I seem to have lost the intrinsic audio capability on my laptop?

[HLloyd53]

Please provide any help.  I seem to have lost the factory installed audio capability on my laptop,  I can currently only get audio with an external device.

[Max3Aj]

@HLloyd53, Welcome to the HP Support Community – it’s great to have you here!

I appreciate you taking the time to share your question. I'm more than happy to assist with this and provide a solution that works for you.

I understand you're experiencing an issue where your laptop has lost its built-in audio capability and only works with external devices. Let's walk through a few steps to help restore your factory-installed audio functionality.

Check Playback Devices

Sometimes, Windows switches the default audio device.

• Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select "Sound settings".
• Under Output, ensure your internal speakers (often listed as Realtek Audio or Speakers) are selected as the default device.
• If not listed, right-click and enable "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices".

Run the Audio Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in tool to detect and fix audio issues.

• Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Find "Playing Audio" and click Run.
• Follow the on-screen instructions.

Reinstall Audio Drivers

Corrupted or missing drivers can cause audio issues.

• Open Device Manager (press Win + X > Device Manager).
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right-click on your audio device (e.g., Realtek Audio) and choose Uninstall device.
• Restart your laptop. Windows should automatically reinstall the correct driver.

Alternatively, you can manually reinstall the driver:

• Visit the official HP support page for your laptop: Official HP® Support
• Download and install the latest Realtek High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver for Windows 11.

Check BIOS Settings (Advanced)

Rarely, audio devices may be disabled in BIOS.

• Restart your laptop and press Esc or F10 repeatedly to enter BIOS.
• Navigate to System Configuration or Advanced tab.
• Ensure Audio Device is Enabled.
• Save and exit.

Windows Updates

Make sure your system is up to date.

• Go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates.
• Install any pending updates and restart your PC.

I hope your issue is now resolved. If not, feel free to reply and we’ll continue helping until everything’s sorted!

If the post helped, please click “Accepted Solution” to help other users easily find it. And if you’d like to say thanks, just tap the “Yes” button!

Cheers,

Max3Aj

HP Support