Modern computers route audio through a surprisingly long chain. The app generates sound, the operating system mixes it with everything else playing, the audio driver translates it for the audio hardware, and the audio hardware sends it to whichever output device is currently selected. A failure anywhere along that chain ends in silence.
The single most common cause is the wrong default output device. When you plug in or unplug headphones, an external monitor, or a Bluetooth speaker, your operating system silently switches the default — and now your sound is being sent somewhere you cannot hear. The fix is just to switch it back.
The second most common cause is a misbehaving audio driver, especially after a system update. The driver might be loaded but stuck in a weird state, or the OS may have replaced your manufacturer's tuned driver with a generic one that does not work properly with your specific hardware.
Work through these in order. Most readers solve the problem by step three — and almost everyone by step five.
This single step solves an enormous percentage of 'no sound' cases. Make sure your computer is sending audio to the device you actually want.
Some operating systems let each app have its own volume. A muted slider for one app can look like total system silence if you only test that app.
Audio runs as a background service that occasionally needs a kick. Restarting it forces the OS to re-establish the audio pipeline cleanly.
If the service restart did not help, the driver itself probably needs to be reset. Uninstall the current one and let the OS install a fresh copy.
If sound still does not work, plug in headphones or connect a Bluetooth speaker. Sound through one but not the other narrows the problem down to specific hardware.
Tap any cause to read the friendly explanation behind it.
Avoid third-party "driver updater" tools that promise instant fixes. They often install bundles you do not need and occasionally cause the very problems they claim to solve. Stick to the official manufacturer support page for your device.
If you have worked through every step and the problem persists, the issue may be hardware, not software. Try the device on a second computer if you can. If it still fails, that is a strong sign the device itself is at fault.
Almost every problem on this page has a fix that takes less time than making a cup of tea. Take a breath, work through the steps in order, and you will get there.
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