Windows 7: No Sound: Restart Fixes - Why? Howto without?

This has been happening the last couple of days. I don't know why. I start my computer, and the sound doesn't work. But, when I RESTART it, the sound is fine. Why is this happening? How can I fix this without a restart? It doesn't happen each time I boot my system, just some of the time.



Is there a service I can restart? An application I can reopen? Etc.

What are you doing just before the sound stops? Did you open a certain program? Sounds like a software driver conflict. Wait until it does it, again. Then, go to Device Manager and check to see if there are any red exes or yellow exclaimations marks next to the sound. Also, when the sound stops, look near the system clock is there a speaker icon with a red ex?

I did not see a red X at all on the speaker icon in the system tray. I will update when this problem happens again. It didn't happen when I booted up, this morning. But I did check all of my sounds in the mixer and nothing had been muted.

Hmm, now that I think about it, this could have happened after a Windows update, but I'm not 100% sure. In this morning's bootup, I wasn't told my computer was installing updates, but from a previous cold boot where the problem did occur, I was finishing an update.

Run System Restore.
ttp://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html?ltr=S

Then, run sfc /scannow
SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker

Update Internet security, then run a scan.
What program/s do you use for Anti-Virus & Firewall protection?

Update Windows.
Microsoft Update

Let's clean things up a bit.

Now download and run Malwarebytes.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Download.com

Download and run CCleaner.
CCleaner - Download.com

Afterwards, let me know how your system is running.

Windows 7 home premium 64 bit,
My sound was working 2 days ago.
Today my sound would not work. After hours of working on it an trying all the fixes I could find with no success. I wen to do a windows restore point.

First when I got there, If found the windows had started auto updating.
I have turned this off a couple of times and it seems to keep getting reset to auto update.

anyway there were two windows updates applied so I did a restore point to two days ago and my sound came back.

I also reset the windows update to notify but don't update.
I will keep a check on this and see if it stays at the setting.

this tutorial explains how to turn off automatic driver installation (and there is a link to another method in that page).

Just so you can be sure it isn't downloading drivers.

Do your sounds not work PERIOD or just certain sounds? like windows system sounds?

I have a similar issue where my windows 7 system sounds (usb sounds, logon logoff sounds, error sounds) do not playback after a period of time (don't know triggers the issue) unless I restart. However my other sounds work just fine, Youtube, gaming, winamp. Just the system sounds become disabled.

I've heard it has to do with Adobe Flash but I'm still looking into it.

I lost all sound. Got it all back after restore point.

Go to control panel/system/system protection.

Poke System Restore, then poke next.

Check "show more restore points".

Pick a date prior to having the problem you are trying to resolve and choose "next".

Choose finish at the next screen. Windows will reboot and make some changes. It usually works and occasionally does not.