When your audio device doesn’t show in Device Manager, you probably have a sound issue, for example, you can’t hear sound from the computer. That can be frustrating. But don’t worry. To get your audio device back in the Device Manager, you can try the methods below.
Method 1: Run Windows Audio Troubleshooter
Method 2: Check for Hidden Devices
Method 3: Scan for Hardware Changes
Method 4: Check if High Definition Audio Controller is Disabled
Method 5: Install the Latest Sound Card Driver
Method 6: Check BIOS and Ensure the Audio Device is Not Disabled
Method 1: Run Windows Audio Troubleshooter
The built-in Windows audio troubleshooter might help fix this audio problem automatically.
Here’s how to run the troubleshooter:
1) Press the Windows + S to open the search box.
2) Type ‘audio troubleshooter‘ and select Find and fix problems with playing sound.
3) Click Next.
4) Select the device you want to troubleshoot and then click Next. Windows will detect and resolve the audio problems you may have.
If the audio troubleshooter fails to resolve the problem, continue to the next method.
Method 2: Check for Hidden Devices
If the audio device is hidden, it won’t show up in the Device Manager. Check and show all hidden devices:
1) Open the Device Manager.
2) Click on View option and then click on Show hidden devices.
3) Check for the audio device and see if it shows up.
If Method 2 doesn’t work, continue to the next method.
Method 3: Scan for Hardware Changes
To fix the problem, you can try to scan for hardware changes in the Device Manager:
In the Device Manager, click the Action menu, and then click Scan for hardware changes. Then check to see if the audio device shows up in the Device Manager.
If Method 3 doesn’t work, continue to the next method.
Method 4: Check if High Definition Audio Controller is Disabled
Some users have reported that the problem occurred because the High Definition Audio Controller device is disabled. Enabling the device helps fix the problem. So you can check if the High Definition Audio Controller is disabled:
1) Open the Device Manager.
2) Expand the ‘System devices‘ category.
3) Check if the High Definition Audio Controller is disabled. If it’s disabled, you’ll see a down narrow on the device. In that case, right-click on it and select Enable device. After that, you’ll see the audio device show up.
If Method 4 doesn’t work for you, continue to the next method.
Method 5: Install the Latest Sound Card Driver
When the audio device doesn’t show up in the Device Manager, you might have a driver issue. You can try installing the latest sound card driver and see if it helps.
Go to your PC manufacturer’s website or the motherboard manufacturer’s website, search for your device model name, go to the driver download section and then download the latest audio driver. Once downloading the driver, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
Pro Tip: To update drivers easily, you can use a third-party driver updater to help you. We Recommend Driver Easy. Driver Easy can scan your computer to detect any outdated and missing drivers, and then provide you with the latest official drivers. To update a driver, you just need to click your mouse several times. It's pretty easy and time-saving. Download Driver Easy from the vendor's official website: https://www.drivereasy.com.
Method 6: Check BIOS and Ensure the Audio Device is Not Disabled
The audio device can be disabled in BIOS. You can enter BIOS and take a look. If the audio device is disabled, enable it manually. The steps to enter BIOS and how to enable the audio device varies depending on the manufacturers. Following steps are for your reference:
1) Start your computer.
2) Press F2 during the start process to enter BIOS.
3) Navigate to Advanced > Onboard Devices > HD Audio.
4) Check if the audio device disabled. If it’s disabled, enable it. Before exiting BIOS, remember to save the changes.
If you have no idea how to do this, contact your PC manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer for the detailed steps.
Hopefully you can resolve the audio device not showing up in Device Manager issue with the tips above. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below.