Many users usually like to connect external speakers to their laptops, especially when planning to watch a movie or TV show with their friends or family members. By attaching external speakers, a whole decorum is created to watch a movie with audible volume for everyone.
However, if you find that the external speakers are not working Windows 10 unexpectedly, your plan to watch a movie with your friends can get ruined. If you encounter this situation, there is no need to worry as this article will discuss the major reasons for this problem along with efficient solutions.
Part 1: How to Connect External Speakers on Windows 10
Do you know how to attach external speakers to your laptop? This part lets you quickly learn how to connect wired or Bluetooth external speakers on Windows 10.
Wired External Speakers
Step 1: If your laptop has a USB or speaker jack, you can easily connect external speakers.
Connect the wire of external speakers to either speaker jack or USB jack depending upon your external speakers' nature. Also, connect the speakers with a power outlet to turn them on if you are not using USB external speakers.
Step 2: Make sure to arrange your speakers in an appropriate way.
Place the left speaker in the left direction and the right speaker on the right side. Make sure that the connector cable of your speakers is safely attached to the port and the power source.
Step 3: Now turn on the volume on your external speakers.
Once done, set the volume on your laptop to at least 75%. For this, just tap the "Sound" icon on your taskbar and move the volume slider.
Step 4: Now turn the "On" button on your external speakers.
And switch on the power outlet. Play some audio on your laptop and check if the sound is audible or not.
Bluetooth External Speakers
Step 1: Go to the Windows button and right-click on it to select "Settings."
Once the "Settings" window opens, tap on "Devices."
Step 2: On the Device window, click on the "Bluetooth" tab displayed on the left side.
And turn on its toggle. Now switch on your Bluetooth device and put it on the pairing mode to connect it with your laptop. Follow the instruction of your Bluetooth speakers manual to pair them with your laptop.
Step 3: Meanwhile, head back to your Bluetooth window.
And wait until your computer explores new pairing devices. Once your Bluetooth device shows, select it and tap on "Pair." Once the connection is established, you can easily hear audio from your Bluetooth external speakers.
Part 2: Why Will the External Speakers Not Working?
There can be several causes that can result in external speakers for the laptop not working. In this part, we will highlight the primary reasons for this issue to help you comprehend it better:
1. Problem with Speaker Connection
The connector wire should function properly to connect the speakers with your laptop. If there is physical damage to the connecting wire, the speakers won't turn on. Moreover, if the corresponding port of the external speakers does not function due to dust particles, it can also cause this problem.
2. Outdated Speaker Drivers
If the downloaded speaker's drivers are not updated according to the external speakers you are trying to use, you won't be able to hear the sound from them. For this, the audio drivers must be updated.
3. Default Playback Device
The system won't recognize if your laptop has selected an audio default device other than external speakers. That's why it is essential to check the default settings whenever you face this problem.
4. Inappropriate Settings
If someone else has changed your current settings or has installed an unauthorized app, it can ruin the functionality of your laptop. Due to this, you can face the problem of external speakers not working. For this, system restoration is needed to resolve the issue.
Part 3: Methods to Fix External Speakers Not Working
Do you want to fix the external speakers not working on the laptop? In this part, you can learn simple yet effective methods to resolve this problem without requiring additional help.
Fix 1: Check If the Speaker is Good
If you have wired external speakers, ensure their power cable is not damaged and is functioning well. To check if there is any problem with your speakers, you can connect them with another laptop to evaluate their functioning. If the sound is audible by connecting the speakers with another laptop, it means that the error lies on your device, not on your speakers. If the sound is not audible, there must be a problem with your speakers that needs instant repair.
Moreover, you can check the functionality of your speakers by seeing their light. Many wired speakers have a light bulb that turns on whenever they are connected to the power source. If the light does not turn on after attaching the speakers with the power source, it indicates some error in your speakers.
Fix 2: Set Speaker as Default Device
Possibly, your external speakers are working well, but your laptop has selected another default device. If your laptop has not selected the external speakers as a playback default device, you will encounter the issue of external speakers not working. For this, you can change the settings to set speakers as the default device.
Step 1: At the bottom right corner of your desktop, right-click on the "Speakers" icon and tap "Playback devices."
Step 2: Tap on the "Speakers" on the displayed window.
And select "Select as Default." If you cannot find the option of your external speakers, right-click on the blank space and choose the "Show Disabled Devices" option.
Step 3: From the disabled devices, right-click on "External Speakers".
And then tap on "Enable." After enabling the speakers, set them as default and tap on the "OK" button.
Fix 3: Make Sure the Speakers are Connected Properly
Some speakers have three kinds of jacks that are audio-in and audio-out. The external speakers should be connected to the audio-out jack to make them work properly. If you don't know about the audio-out jack, try connecting your external speakers to all two jacks and check the sound's audibility.
Moreover, see if there is any physical damage to the connector wire of external speakers as many people don't notice this issue. Make sure to connect the external speakers' wire properly to its corresponding port. Also, if dust particles are on the corresponding port, try to clean it and then attach the external speakers properly.
Fix 4: Update the Speaker Drivers
If the speaker drivers installed on your laptop are outdated, it will result in external speakers not working. For this, you should try to update the speaker drivers by reading the following steps.
Step 1: You have to right-click on the Windows button to choose the "Device Manager option."
Once done, click on "Sound, video and game controllers" from the given options. Now choose your speaker drivers to proceed further.
Step 2: Right-click on your speaker drivers.
And select the "Update Driver" option. Following this, select the option of "Search automatically for drivers." With this single click, your speaker drivers will be automatically updated.
Fix 5: Run Audio Troubleshooter
The audio troubleshooter can identify the main problems on your system that are causing the sound issues. By doing so, your computer will bring the details of the audio problem along with the solutions you can apply to fix the issue. For example, to fix external speakers not working, use the steps below:
Step 1: Go to the "Start Menu" icon on the taskbar.
And right-click on it. From the pop-up menu, proceed with the "Settings" option.
Step 2: On the Settings window, choose the option "Update and Security."
From the left side, tap on "Troubleshoot" to open it.
Step 3: If the option of "Playing Audio" is not given, tap on "Additional troubleshooters."
On the new window, tap on "Playing Audio" and then click on "Run the Troubleshooter."
Step 4: The audio troubleshooter will run and bring some details.
Select the speaker showing a problem and tap "Next." The troubleshooting will identify the main causes and recommend you possible solutions. Follow the on-screen instruction to resolve the identified issue.
Fix 6: Troubleshoot Hardware Issues
There can be some hardware issues with your external speakers that you are unable to find. For this, you can troubleshoot hardware to scan the problems deeply and solve them efficiently. However, you cannot directly access the "Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter" from the Windows settings because it was split into small troubleshooters after the Windows 10 1809 update. To execute this fix, follow the below instructions:
Step 1: From your keyboard, press "Window + R."
It will open the run box in which type this command "msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic."
Step 2: Now, press the "Enter" button to run this command.
And then tap on "Next" to start the troubleshooting process. By doing so, the system will run the troubleshooting process to identify the hardware issues of your external speakers. If the process brings some instructions on your screen, follow them to resolve the hardware issue efficiently.
Fix 7: Restore Your System
Sometimes the new applications installed on your system can damage the performance of your laptop. Moreover, if someone has unknowingly changed your laptop's settings, it can also cause trouble, like external speakers not working on Windows 10. For this, you should perform "System Restore" to restore the previous settings of your computer instantly.
Step 1: Click on the "Search" icon displayed on your taskbar and type "restore."
Following this, click on the "Create a restore point" option once displayed in the results.
Step 2: Now, the "System Protection" tab will display on your screen.
From there, select the option "System Restore." A new window will open from where you need to tap on the option called "Choose a different restore point." Once done, tap on the "Next" button.
Step 3: If you know when your external speakers stopped working, choose the restore point before it.
Tap on "Next" to proceed. On the new window, tap "Finish," and your system will be restored automatically.
Bonus: How to Fix Corrupted Audio on Your PC
There is a high chance that the audio you are trying to play is corrupted, due to which you cannot hear the sound from your external speakers. For this, Wondershare Repairit is the most suitable tool that can easily perform an audio repair and save your audio files from getting deleted permanently. Your audio file can get corrupted due to multiple reasons, such as incomplete audio download from the internet or any malware attack.
If you have tried to edit the audio file forcefully, it can also result in the corruption of the file. In all these situations, Repairit works effectively to repair any damaged audio file efficiently. It supports batch processing that helps the user fix multiple damaged files simultaneously. With only three steps, you can achieve the best results as this platform has a high success rate in fixing audio files.
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Repair damaged audios with all levels of corruption, such as audio not working, clipping audio, humming audio, rumbling audio, sibilant audio, out-of-sync audio, etc.
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Repair audios of diverse formats, such as MP3, M4A, FLAC, AAC, WAV, etc.
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Repair damaged or corrupted audios from mutiple devices: portable voice recorder, recording software, shooting apparatus, SD cards, phones, hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.
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Compatible with Windows PC, Mac OS, and supports PC to mobile transferring/sharing.
Check the video guide for fixing the "external speakers not working" error.
Conclusion
Are you Figuring out the problem of laptop external speakers not working? There is no need to worry, as this article has shed light on several helpful solutions that can fix your issue instantly. You can try the suggested guidelines to perform the methods without needing additional help. Also, you can easily try Wondershare Repairit for audio file corruption to overcome audio-related problems.
* Some of the above codec formats may need to be supported by system.
