To help you get your sound working, you need to update your audio device drivers. This can result in slowdowns from memory leaks, errors in audio playback and even random system crashes or blue screen errors. For example, a Windows 8 operating system will be forced to rely on native and generic audio drivers. Without the proper audio driver installed, a number of complications can arise.
In a sense, an audio driver is what tells the computer how to operate the hardware responsible for audio output, whether this is an audio card, audio chip or external audio device.
Most operating systems will be able to provide generic audio drivers to allow the audio device to work until those drivers can be properly installed. A manufacturer's audio drivers can come either with the device on a form of physical media, such as a disc, or they can generally be downloaded online from the manufacturer's website.
Use this information to determine which sound-card driver you need. This is located next to a speaker icon and usually includes the manufacturer’s name and the model number. Write down the sound-card model information provided. Select “Device Manager” from the search results to launch the Device Manager window.Ĭlick the arrow icon next to “Sound, video and game controllers.” The menu will extend to display the sound-card information under the header.