HP EliteBook 8470p laptop, need help, doesn't work

So a little background history, about a year ago I plugged in my headphones and no sound was coming through so I went to the playback devices and disabled the laptop speakers in attempt that it would default the headphones and play out of them, which it did.

About a year later I finally stopped using the headphones and enabled the speakers again but for some reason sound won't play out of the laptop anymore. I don't know what caused this problem but I for some reason if I play games on my laptop no sound comes out anymore. Using Skype and watching videos anywhere else works but as soon as I launch a game there's never any audio.

I have barely any knowledge on computers and would like someone to guide me through and help me fix this! Thank you in advance.

Hi welcome to sever forum

i would start by reinstalling the sound driver from hp support site for your model HP Support, Drivers, Contact and Help Forums | HP® Support

oscer1 said:

Hi welcome to sever forum

i would start by reinstalling the sound driver from hp support site for your model HP Support, Drivers, Contact and Help Forums | HP® Support

I think I know how to do this but i'll ask just in case.
To reinstall the driver, must I first delete the driver in the Device Manager? under the Sound, video and gaming tab?

no you dont need to can just install over it but won't hurt to uninstall first.

I have just reinstalled my driver and restarted my laptop but nothing seems to be fixed, and now I can't hear anything. Skype and any other type of audio has stopped playing

Did not see that coming. Make sure default play back is set to speakers. Check device manager for any errors. Could go back to the earliest restore point.

I figured out that if I disable the speakers, I can hear things out of my headphones again, but still not on games and only on Skype, videos, music, etc...

I think I figured out the problem though, for some reason my laptop won't default the speakers or the headphones. Whenever I click default device, it doesn't do anything or default it as the option to keep defaulting it will still appear there.

Im thinking by disabling the speakers it forced headphones into being the default device, but for some reason it doesnt work the other way around. If i default the headphones it won't play anything out of the speakers