What to do if the audio service says it's not responding or running

This time, we will explain how to resolve the issue when "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed.

There may be some people who are having trouble because their PC is not producing any sound and when they try to check the volume, the message "Audio service is not responding" is displayed.
Additionally, this may cause the microphone to become unusable or unrecognized.

In this article, we will explain several ways to deal with the "Audio service is not responding" issue, so we hope you will find it helpful.

What is audio service?

The audio service is a Windows resident program called "Windows Audio."

"Windows Audio" is involved in controlling the PC's sound source, and if it is disabled or malfunctions, problems such as no sound will occur.

If "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed, there may be a problem with "Windows Audio" or another problem may be affecting it. there is.

If you see Audio Service Not Responding and Not Running on Windows 10

If "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed in Windows 10, try the following methods that may resolve the issue.

• Try adjusting the volume
• Try restarting your PC
• Check if "Windows Audio" is disabled
• Check the logon settings for "Windows Audio"
• Disable extensions
• Run troubleshooter
• Reinstall the sound driver
• Update the BIOS

It is possible that the message "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed due to a temporary problem, so it is a good idea to start with the easiest solutions. Sho.

Try adjusting the volume

If you are experiencing a temporary glitch that says "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", adjusting the volume a little may resolve the issue.

Select the volume control icon and use the slider to increase or decrease the volume.
In the case of a temporary error, this operation may improve the situation.

Try restarting your PC

If the error message "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed due to a temporary glitch, restarting your PC may resolve the issue.

There are many cases where temporary system problems can be resolved by restarting the PC.
This is useful not only when there is no sound, but also when the notification sound has stopped ringing.

If adjusting the volume or restarting does not resolve the issue, please check the solutions below.

Check if "Windows Audio" is disabled

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", please check if "Windows Audio" is disabled.

"Windows Audio" is the audio service program explained in the first item.
If this program is disabled for some reason, a message such as "The audio service is not responding" may be displayed and you may not be able to hear any sound.

To check your Windows Audio settings, please follow the steps below:

[How to check if "Windows Audio" is disabled]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select Run.
3. Type services.msc.
4. Select OK.
5. Select "Windows Audio" from the service list.
6. If the "Startup type" item is set to "Disabled", set it to "Automatic".
7. If "Service Status" is "Stopped", select "Start".
   If it is "Running", first stop it and then start it.
8. Change "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder" and "Multimedia Class Scheduler" in the same way.

Check the logon settings for "Windows Audio"

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", please check the logon settings for "Windows Audio".

[How to check the logon settings of "Windows Audio" ①]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select Run.
3. Type services.msc.
4. Select OK.
5. Select "Windows Audio".
6. Select the "Logon" tab.
7. Select "Local System Account".
8. Select OK.
9. Right-click "Windows Audio".
10. Select "Restart".

Additionally, if these steps do not resolve the issue, please also try the following steps:

[How to check the logon settings of "Windows Audio" ②]

1. Select "Windows Audio".
2. Select the Logon tab.
3. Select "Account".
4. Select Browse.
5. Type "local service".
6. Select Check Names.
7. When "local service" is converted to "LOCAL SERVICE", select "OK".
8. Delete the "Password" field.
9. Delete the "Password confirmation input" field.
10. Select OK.
11. Right-click "Windows Audio".
12. Select "Restart".

Disable extensions

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service not responding" or "Audio service is not running", disabling the extension may fix the problem.

It seems that there are cases where the microphone cannot be used or is not recognized because the extension is enabled.

Here's how to disable the extension:

[How to disable extensions]

1. Right-click the speaker icon on the taskbar.
2. Select "Sound".
3. Select the Playback tab.
4. Select the appropriate speaker.
5. Select Properties.
6. Select the Details tab.
7. If "Enable audio enhancements" is checked in the "Signal enhancements" item, uncheck it.
8. Select Apply.
9. Select OK.

Run troubleshooter

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", some troubleshooting steps may resolve the issue.

The troubleshooting explained here is about tools related to audio playback.

[How to perform troubleshooting]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select "Settings (gear mark)".
3. Select Update & Security.
4. Select "Troubleshoot".
5. Select "Play Audio".
   If you can't find it, select "Additional troubleshooting tools".
6. Select Run Troubleshooter.

Reinstall the sound driver

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", reinstalling the sound driver may fix the problem.

If you uninstall the sound driver using the steps below and restart your PC, it will be installed again automatically.

[How to reinstall the sound driver]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select "Device Manager".
3. Right-click on "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers".
4. Select "Scan for hardware changes".
5. Select and expand "Sound, video, and game controllers".
6. Right-click the appropriate sound driver.
7. Select "Uninstall Device".
8. Select "Uninstall".
9. After completion, restart your PC.

Once the restart is complete, check again from Device Manager that the sound driver has been reinstalled.

Enable net devices and audio services using commands

If your Windows 10 PC displays “Audio service is not responding” or “Audio service is not running”, enable net devices and audio services using commands to resolve the issue. There is a possibility.

[How to enable net devices and audio services using commands]

1. Press "Windows" key + "R" key.
2. Type "cmd" in the "Run" box that appears.
3. Select OK.
4. Type "net localgroup Administrators /add networkservice" in the window that appears.
5. Press the Enter key.
6. Then type "net localgroup Administrators /add localservice".
7. Press the Enter key.

Update BIOS (UEFI)

If your Windows 10 PC displays "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running", updating the BIOS (UEFI) may resolve the issue.

BIOS is a program that runs when your PC starts up.
If a problem with the sound driver, etc. is caused by a BIOS bug, updating may resolve the issue.

BIOS differs depending on the PC/motherboard manufacturer. Therefore, please check the official website for the latest updates.

If your Dell says the audio service is not responding

If your Dell PC displays "Audio Service Not Responding", the following solutions may resolve the issue.

• Get the sound driver from the support page
• Run the troubleshooter

Even on Dell PCs, if you try the solutions listed above, the message "Audio service is not responding" may be resolved.

If the problem is still not resolved, please refer to the following items.

Get the sound driver from the support page

If your Dell PC displays the message "Audio Service Not Responding" and no sound comes out, obtaining a sound driver from the support site may resolve the issue.

Drivers and Downloads | Dell Japan

Also, if there are any drivers that need updating, it is a good idea to apply them.

Run the troubleshooter

If your Dell PC displays "Audio Service Not Responding", running the troubleshooter may resolve the issue.

Each manufacturer has their own hardware diagnostic tools. In the case of Dell, there is also an online diagnostic tool, so you may want to run that as well.

Dell diagnostic tools

Summary of solutions when the audio service is displayed as not responding or running

This time, we explained how to resolve cases where "Audio service is not responding" or "Audio service is not running" is displayed.

In the case of a temporary problem, it may be resolved by restarting the PC, but there may also be a problem with Windows Audio, etc.

When you suddenly stop hearing your PC's sound, you tend to panic, thinking that your speakers may be damaged. However, if a message such as "Audio service is not responding" is displayed, the solution described in this article may be effective, so please try it calmly.