Problems with audio playback in Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7 are among the most common among users. One of these problems is the message “The audio service is not running” and, accordingly, there is no sound in the system.
This manual describes in detail what to do in such a situation to correct the problem and some additional nuances that can be useful if simple methods do not help.
What is actually the problem “audio service is not running” ?
Did you turn on the computer somehow, for example, after a crash, update drivers or disable unnecessary services, and there is no sound on it after launch? Didn’t this problem come to us?
Let’s understand why in Windows 7, there was an error “The audio service is not running.”
From the name it is clear that this service is responsible for the sound on the computer, and if it is stopped, the devices that reproduce the sound do not function or work incorrectly.
You can run the troubleshooting wizard, but it will only say that the service could not be started. Fix it manually.
Easy way to fix the audio service is not running error
If there is a problem, “Audio service is not running,” I recommend using simple methods to start with:
Automatic troubleshooting of the sound of Windows (you can start by double-clicking on the sound icon in the notification area after an error occurs or via the context menu of this icon – the item “Sound troubleshooting”). Often in this situation (unless you have turned off a significant number of services).
Manual inclusion of the audio service is not running
The audio service is understood as the Windows Audio system service present in Windows 10 and previous versions of the OS. By default, it is turned on and starts automatically when you log on to Windows. If this does not happen, you can try the following steps.
- Press the Win + R keys on the keyboard, type services.msc and press Enter.
- In the list of services that opens, find the Windows Audio service, double-click on it
- Set the startup type to “Automatic,” click “Apply” (to save the settings for the future), and then click “Run.”
If after these actions the launch still does not occur, it is possible that you have disabled any additional services on which the launch of the audio service depends.
What to do if the audio service is not running in windows os
If the simple launch of the Windows Audio service does not work, in the same place, in services.msc, check the settings of the following services (for all services, the default startup type is Automatic):
- Remote procedure call RPC
- Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
- Multimedia Class Scheduler (if there is such a service in the list)
After applying all the settings, I also recommend restarting the computer. If none of the methods described above helped you in your situation, but recovery points remained on the date before the problem appeared, use them,
More steps if the audio service is not running in windows 7
MMC snap-in
The first thing that you can run the audio service is a tool for managing Windows 7 services.
- Call the command prompt window, holding the Win + the R.
- Enter the “services.msc” command and click “OK” or press Enter.
- Find an item called “Windows Audio” and open its “Properties.”
In some builds of the operating system, the service may be called a little differently, for example, “Windows Audio Service.”
- Startup type select “Automatic” and click “Apply.”
- This click will save the settings and make the “Start” button active. Click on it to activate the service.
Check the status of the sound. Everything is working.
The result of the last step in the previous instruction may be a window with the following content: “Could not start the child service.”
More Steps if
Error 1068
Here the problem lies in the hierarchy of services on the computer, their dependencies among themselves. The properties of any element describe its dependencies on the tab of the same name.
In our case, “Windows Audio” depends on the operation of the slice of the three components of the operating system (see screenshot below). The functioning of any object does not depend on it.
How to fix the problem, when a hierarchically higher service, necessary for the audio system to work, is not running? As in the previous case.
First, we check the status of each of the services circled on the screen above, and when problems are detected, we indicate the automatic start and manually activate them (in our case, the “Tool for building endpoints …” stopped).
After that, the child service starts – Windows Audio – and the result is checked.
Error 1067
Sometimes after turning on the computer or laptop, the component responsible for the sound stops working. What to do if every turn on the PC accompanies such a problem?
We will be helped by the utility to check the immutability of system files, and if it does not cope, then we will resort to a rollback of the system.
- Hit Win + R.
- Enter and execute the command: “sfc / scannow”.
After the scan is completed, when the command line window closes, we try to turn on the problematic service manually.
Remember if the operating system or audio drivers were updated before the problem occurred. If so, try to delete the first ones or roll the second ones or simply restore the system using one of the last points of its rollback.
Removing sound drivers and installing new ones downloaded from the official website of the audio system developer, if there is a new version of them, can also help
In the case of error 1079, we do the same. She announces about:
- trying to run a damaged file;
- the absence of system components;
- problems with the registry.
One of the audio services is not functioning
When starting the component, one more problem may appear: “One or several audio services are not running.” This most likely indicates that the login settings are lost. What to do if it is accompanied by a computer?
- Call the “Properties” of the problematic component of the system.
- It can be not only Windows Audio but also any of the three components that are higher in the hierarchy, on which its work depends. We will, however, begin with her.
- Switch to the “Login” tab.
- Move the switch to the “Account” option and click “Browse.”
- Go to the advanced settings window.
- Start the search for accounts, select “Local service” from the list of profiles and click “OK.”
- In all the following windows also click “OK.”
We hope now the problem of the audio service is not running in windows will be removed and your device will be back with the sound.
Video on the audio service is not running