Windows 10 PC loses sound after sleep mode [QUICK SOLUTIONS]

Troubleshooting Expert

March 26, 2018

Sound issues aren’t exactly an alien concept on the Windows platform, something that applies to the latest Windows 10 operating system as well. And a common problem experienced on Windows 10 PCs is the device going dumb each time it wakes up from sleep.

Curiously, the sound issue is non-existent when the device is back from hibernation, or after a restart. Somehow it is only when the device is out of the sleep cycle that it tends to lose it audio abilities.

All of this makes it not too big of an issue, but one that can drive you nuts nonetheless; more so if you are music buff and can’t resume your listening post sleep mode.

However, a few simple tweaks is all that is needed to set things right.

How can I fix lack of sound on Windows 10 after sleep mode:

Run the Sound troubleshooter
Update audio adapter
Manually update the audio driver
Change system memory value

1. Run the Sound troubleshooter

Let’s start with the simple options before graduating to the more advanced ones. And invoking sound troubleshooter will be a nice way to start.

For this, type sound troubleshooter and select Find and fix audio playback problems. Follow on-screen instruction and see if this helps. If not, move on.

The sound troubleshooter fails to load with an error? Follow this useful guide and fix it in just a couple of simple steps.

If the Troubleshooter stops before completing the process, fix it with the help of this complete guide.

2. Update audio adapter

Outdated driver software can also be the culprit here. Here is what you need to do to have the latest driver on your device.

Type Device Manager in the taskbar search box and select Device Manager from the search results.
In the Device Manager window, select Audio inputs and outputs > Headphone and/or Speakers depending on whether or not you are not getting sound on both. The process of updating driver is same for both. Here it is:
Select Headphone and/or Speakers > right click and select Properties.
In the dialog box that appears, select Driver > Update Driver.
In the ensuing window, select Search automatically for updated driver software and follow on-screen instructions.

See if this works. In fact, an outdated or corrupted driver happens to be the most likely cause for your audio to malfunction and hence explore all options to ensure you system is running the latest drivers.

Windows can’t automatically find and download new drivers? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

If need be, search for the drivers manually if an automatic search fails to resolve the issue.

You might also be required to visit the manufacturer’s website and see if there is a latest version of the driver available.

This is particularly applicable if you have recently upgraded to Windows 10 while the audio drivers installed on your device isn’t compatible with the latest Windows version.

Once you have access to the latest drivers which can be either on the hard drive of your PC or any other location, here is how you update the same.

Be aware that permanent damage can be caused to your PC by installing the wrong driver version. Thus, we recommend you to download this driver updater tool (100% safe and tested by us) to do it automatically.

Disclaimer: some features of this tool are not free.

3. Manually update the audio driver

Here are the steps to follow:

Launch Device Manager following the steps mentioned before. Select Headphone or Speaker as the case might be (it is always good to have updated drivers on all systems on your device, so follow the steps for both), right click on it and select Properties.
In the Properties window, select Driver tab as before but select Browse my computer for driver software this time to locate the driver software manually
Follow on-screen instructions to ensure the specified drivers get installed. Restart and check if the problem is resolved.

If not, here is another solution that might.

Did you know that the majority of Windows 10 users have outdated drivers? Be a step ahead using this guide.

4. Change system memory value

This is especially applicable to those notebook devices that have an installed memory of 4 GB. Here are the steps:

Type msconfig in the textbox search box and select System Configuration from the search results provided.
In the System Configuration window, select Boot tab followed by Advanced options...
In the BOOT Advanced Options window, check Maximum memory and set the value at 3072.
Click OK > OK to close all open windows including the System Configuration
Restart your PC. Audio should be back.

However, just in case the issue isn’t resolved yet, you might also want to check if there is a Windows 10 update available. Do a virus scan as well as with the latest version of your anti-virus software.

Get in touch with the audio component manufacturer if needed and see if they can provide an update to solve the issue.

Meanwhile, here are a few other related topics worth exploring:

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