What are the best hardware troubleshooting methods for a computer with no sound?

I agree here however we should also check to ensure we have the correct audio device selected. Often times the audio device has changed, either because a new audio device was plugged in or a driver was updated and it reinstalled the device which caused it to appear as a new device. When checking the system audio controls for volume and mute also ensure you are using the correct device.

I would summarize my steps in 4 stages. 1 verify the internal volume controls are not muted or set to low 2 verify cables are plugged in then test with known good speakers/headphones 3 if that doesn’t work I’m booting a Linux thumb drive to see if audio issue persists. If it does I’m leaning the rest of my testing at software issues in the OS. If it doesn’t work I’m leaning my remaining testing towards internal hardware issues. 4 additional testing based off of results of stage 3

To proceed, we must first check the user's system for sound cards in the devices section. This will help us determine how many sound cards are present and whether the operating system has recognized their drivers. It's possible that there may be a secondary sound card, in which case it will be given priority as it is separately connected to the main board. After that, make sure of the health and proper connection of the speaker or headphones

The first and most obvious place to start is by looking at the computer's audio control settings. Volume or media player settings might have been set too low or on mute, which sometimes happens inadvertently, maybe after a software/ hardware upgrade The second step is to confirm the file being played actually has audio. Corrupted files sometimes lose or have distorted audio With those out of the way, it would now be own to the computer's audio hardware. A quick peek at Device Manager can verify its status.

If the issue is not resolved by the above steps, we can try using the "system restore" feature. This will restore the system to a previous point when the sound card was working properly. Additionally, checking for Windows updates may solve certain system problems in Windows 10 and 11. If the issue persists, it is recommended to check the driver version and reinstall the original driver downloaded from the company's website. If the issue still persists, utilizing "Windows Repair" may resolve the issue by repairing system files and the registry. As a last resort, reinstalling Windows and drivers may be necessary to address the sound card problem. it is possible that the issue is hardware-related and should be assessed by a hardware expert

If installing new devices/cards onto a new/pre existing motherboard Consider re-seating the audio card into the PCI/PCIe slot. Sometimes dust or debris can enter the slot, causing a faulty connection or an incorrect seating.

If you are using external speakers connected to the audio output port of your computer or display, make sure the speakers are plugged into the audio output port on your Mac or display, and if necessary, into a power supply. Check for a power switch and volume adjustment on your external speakers. If you have checked the volume and mute settings and are still experiencing sound issues, there may be other solutions to try, such as restarting your computer or checking for software updates.