3 Ways to Reinstall Audio Drivers in Windows 11

An uninstallation and PC restart will do the trick

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Reinstall audio driver in Windows 11
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This article will show you how to reinstall audio drivers in Windows 11. Here is what you must know.

Drivers play a critical role in the PC’s functioning by relaying the commands from the OS to the concerned device. Each device has a separate driver, including the audio ones.

But, often, these may corrupt, and you would be required to reinstall the audio driver in Windows 11.

How can I reinstall the audio driver in Windows 11?

1. Via Device Manager

  1. 1.ย Pressย Windowsย +ย Sย to launch theย Searchย menu.

  2. 2. Enterย Device Managerย in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result.

  3. 3. Double-click on theย Sound, video and game controllersย entry to view the devices under it.

    Sound, video, and game controllers
  4. 4. Right-click on the audio device, and selectย Uninstall deviceย from the context menu.

    Uninstall device to reinstall the audio driver in windows 11
  5. 5. Tick the checkbox forย Attempt to remove the driver for this device, and click onย Uninstall.

    Uninstall audio device
  6. 6. After uninstalling the driver, restart the computer.

  7. 7. Windows will now look for the best available driver for the audio device and automatically install it.

  8. The easiest and recommended method to reinstall your Windows 11 audio drivers is via Device Manager. Basically, you need to uninstall the existing drivers and then restart your PC.

    As soon as your PC reboots, it will automatically install the latest driver for your device.

2. Via Control Panel

  1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run command.
  2. Enter appwiz.cpl in the text field, and either click on OK or hit Enter to launch the Programs and features window.Launch Programs & features
  3. Locate and select the audio driver, and click Uninstall at the top.Uninstall to reinstall audio driver in Windows 11
  4. Click Yes on the confirmation box if any pops up.
  5. Now, restart the computer, and Windows will automatically install the best available driver for the audio device.

Another way to reinstall the audio driver is first to remove it from the Programs and Features window and then restart the PC to let the OS automatically install it.

3. Use specialized software to reinstall audio drivers

You can always rely on a third-party utility if both methods sound too complex or time-consuming. Hence, we recommend using a dedicated tool that automatically scans for any available newer versions and updates the installed drivers.

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These are all the ways you can reinstall the audio driver in Windows 11. Both methods are equally simple, and it’s up to the users to choose one or use a dedicated third-party tool.

These methods will work on most drivers, including Realtek Audio driver and AMD Audio driver in Windows 11 devices.

You can manually install the drivers in Windows 11 if the automatic update doesn’t work. Before you go, you can also check our guides on AMD High Definition Audio Device driver and Intel High Definition Audio Driver.

Reinstalling the audio drivers can also fix the sttray64.exe Application error, so don’t hesitate to try it.

Lastly, in the comments section below, let us know which method to reinstall the audio driver. Again, we’re eager to hear from you.

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