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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe Windows 10 message “Audio services not responding” means the two services that carry normal Windows sound—Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder—are stopped, disabled, or unable to start because a dependency or driver is failing. Start by restoring those services, then run the Playing Audio troubleshooter. If the problem began after a driver change, reinstall the computer or audio-device manufacturer’s supported driver. USB headsets, DACs and adapters may need a separate fix for a documented Windows 10 version 1703 driver conflict.
This guide follows the least destructive order: service checks first, automated diagnosis second, driver repair third, and the USB-specific procedure only when USB audio is involved.
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What “audio services not responding” means
Windows uses a service stack rather than a single sound switch. Windows Audio provides the operating-system audio service, while Windows Audio Endpoint Builder creates and manages the audio endpoints that applications use. Microsoft’s support wording is that both services must be running for audio to work correctly. If either service is stopped, disabled, or blocked by a failed dependency, Windows may show the troubleshooter message even though the speakers, headphones or sound card are physically fine.
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The symptom can be total silence, a red X on the speaker icon, an inability to select an output device, or sound that disappeared after Windows or a driver update. The same message can occur with internal speakers, a 3.5 mm headset, HDMI audio, Bluetooth audio, or a USB interface. The repair path is therefore based on the service state and the type of device, not on the speaker brand.
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Before changing anything
Confirm that this is the Windows 10 issue
- Check the taskbar speaker icon. If it has a red X or Windows reports that no audio device is installed, continue with the service checks.
- Note whether every application is silent or only one game or media app. A service failure normally affects the whole system; an application-only problem may be a per-app output selection instead.
- Disconnect unnecessary USB audio hardware temporarily. If the built-in speakers work after removal, use the USB branch later in this guide.
Protect your current setup
Service changes in this guide are reversible. Do not delete random files from the Windows folder or install a driver from an unofficial download site. For driver work, use the package supplied by your computer maker or the audio-device manufacturer. Write down the current output device before making changes so you can select the same device during testing.
Picture guide: the screens you should see
services.msc, and press Enter. The list should contain separate rows named Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. The Status column should eventually read “Running,” and Startup type should read “Automatic.”These descriptions are visual checkpoints: your labels may wrap differently according to display scaling, but the service names and menu labels should match Windows 10.
Step 1: Start or restart the two audio services
- Press Win+R to open the Run box.
- Enter
services.mscand press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one. - Scroll to Windows Audio. Double-click it.
- In the General tab, set Startup type to Automatic. If Service status is Stopped, select Start. If it is already running, select Restart after applying the setting.
- Select Apply, then OK.
- Find Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and repeat the same process: Startup type Automatic, then Start or Restart.
- Close the Services window and test a Windows sound, such as the volume-change sound or a short local video.
Start the Endpoint Builder as well as Windows Audio. Starting only one service can leave the audio stack incomplete, so check both rows even when one already says Running.
Check the dependencies when a service will not start
If Start or Restart produces an error, open the service’s Properties again and select the Dependencies tab. The important dependencies identified in Microsoft Community guidance are:
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- DCOM Server Process Launcher
- RPC Endpoint Mapper
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- Plug and Play
Return to the main Services list and locate each dependency by name. Its service should not be disabled. If one is stopped, open its Properties and start it, then retry Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. Work from the dependency toward the audio service: a dependency that cannot start is the underlying problem to investigate first.
Do not change unrelated services while troubleshooting. The aim is to restore the four named dependencies and the two audio services, not to reset the entire Services console.
Step 2: Run Windows 10’s Playing Audio troubleshooter
- Open Settings from the Start menu.
- Select Update & security.
- Choose Troubleshoot, then Additional troubleshooters.
- Select Playing Audio and choose Run the troubleshooter.
- When Windows lists output devices, select the speakers, headset, monitor, or other device you actually want to use.
- Accept a proposed repair only after reading what it will change, then allow the test sound to play.
The troubleshooter can identify a stopped service, a disabled device, mute state, an incorrect default output, or a driver problem. If it reports a stopped service, return to Step 1 and verify both audio services and their dependencies. If it reports a disabled device or wrong default, enable or select the device it names and test again. If it reports a driver problem, continue to Step 3 rather than repeatedly running the same scan.
What a successful result looks like
A successful run normally leaves an output device selected and lets Windows play a test sound. Open the speaker control on the taskbar and confirm that the volume is above zero and not muted. Then test more than one application. If only one application remains silent, inspect that application’s own output selection; the system service repair has already addressed the Windows-wide failure.
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Step 3: Update or reinstall the supported audio driver
Use this step when the services are running but the troubleshooter identifies a driver issue, when the audio device is missing, or when silence started immediately after a driver update. Microsoft Community guidance lists driver reinstallation as the next supported repair path.
Find the device that needs attention
- Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers. Also check Audio inputs and outputs if the endpoint itself is listed there.
- Look for the computer maker’s audio device, a USB interface, HDMI audio, or a warning icon. Record the exact model name.
The model matters because a generic package may not contain the configuration used by a particular laptop, desktop motherboard, monitor, or interface. Use the manufacturer’s support page or recovery utility for the exact Windows 10 model and edition.
Install the manufacturer package
- Download the current Windows 10 audio package supplied for the exact computer or audio device.
- Close applications that are playing sound.
- Run the installer and follow its restart instruction. If the package is delivered as a compressed file, extract it first and run the included setup program according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Restart Windows even if the installer does not insist on it.
- Reopen Device Manager and confirm that the device appears without a warning icon.
- Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter again and select the repaired device when prompted.
If the problem followed a recent update, reinstalling the manufacturer’s known-good package is preferable to stacking several generic drivers. Do not install multiple audio packages at once; remove the ambiguity by using one supported package for the identified device, then restart and test.
When the device is still missing
Recheck the physical connection, power, and device-specific instructions, then repeat the manufacturer installation with the hardware connected as directed. A missing device can prevent Windows from creating an endpoint even though the two core services are running. For a USB device, use the dedicated procedure in the next section before concluding that the hardware has failed.
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Step 4: Follow the USB-audio procedure when a USB adapter, DAC or interface is involved
Microsoft documents a Windows 10 version 1703 case involving a USB audio adapter or DAC. A device-specific driver can replace usbaudio2.sys while the interface reference remains in conflict. This branch is specific to that documented version-1703 scenario; it is not a universal explanation for every USB sound failure.
Remedy A: Uninstall the device without deleting its driver software
- Disconnect the USB audio adapter, DAC, headset, or interface.
- Open Device Manager and locate the relevant USB or audio entry.
- Choose Uninstall device.
- When Windows offers Delete the driver software for this device, leave that box unchecked.
- Complete the uninstall, restart Windows, and reconnect the hardware.
- Allow Windows to rediscover it, then test playback.
Leaving the deletion box unchecked is important for this remedy: the documented sequence removes the device instance while retaining the driver software.
Remedy B: Try another USB port
Shut down the audio application, unplug the device, and connect it to a different USB port. After Windows finishes detecting it, check the output list and run a test sound. This is a diagnostic change as well as a possible fix: if one port works and another does not, keep the working connection while you investigate the original port or its controller.
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- Disconnect the USB audio device.
- Obtain the manufacturer’s device-specific driver for the supported Windows 10 model.
- Install that driver while the hardware remains disconnected, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Restart Windows if requested.
- Connect the USB adapter, DAC, or interface only after installation is complete.
- Select the newly detected endpoint and test playback.
Use one of these remedies at a time so you can identify which change restored the endpoint. If none works, test the device on another computer or test another USB audio device on this computer; that separates a Windows configuration problem from a device or cable problem without claiming that either component is defective.
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Choose the shortest path for your symptom
| Symptom or situation | First action | Why this order fits |
|---|---|---|
| “Audio services not responding” affects every output | Restart Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder; inspect dependencies | The message points directly to the service stack. |
| A service starts and immediately stops | Check DCOM Server Process Launcher, RPC Endpoint Mapper, RPC, and Plug and Play | A dependency can prevent a stable service start. |
| Services run but Windows still reports a problem | Run Playing Audio from Additional troubleshooters | The troubleshooter checks mute, disabled devices, default output, and drivers. |
| No sound after a driver update | Reinstall the manufacturer-supported audio package | A clean supported package addresses an update-related driver failure. |
| USB adapter, DAC or interface is affected | Use the version-1703 USB sequence: uninstall without deleting, another port, or pre-install the device driver | These are Microsoft’s remedies for the documented USB driver conflict. |
Common failure points and what to do next
The Startup type keeps returning to Disabled
Do not repeatedly click Start without checking why the setting changed. Reopen Properties, set Automatic, apply it, and verify the setting after a restart. If it changes again, run the troubleshooter and review recently installed driver or system-management software before making further service changes.
Windows Audio is running but there is no output device
Run the troubleshooter and inspect the selected default device. Then check Device Manager for the manufacturer audio entry and reinstall its supported package if it is absent or marked with a warning. For USB hardware, disconnect it and use the USB branch rather than treating the missing endpoint as proof that the core service is broken.
The troubleshooter says the device is muted
Unmute the taskbar speaker control and check any physical mute key or knob on the laptop, monitor, headset, or interface. Confirm that the selected default device is the one with connected speakers. A service restart cannot correct a muted endpoint or output routed to an unused monitor.
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Only a monitor connected by HDMI is silent
In the troubleshooter, select the HDMI or monitor endpoint rather than the laptop speakers. If that endpoint is missing, inspect the display-audio entry in Device Manager and install the supported graphics or audio package supplied for the computer. Keep Windows Audio and Endpoint Builder running while you make the device-specific repair.
How to verify the repair
- Open
services.mscand confirm that Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder show Running with Startup type Automatic. - Open each service’s Dependencies tab and make sure the four named supporting services are not disabled.
- Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter once and record whether it reports a service, device, mute, default-output, or driver issue.
- Play sound through the intended output, then test a second application.
- If the output is USB, disconnect and reconnect it once, select its endpoint, and confirm that it remains available after a restart.
If the problem returns after every restart, the recurring cause is more likely a dependency, device-specific driver, or USB enumeration conflict than a one-time mute. Repeat only the branch that matches the reported symptom instead of resetting every service or installing unrelated drivers.
Is it safe to restart these services?
Restarting Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder through the Services console is a normal Windows troubleshooting action and is reversible. It may interrupt active playback and close an audio stream, so save work in recording or communications apps first. Setting their Startup type to Automatic allows Windows to start the services during boot; it does not erase personal files or audio settings.
Driver installation deserves more care. A manufacturer-supported package is preferable to an unknown download, and the USB version-1703 procedure specifically tells you not to select “Delete the driver software for this device” for its uninstall remedy. If a step produces a new error, stop at that step, note the exact device and message, and return to the relevant branch rather than applying unrelated registry edits.
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