previous driver often fixes it. You need to be signed in with an administrator account.

1. In Device Manager, right-click your Realtek device and select Properties.
2. Select the Driver tab, then Roll Back Driver.
3. Choose a reason, select Yes, and restart if Windows asks you to.

If you can't roll the driver back, try the next step, or use System Restore to go back to a restore point made before the problem started. System Restore doesn't change your personal files.

Expected result: sound works again with the driver you had before the update.

6. Uninstall and Reinstall the Realtek Driver

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Reinstalling replaces a damaged driver with a fresh copy.

1. Save your work and close your apps.
2. In Device Manager, right-click your Realtek device and select Uninstall device.
3. Tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device (on Windows 10: Delete the driver software for this device), then select Uninstall.
4. Restart: right-click Start, then select Shut down or sign out > Restart.

When your PC starts again, Windows tries to reinstall the driver. If it doesn't, install the driver yourself as shown in step 7.

Expected result: the Realtek device appears again under Sound, video and game controllers without a warning.

7. Install the Driver From Your PC or Motherboard Maker

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Realtek audio is built into your PC or motherboard, so the maker of your laptop, desktop or motherboard is the best place to get a driver made for your model. Microsoft advises downloading drivers only from the manufacturer's official website.

1. Go to the support page of your PC or motherboard maker and search for your exact model.
2. Download the audio driver for your version of Windows, and check whether you need the 64-bit version.
3. If the download is an installer, run it and follow the steps. If it's a ZIP file, extract it first.
4. For an extracted driver, open Device Manager, right-click your Realtek device and select Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers. Select Browse, pick the folder, select OK, then Next.

Realtek also has its own download page for its High Definition Audio codecs. The generic package there lists Windows versions up to Windows 10, so on a Windows 11 PC, start with your PC or motherboard maker.

Expected result: Windows installs the driver, or tells you the best driver for your device is already installed.

8. Try the Generic Windows Audio Driver

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If the Realtek driver keeps failing, you can switch to the audio driver that comes with Windows.

1. In Device Manager, right-click your Realtek device and select Update driver.
2. Select Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
3. Select an audio device from the list, such as High Definition Audio Device, then select Next.

Expected result: Windows installs the generic driver and sound plays through your speakers or headphones.

Still No Sound? What to Try Next

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• Turn off audio enhancements: go to Settings > System > Sound, select your device under Output, scroll to Advanced settings and set Audio enhancements to Off.
• Change the audio format: open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound. On the Playback tab, right-click your default device, select Properties > Advanced, change the Default Format and test again.
• Restart the audio services: search for Services, then restart Windows Audio, Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
• Check Device status for an error code: Microsoft lists what each Device Manager error code means and how to fix it.
• Contact the manufacturer: if nothing works, your PC or motherboard maker can help with a driver for your exact model.