Windows Media Player Has No Sound: 5 Solutions

Why is there no sound in Windows Media Player?

  • A media file incompatibility

  • The program's malfunction

  • Outdated drivers


If you need help, use Movavi Screen Recorder to share your desktop activity with the MS support team.

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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Windows Media Player with no sound is a problem you can run into eventually. In this article, we will look into the most common reasons for this issue and find out how to fix it.

Problem

Solution

Check the system and app volume settings

Adjust the audio settings on your computer

Download and install K-Lite Codec Pack

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How to fix Windows Media Player with no audio

Windows Media Player won't play any sound because of various reasons, but you should be in a position to fix it if and when it occurs. However, it is reasonable to make sure the problem is with the software, and not with your media.

Try opening your file on other devices. If there is no sound coming from any of them, then the file likely has the audio track missing or corrupted. This can be especially tricky if there is no sound when playing a DVD or other disk – damaged physical media is way harder to restore.

If you are sure your media are intact, here is how you can fix Windows Media Player with the sound not working.

Check the muting settings

You might have silenced the sound in Windows Media Player or on your system. Follow the guidelines below to ensure that the volume is audible.

For Windows Media Player:

1. Run the program.

2. Check the volume icon. If there is a red mark on the icon, click it to remove the mark and make sure that the audio slider is not at zero.

For the system sound:

3. Click the speaker icon on your taskbar.

4. If the speaker icon has a cross near it, then click on the icon and make sure that the audio slider is not at zero.

For the Volume mixer:

5. Right-click the speaker icon on your taskbar.

6. Choose Open Volume mixer from the pop-up menu.

7. Here you can configure the volume for individual apps. Make sure that the Windows Media Player slider is not at zero.

Now both system and player sounds should be unmuted. If this does not help, then there has to be another reason for the volume not working.

Check audio settings on the computer

No sound on Windows Media Player could be a result of improper audio settings on the computer. To solve the issue, you can follow these steps:

  1. Go to the taskbar and right-click the speaker icon.

  2. Select Sounds from the options, then go to the Playback tab.

  3. A green check icon must be on Speakers. It means your system sound is on.

  4. If Speakers have no green check icon, then select it and click the Set Default button.

  5. While the device is selected, click the Properties button and go to the Advanced tab.

  6. Select a different sample rate and bit depth.

  7. Click the Test button, then check if the sound is coming from the speakers.

  8. Click OK to save the changes.

If adjusting the audio settings does not solve the problem, there might be no sound in Windows Media Player itself.

Fix codec issues

Sometimes you can see this error message across the screen: “Windows Media Player missing codec.” This error may occur when you try to play some MKV files on your PC without the requisite software infrastructure. At other times, you run into Windows Media Player with no audio for MP4, MPEG, or other video files.

To solve this problem, all you should do is download and install K-Lite Codec Pack:

  1. Download K-Lite Codec Pack from the link below.
    Download the codec pack

  2. Run the installation file.

  3. In the window opened, click Next.

  4. Choose Windows Media Player from two drop-down lists on the left and click Next.

  5. On the next pages, leave all settings at default and click Next.

  6. Click Install.

  7. Click Finish and try playing your file in Windows Media Player.

Update or reinstall Windows Media Player

Now you have the codecs installed, but there is still no sound from the sound system. Your media player itself may have developed complications. Whether from viruses or faulty drivers, you have no choice but to uninstall it from the system and install the latest version.

To reinstall the app, do as follows:

  1. Click the Start button, type Turn Windows features on or off, and press Enter.

  2. Then, scroll down and expand the Media Features.

  3. Clear the Windows Media Player check box and click OK.

  4. Reboot your device. Windows Media Player would be uninstalled.

  5. Go back to step 1. Open Media Features, select the Windows Media Player check box, then click OK.

  6. Restart the device again. Windows Media Player would now be reinstalled.

Update your audio driver

The problem of the audio not working on your computer could be a result of outdated sound drivers. So, if all other remedies fail, you will have to update your audio drivers. To do this, follow the steps below:

  1. Click the Start button, type Device Manager, and press Enter.

  2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers list.

  3. Double-click your audio device name.

  4. Open the Driver tab and click Update Driver.

  5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you have exhausted all software solutions to no effect, then you might have a hardware problem. Try plugging in different headphones or speakers. If the audio is not working with any of these devices, there is a chance your audio port needs repairs.

Conclusion

Windows Media Player is a part of the package for almost any available version of the OS by Microsoft, from Windows XP and Vista to Windows 7 and newer. Thus, Windows Media Player not playing the sound is a quite common issue with a plethora of solutions. In this article, we have covered the most widespread issues:

  • The sound might be muted. In this case, check the volume settings of your system and the app.

  • Audio settings might be improper. This means you have to go to the system audio settings and adjust the parameters.

  • Codecs might be missing. To deal with this, you can download and install K-Lite Codec Pack.

  • Windows Media Player itself may have issues. Updating or reinstalling the app can fix this.

  • Audio drivers may be obsolete. In this case, you have to download and install the required software.

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Frequently asked questions

Why won't my Windows Media Player play any sound?

If during a video or DVD playback Windows Media Player seems to have video but no sound, it might be because of the following common reasons:

  • Muted sound in Windows Media Player or system audio

  • Wrong audio settings in the system

  • Missing codecs

  • Windows Media Player app malfunction

  • Obsolete audio drivers

How do I change audio settings in Windows Media Player?

To change an audio track of your file during playback in Windows Media Player, do as follows:

  1. Press Alt to open a pop-up menu.

  2. Select Play > Audio and language tracks.

  3. Select the audio track you need.

Which button is used in Windows Media Player to turn the sound on and off?

The speaker icon to the left of the volume slider is the Mute button. When this icon has a no symbol, it means that the sound is off.

How do I unmute Windows Media Player?

Check if you’ve accidentally muted the sound by pointing over the volume control. If it doesn’t help, check your system sound by clicking on the speaker icon at the bottom-right. Lastly, if nothing else helps, try updating the audio drivers in the Windows device manager.

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