No Sound After Sleep or Hibernation on Windows 10? Try These Fixes

If your Windows 10 PC has no sound after waking from sleep or hibernation, a full restart should not be the only way to get audio back. The most common causes are a changed output device, a Windows audio service that did not resume correctly, or an audio driver that failed to recover from the power-state change.

Start with the quick checks below, then work through the four fixes in order. Microsoft distinguishes sleep from hibernation, but either power state can expose the same audio-resume problem. You can review Microsoft's explanation of both modes in its sleep and hibernation guidance.

Quick checks after the PC wakes

• Click the speaker icon and make sure Windows is not muted.
• If you use headphones, Bluetooth audio, HDMI, DisplayPort, a dock, or a monitor with speakers, confirm that Windows did not switch to another output device after wake.
• Try sound in a second app. If system sounds work but one app is silent, open the Volume mixer and check that app's volume and output device.
• If an external audio device disappeared, disconnect and reconnect it once before changing drivers.

1. Select the correct audio output device

After sleep or hibernation, Windows can occasionally resume with the wrong playback device selected, especially on PCs connected to monitors, docks, USB headsets, or Bluetooth speakers.

1. Open Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Output, choose the speakers or headphones you actually want to use.
3. Raise the master volume and play a test sound or video.
4. If needed, open Sound Control Panel, select the device on the Playback tab, and set it as the default device.

Microsoft lists checking the selected output and default playback device among the first steps for Windows sound problems.

2. Restart the Windows audio services

If the correct device is selected but nothing plays, the audio services may not have resumed cleanly.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Windows Audio, right-click it, and choose Restart.
3. Do the same for Windows Audio Endpoint Builder.
4. Test audio again without rebooting the PC.

Microsoft specifically recommends restarting these services for temporary audio failures, including cases where the driver or audio stack has stopped responding.

3. Run the Windows audio troubleshooter

Microsoft currently directs Windows 10 users to the automated Audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app. On Windows 10 installations that still expose the older troubleshooter, you may also find Playing Audio under Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.

1. Run the Audio or Playing Audio troubleshooter.
2. Choose the affected playback device if prompted.
3. Apply any recommended fix, then put the PC to sleep and wake it again to test.

4. Update, roll back, or reinstall the audio driver

If sound consistently dies only after sleep or hibernation, the audio driver is a strong suspect. Microsoft recommends updating the driver, rolling it back if the problem began after an update, or reinstalling it when the installation may be damaged.

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click your audio device and choose Update driver.
4. If the issue started after a driver or Windows update, open Properties > Driver and try Roll Back Driver when that option is available.
5. If updating does not help, uninstall the audio device, restart Windows, and install the latest compatible driver from your PC or audio-device manufacturer.

For Microsoft's driver-specific steps, see Fix audio stops working after a Windows update.

What not to change

Avoid old advice that tells you to set a fixed Maximum memory value in msconfig. That boot option limits how much memory Windows can use and is not a documented audio repair. It can create a new performance problem without addressing the sleep-resume failure.

Likewise, do not delete a working power plan just because audio failed once. If the problem appears only with a vendor power-management utility, temporarily disable that utility and test sleep/wake behavior before making permanent power changes.

If the problem keeps returning

Check whether the failure began after a specific driver, firmware, dock, monitor, or Windows update. If it did, use the PC manufacturer's support page for the exact model and install its recommended audio, chipset, and firmware packages. A recurring failure across different apps and output devices is more likely to be a driver or hardware-resume issue than an app volume setting.

Windows 10 reached the end of standard support on October 14, 2025. The operating system still runs, but Microsoft recommends moving to a supported Windows version or an applicable extended-support option for continued security coverage. See Microsoft's Windows 10 end-of-support guidance.