No Sound After Sleep Mode (Hibernation) on Windows 10? Here’s The Fix
Windows 10 can remember the volume that was set for an audio device, and for a particular app. If you connect a pair of headphones to your system and set the volume to, for example, 50, Windows 10 will automatically change the volume to 50 the next time you connect the headphones to your system.
This setting is not device-specific but rather port-specific i.e., the volume is set for devices that are connected via the audio jack. Likewise, users can set app specific volumes and Windows 10 will remember it.
Windows 10 does not, however, support volume change based on system sleep or boot states. The volume of a Windows 10 system cannot change when it is locked/unlocked unless you use a script, an app or a scheduled task for the job.
Windows 10 PC loses sound after sleep mode
If your Windows 10 PC loses sound after booting from Sleep mode, you should know this isn’t normal. Even if the system is simply muted, it is unexpected behavior. Make sure you do not have scripts or apps set up to mute your system on system lock/unlock.
If the system loses sound, and only a restart brings it back, try the following fixes.
1. Change power plan
If you’re losing sound after your system comes out of sleep, try changing the power plan.
- Open File Explorer.
- Paste the following in the location bar and tap Enter.
Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options
- Select a different power plan.
- Allow the system to enter Sleep.
- Wake the system and check the sound.
- If the sound is audible, delete the power plan you had previously set and create a new one in its place.
2. Quit power management apps
If you have apps installed for managing the power on your system, or for triggering events when the power state of your computer changes, quit them all. Allow the system to enter sleep, and wake it.
If you do not lose sound, the apps were likely the problem.
3. App-specific sound loss
Check if you lose sound in a particular app e.g., if there is no sound when you play a video in Chrome. If all apps except one have sound after your system wakes from sleep, the problem is with the app. Try uninstalling and reinstalling it.
4. Run sound troubleshooter
You may have a problem with the sound device on your system, or the sound drivers. Run the audio troubleshooter.
- Open the Settings app (Win + I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to Update & security>Troubleshoot.
- Click Additional troubleshooters.
- Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter.
- Apply all fixes that it recommends.
5. Update audio driver
It is worth checking if an audio driver update is pending and if so, installing it should fix the problem.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Audio Inputs and Outputs.
- Right-click the audio device and select Update Driver.
- Search for available drivers and install them.
- Restart the system.
6. Change system memory value
This is an unconventional fix but it has been known to resolve issues with the sound dying on a Windows 10 system when it wakes from sleep.
- Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the run box.
- Enter
msconfigand tap the Enter key. - In the System Configuration window that opens, go to the Boot tab.
- Click Advanced Options.
- Enable ‘Maximum Memory’.
- Set the value to 3072.
- Click OK, and then Apply.
- Restart the system and the problem should be resolved.
What to do when you lose sound? Conclusion
Some systems do struggle to return to their previous state when they wake from sleep.
Normally, the system is slow to come out of its sleep state or some apps end up crashing. The sound not working is not a common problem but the above fixes should resolve the issue nevertheless.
The only time I have had the problem of no sound after waking from sleep or hibernation is when I left a MSWORD (Office 2000 in my case) window open on my desktop. There was no need to jump through hoops to get sound back. Just close the Word app entirely. The only other MS Office app that I use is Excel & that does not cause the problem so I can’t speak to whether other apps will cause a failure.