I never thought I’d be dealing with something as frustrating as no sound playing in Microsoft Edge. It started on a seemingly ordinary afternoon. I was working from home, and after finishing a few tasks, I decided to take a break and watch a video I had saved for later. I clicked on Microsoft Edge, which I had recently updated, and navigated to the video. To my surprise, there was no sound. I refreshed the page, checked my volume settings, and even rebooted my computer, but nothing seemed to fix the issue.
At first, I thought it might be a problem with the video itself. I tried different websites and videos, but the issue persisted. It was clear that the problem wasn’t with the content but with Microsoft Edge or my system’s interaction with it. After a bit of research, I found out that I wasn’t alone; many users had faced similar issues. I needed to find a solution, so I delved into troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem.
My first step was to check the volume settings in Edge itself. I had read that sometimes the volume settings within the browser could be muted or turned down. I clicked on the speaker icon in the tab where the video was playing, and sure enough, the volume was set to zero. I adjusted it to the desired level, but still, no sound came through. It seemed like the issue was deeper than just a simple volume setting.
Next, I decided to check the system sound settings. Windows 11 and 10 have built-in sound settings that control the audio output for different applications. I went to the settings menu, clicked on ‘System,’ and then ‘Sound.’ Under the ‘Advanced sound options,’ I found ‘App volume and device preferences.’ Here, I noticed that Edge was set to a very low volume. I adjusted it to a higher level and tested the video again. Still, no sound. This was getting frustrating.
I then explored other potential fixes. I updated Microsoft Edge to ensure it was running the latest version, hoping that a new update might resolve any bugs causing the issue. I went to the Edge menu, clicked on ‘Help and feedback,’ and then ‘About Microsoft Edge.’ The browser quickly checked for updates and installed a new version. I restarted Edge and tested the video once more, but the silence persisted.
Another approach was to clear Edge’s cache and cookies. Sometimes, accumulated data can interfere with the browser’s functionality. I opened Edge’s settings, navigated to ‘Privacy, search, and services,’ and then selected ‘Choose what to clear’ under ‘Clear browsing data.’ I checked the boxes for cached images and files, as well as cookies, and cleared them. After doing this, I restarted the browser and tried playing the video again. Unfortunately, the issue remained.
I decided to check if there were any issues with my audio drivers. I opened ‘Device Manager’ from the Windows search bar, located ‘Sound, video and game controllers,’ and checked for any exclamation marks or errors next to the audio devices. Everything seemed to be in order. Still, I updated the drivers to make sure they were up-to-date, just in case. Even after updating, there was no improvement.
One more thing I considered was whether any extensions in Edge might be causing the issue. I disabled all extensions by navigating to ‘Extensions’ from the Edge menu and turning them off one by one. I restarted the browser and tested the video. No change. It was clear that none of the extensions were responsible.
As a last resort, I decided to reset Microsoft Edge to its default settings. I went to ‘Settings,’ then ‘Reset settings,’ and chose ‘Restore settings to their default values.’ I confirmed the reset and waited for Edge to restart. After doing this, I tried playing the video again. This time, I was met with success—the sound was back. It was a relief to finally hear the audio playing through my speakers.
In summary, the issue with no sound playing in Microsoft Edge was quite a puzzle, but by systematically going through the troubleshooting steps, I was able to resolve it. I adjusted the volume settings in the browser and the system, updated Edge, cleared the cache, checked audio drivers, and disabled extensions before ultimately resetting the browser. The reset proved to be the final solution, restoring the sound functionality I needed. It was a frustrating process, but I was glad to have it resolved and to be able to enjoy my videos with sound once again.