Windows 10: Can't detect any audio device in System>Sound, but visible in device manager

Hi,I have a pair of ordinary speakers, using both line-in + USB, speakers on my monitor, and a headset using Bluetooth. I can successfully connect all of these to my PC, such that they are identified in the Device Manager under 'Audio inputs and outputs'. They are all running latest drivers according to Device Manager.My issue then is that I'm unable to pick any of these devices as an actual audio output or input, neither in Volume Mixer, nor in 'Settings > System > Sound'. According to both of these menus I don't have any sound devices installed/detected.Please help :

:)

 

Audio problem - devices installed but not visible in Sound manager

I have had a problem of being unable to use audio devices. It has been present for a few years and first occurred after a Windows up-date. Other issues also caused problems on my PC so I use <Ctrl><Alt><Delete> to start Windows instead of the <Return> key.

In Device Manager I can see under Sound, Video and Game Controllers three devices: High Definition Audio Source, NVIDIA Virtual Device (Wave Extensible)(WDM) and Realtek High Definition Audio. I have tried updating drivers. Device Manager reports the devices are working properly.

In Settings - Manage Sound Devices there are no output or input devices listed; likewise in App Volume and Device Preferences; likewise in the Sound Output and Sound Input. It's like they audio devices have disappeared - it's like the Marie Celeste.

The NVIDIA graphics plug-in card is GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Processor is an Intel i7 950 4-cores running at 3.07 GHz. The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R. The components are getting old but work well. The system will not run Windows 11 although it tried to install Windows 11. It was after that I had to use <Ctrl><Alt><Delete> to start Windows instead of the <Return> key.

My display is a Samsung UHD TV connected to the graphics card via an HDMI cable. In the past I could get audio out of the TV speakers. The video images on the TV are working quality is excellent but there is no sound from the TV. When I try to use plug-in earpieces on the motherboard I get no sound. I have tried running the Windows Troubleshooter with no fix of the problem and I cannot use the Microsoft Support suggestions for "Fix sound or audio problems" because the audio devices do not appear anywhere except in device manager.

I don't think this is a hardware problem. It's something to do with Windows and changes made to how audio devices are handled by Windows in the last few years.

All suggestions would be most welcome.

 

Device Manager Un-Hiding Hidden Devices

When you connect a plug and play device, Windows Plug and Play manager detects it, finds and installs the driver. Device Manager lists the device with a solid icon.

The driver is only removed when you uninstall the device, not simply by disconnecting the device. When the device is disconnected, its driver is still installed. By default, Device Manager only displays connected devices. When you show hidden devices, note the Bluetooth icon you see is semi-transparent (not opaque). That indicates a "non-present" device. Sometimes also called a "ghost" device. The driver is still installed but the device is not currently detected (i.e. not connected).

Device can be disconnected when

• Device unplugged (e.g. removing a USB device)
• Turning a device OFF
• Disabling the device in BIOS (then windows won't detect it) or
• Device failure

So

• Check BIOS as suggested
• Check board connections
• Can b/t be turned off by a switch? or keyboard combination?

Also possible the b/t h/w failed

 

Audio problem - devices installed but not visible in Sound manager

It seems like you are experiencing an issue where your audio devices are not visible in the sound manager, even though they appear to be working properly in the device manager. This can be a frustrating problem, especially when you're trying to use your computer for things like watching videos or listening to music.

One possible solution to try is to perform a system tour of your computer and make sure that all of your drivers are up to date. Sometimes, outdated drivers can cause issues with audio devices not appearing in the sound manager. You mentioned that you have already tried updating drivers, but it may be worth double-checking to make sure that all of your drivers are fully up to date.

Another thing to check is your sound settings in Windows. It's possible that your default sound device has been changed or muted, which could be causing your audio devices to not appear in the sound manager. To check your sound settings, go to the Sound settings page and make sure that your default output device is set correctly and that the volume is turned up.