Start with a sound you recognise
Choose a recording you know works on another device. One video may have a silent soundtrack, and a website can have its own volume control. Set playback to a modest audible level rather than turning every slider to maximum. If a disconnected speaker suddenly starts working, an unnecessarily high setting can deliver a very unpleasant surprise.
Notice whether only one application is silent or whether several programs are affected. Do this before attaching another headset or changing several settings together. You want each test to answer a particular question, so that a successful result tells you what changed.
Follow the selected output
Open the system sound settings and read the name of the selected output. A monitor, dock or previously connected Bluetooth device may be selected even though you expect sound from the laptop. Choose the intended speaker deliberately, then replay the same recording. Similar device names deserve a second look, particularly when two monitors are connected.
Now check the application itself. Meeting software may choose a speaker independently of the system default. If music works in the browser but a call is silent, that separate selection is useful evidence. A microphone setting controls sound coming into the computer; changing it will not normally restore missing playback.
Check the speaker's own controls
External speakers may need their own power supply, an amplifier switched on or a particular input selected. A USB cable might supply power while a separate cable carries audio. Read the labels rather than assuming a connector's purpose from its shape. Check any physical volume dial and mute button on the speaker as well as the controls on the computer.
For an analogue connection, make sure the plug is fully seated in the correct output. Reconnect it gently without forcing the socket. Stop if the cable is damaged or the connector feels loose. Testing another working speaker can narrow the problem without committing you to a purchase.
Separate an app problem from a connection problem
Look in the volume mixer for an application that has been muted independently. A browser tab can also be muted separately from the browser as a whole. Change the relevant setting and test again. Reinstalling the application is an excessive first response to a volume setting and can remove useful evidence while changing unrelated preferences.
If silence began after moving between a dock and the laptop alone, save your work, close the affected application and reopen it. Some programs do not immediately follow a changed audio output. Disconnect unnecessary audio devices for comparison, provided they are not carrying a call or another connection you need to keep.
Leave with a useful finding
If several applications remain silent through every output you try, the operating system's built-in audio troubleshooter may provide another clue. Obtain drivers and support utilities only from the official source for the exact device. A reported problem is evidence to investigate, not automatic proof that the physical speakers have failed.
When contacting support, explain which output was selected, which recording you played and whether headphones worked. Mention if failure follows one particular socket or dock. Those observations give the next person a much more useful starting point than the broad statement that the computer has no sound.
Test the recording, selected output and speaker separately before changing drivers or replacing hardware.
