How to fix NVIDIA High Definition Audio No sound issue on Windows 11/10

The NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue is occurring for hundreds of users a lot lately. Even though with the high-performing hardware this no audio issue can occur and panic a lot of the users. It may happen due to a lot of reasons.

It may likely rise on Windows 11/10 when a user uses the HDMI to stream audio and video on the screen. Or it may also occur while installing the latest updates or some latest drivers. We will have a detailed discussion on the causes, too, in this article below. However, the prime topic we will cover is How to fix the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue on Windows 11/10?

What is NVIDIA High Definition Audio?

The NVIDIA High Definition Audio is a driver that brings in the consumer electronic sound to the device delivering high-quality sound from various channels.

The NVIDIA HD audio codecs support the following audio format:

Sampling size: 16 bits to 24 bits

Sampling rates: 32kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz

Speaker configuration: Stereo, quadrophonic, 5.1, 7.1

Also Read: Fix: NVIDIA High Definition Audio Not Plugged In Error

What causes the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue?

As said above, a few general scenarios can lead to creating the NVIDIA HD no sound issue, but there are some prime ones you should look upon. The list below will let you guess your problem-leading scenarios, after which you would be able to conveniently choose the troubleshooters that suit your case the best. The causes are:

Outdated or faulty drivers

A new faulty driver or an old & outdated one may cause the problem while streaming audio and videos over HDMI. In both scenarios, the solving methods will be different, which we will discuss in our troubleshooting guide later on.

If the default audio output device has got changed

Many a time while installing the latest Windows update or driver updates, it may change the default audio output device. Here in case, you would require to change it back to NVIDIA High definition Audio driver.

Besides these two prime reasons, several other possible causes may lead to NVIDIA HD no sound issue. One another cause may include Onboard sound disabled in BIOS.

Fixes for the NVIDIA High Definition audio, no sound issue on Windows 11/10?

FIX 1- Re-install the Graphic driver

When the problem has occurred due to outdated Graphic drivers, one would likely choose to update the Graphic driver. However, we recommend you check the below method to solve the NVIDIA audio issues. The following process has worked well for a lot of users.

For Uninstalling the Graphic drivers:

1. On the search bar, type “Device Manager” and select it once found. Or press the Windows + R keys altogether to display the Run dialogue box. In the blank space, type “msc” and click OK.
2. On the Device Manager menu, expand the option Display adaptor.
3. Now Right-click on the Graphic card and choose the option “Uninstall device.”
4. Confirm the on-screen prompt instructions for the Uninstallation process and then let it complete on its own.

For Installing the Graphics drivers:

1. Visit the official website of NVIDIA and look for your Graphic card driver.
2. On the downloading menu, fill in the information about your Graphics card driver and your operating system, then click on Search.
3. From the list of available drivers, scroll for the required entry.
4. Once found, click on it and select the Download tab.
   
5. Save and open it into your system and then follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Now on the installation screen, choose the Custom (Advanced) option and then click on Next.
7. On the next screen, you may now see a list of components that will get installed. Here tick the checkbox located before the option “Perform a clean installation” and click on Next.
8. Let the installation process get completed.

Once the installation process is successful gets completed, check whether the issue has been solved or persists.

FIX 2- Roll back the driver

If the NVIDIA no sound issue started occurring after installing the latest drivers for the Graphic cards, then rolling back the Graphic drivers can help.

Within this process, it will get replaced through the backup files of the drivers which were installed before the most recent updates.

1. From the Start menu, search and select the “Device Manager.”
2. Now expand the “Display Adaptors” It will now display a list of all the network adaptors which were installed into the system.
3. Here locate and then right-click on the Display Adaptor, which you want to roll back and select Properties.
4. On the Properties Window, open the driver tab to locate the Rollback driver option.
5. If the option is available, select it and follow the on-screen instruction to complete the process.

Note: It may also happen the option is already greyed out. This indicates that the device has no backup files remembering the old driver, and it was not updated recently.

FIX 3- Change the Audio output device

A recent Windows update or device update might change some general settings in your system. And this may lead to changing the default audio output device to HDMI when in case it should have been set to speaker or headphones or vice versa. So, follow the steps given below for changing your default Audio output device:

1. In the notification area right-click on the Sound/ Volume icon and select the option Playback devices.
2. On the sound Window, open the Playback tab, highlight the preferred device, and select Set as Default Device.
3. You can now see the playback devices you would want to set as default. If not, right-click in the middle of the Window anywhere and tick the checkboxes located near the options, Show disabled devices & Show disconnected devices. The device would now appear on your screen.
4. Now right-click on the newly appeared devices and select “Set as default.”

Once done, it would quickly solve the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue on Windows 11/10.

FIX 4- Enable the onboard sound device in BIOS

1. Restart your PC and press Delete until you see the BIOS setting Or press the BIOS key just when the system is about to start. This Key will display on the BOOT screen, stating, “Press _____ to run the setup.” It may be key like F1, F2, F3, Delete, etc.
2. Now navigate to the Onboard Sound Device. Here Press Switch ON instead of Auto.
3. Save the changes and exit BIOS. You may now hear the noticeable start-up sound.

Once the system starts successfully, you can check whether the no sound issue is solved or persists.

FIX 5- Disable the NVIDIA HDMI sound adaptor in BIOS

After installing the NVIDIA graphics drivers, if there’s still no sound, then the problem might be related to the BIOS and its settings. In some cases, maybe disabling NVIDIA HDMI sound adaptor in BIOS can resolve the issue. For doing so,

1. Firstly, enter the BIOS and go to Advanced.
2. Now select the Onboard devices.
3. Here locate the NVIDIA HDMI sound adaptor and right-click on it to select the Disable option.
4. This fix is relatively quick and straightforward. However, to get informed about how to access BIOS, refer to the first step of FIX 4.

FIX 6- Run the audio troubleshooter

Windows 11/10 has an audio troubleshooter that can detect your sound issues and recommend some valuable solutions. So, when discussing the fixes specifically for Windows 11/10, what’s best than running an audio troubleshooter.

1. From the Windows search bar, type and open the Windows troubleshoot settings.
2. On the next Window, locate the “Get up and running” section for the option “Playing Audio” and then select it.
   
3. Now select the option “Run the troubleshooter”.
4. On your taskbar, a new icon for Trouble-shooter will get displayed. Select it to open the Window.
5. You may now see a list of available options to troubleshoot various kinds of in-built speakers, connected speakers, and headphones.
6. Here you can either choose your default speaker or something from the other options available and then select Next once done.
7. Now let the troubleshooter run and display the error and improvement advice.
8. Try whatever it suggests, and this may fix the “NVIDIA High Definition Audio no sound issue on Windows 11/10”.

These were the top 6 fixes for the “NVIDIA High Definition Audio no sound issue on Windows 10”. However, there is one another repair available, i.e., disabling other drivers that might be preventing you from using the NVIDIA High Definition Audio driver.

Moreover, all of the fixes above are primarily focused on resolving no audio issue in Windows 10. But if you are a different Windows version user, a few of the steps might change for you a little bit. However, you can anyway try these to get rid of the NVIDIA HD audio no sound issue.