A lot of people with NVIDIA hardware have been having issues with audio after installing or updating the NVIDIA app to the latest version, including the latest drivers. While this has happened in the past in the GeForce Experience app, it's the first time it's happened in the NVIDIA App, so follow along as this guide shows you how to fix no audio after installing or updating your NVIDIA GPU drivers.

Takeaways:

  1. No audio since installing the lastest GPU drivers using the NVIDIA app on Windows
  2. Fix the latest NVIDIA GPU driver update breaks audio on Windows.
  3. NVIDIA app driver update breaks all audio on Windows 11.

How to Fix No Audio After Installing or Updating NVIDIA Drivers (NVIDIA APP)

Before you start anything else in this guide, make sure that you have checked your hardware and make sure that you have the correct device selected in Windows Audio Settings. If it has been a while since you checked for a BIOS update, now is the time to do it. It only takes a few minutes to do and will improve your system quite a bit. It should also help fix this issue in a lot of cases.

  • Check your current BIOS version by opening System Information
  • Visit your manufacturer’s support site and compare available BIOS versions
  • If an update is available, follow their official instructions carefully
    Important: Ensure your system remains powered during the BIOS update to avoid serious issues.

Check BIOS Audio Settings

Graphics driver updates can sometimes change BIOS settings. Access the BIOS/UEFI firmware (usually by pressing Del, F2, or Esc during startup) and locate the setting for “Integrated Audio,” “Onboard Audio,” or “HD Audio Controller.” Make sure this setting is enabled. If you're unsure, you can restore BIOS settings to their default configuration to rule out misconfigured options.

Perform a Clean GPU Driver Installation

Now that you have ruled out a BIOS issue, clean install your graphics drivers to rule out a driver issue.

  • Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).
  • Grab the recommended stable NVIDIA driver (December 2024 or similar).
  • Disconnect from the internet.
  • Run DDU to fully uninstall your graphics drivers.
  • Reboot your PC.
  • Install the older driver manually.
  • Reboot again before reconnecting to the internet.

For most people, this should solve the problem, but if it doesn't, keep going through the steps below.

Run the Windows Audio Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooting tool that is supposed to fix things like this, but in all my years using any of them, it has never once solved the problem. But it might for you, so give it a try anyway.

  • Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
  • Find and run the Audio troubleshooter
  • You can also access this tool by searching for “Get Help” and following the prompts related to sound issues.

No Audio After Installing or Updating NVIDIA Drivers

Roll Back, Update, or Reinstall the Audio Driver

Audio driver problems often arise during GPU driver updates. Try the following steps:

  • Open Device Manager
  • Expand Sound, video and game controllers
  • Right-click your audio driver > Properties
  • Under the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver if the option is available
    If rollback is unavailable, uninstall the driver, then restart your system to allow Windows to reinstall it. You can also download the latest driver manually from your audio device manufacturer's website.

Uninstall the Last Windows Update

While it might not seem like a logical solution, this one works more often than you might think, as Windows is prone to major bugs. Simply roll back to a previous version of Windows or uninstall the last update.

How to uninstall a Windows 11 Update

How to Fix No Audio After Installing or Updating NVIDIA Drivers

Check the Windows Audio Services

The audio system relies on certain Windows services:

  • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter
  • Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
  • Ensure both services are running. If not, right-click and select Start
  • Double-click the service
  • Set Startup type to Automatic
  • Click Apply and then OK

Set the Correct Default Audio Output Device

Sometimes, the default output switches to a different device:

  • Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound
  • In the Playback tab, locate your main audio device
  • Right-click it and select Set as Default Device

Use System Restore

If this happened recently, you can try using the System Restore tool to go back to the last working state you remember.

  • Open the Start menu and search for System Restore
  • Follow the prompts to choose a restore point created before the problem began