Susan C, Author at Drivers.com

Fix the No audio output device is installed Issue

By Susan C on January 7, 2019

If you see a red ‘X’ on sound icon in your system tray, it means you will not get any sound from your windows computer.

As you can guess, this issue can be frustrating, as you can’t listen to songs or watch movies and videos. And if you are playing computer games, you’ll have to do so without any audio.

When you place the mouse over sound icon, you may get the following message: No audio output device is installed.

Alternatively, you may see this message: No playback devices.

Both messages point to toward the same direction. Either your computer lacks the newest drivers it needs to ‘talk’ with the installed sound card or Windows, for some reasons, has disabled the audio device.

There are four ways to fix the issue. All the solutions listed in the post have worked for other Windows users, so there’s a strong chance you’ll benefit from trying them. Of course, you don’t have to try each one of them. Start with the first solution in the post, and if that doesn’t help, go to the next and so on.

Solution 1 – Update Audio Drivers

Did you know that the easiest way to update device drivers is by using a professional tool?

Of course, you can update them through device manager, too. However, that workaround is not only a bit technical but also time-consuming.

We’ve listed both automatic and manual driver update process. You can see for yourself how easy automatic driver update process is.

Update Audio Drivers Automatically

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

You can update device drivers automatically
The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

Start Download

Update Audio Drivers Manually

Windows come with an in-built utility called Device Manager that allows you to manage your devices and their drivers.

You can update audio drivers using Device Managers in two ways, both are discussed ahead.

Solution 1 – Uninstall and reinstall audio device

Here are the steps to follow:

Press Win + R, type msc and press Enter
Expand Sound, video and game controllers
Right-click your audio device and select Uninstall

Follow on-screen instructions, if any
Reboot Windows

Upon restart, Windows will automatically install the correct driver for your audio device.

If this solution doesn’t work, it means Windows doesn’t have the latest drivers. You’ll have to procure them from the manufacturer’s site and install them manually (discussed next).

Solution 2 – Download audio drivers manually from manufacturer’s website

Go to your sound card’s manufacturer’s site and download the latest drivers for your sound card (note: make sure the driver you select is compatible with your version of Windows, especially if you are using an older Windows version)
Save the driver file on desktop or some other location
Open the Device Manager window
Expand Sound, video and game controllers
Right-click the audio device and click update driver
Click Browse my computer for driver software

Now browse to the location where you’ve stored the driver file

Click Next
Select the driver in the list and follow onscreen instructions
Restart Windows

Solution 2 – Re-enable the device

Here are the steps to follow. (Note: It is possible that the exact steps in your version of Windows might be different than the steps shown below.)

Press Win + R to launch the Run command box
Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter. This will open the Device Manager window
Expand Sound, video and game controllers

Note: If this category doesn’t appear in your list, perform the steps listed in the next section. If it does appear, ignore the next step and go straightaway to the last step

Sound, video and game controllers category not visible

Click the Action menu in the Device Manager window and then click Add Legacy Hardware
Click the Next button
Now select the first option in the list: Search for and install hardware automatically (recommended)
Add Hardware Wizard will now try to locate new hardware. If it fails to do this, you need to click the Next button
A list with different hardware types will appear on your screen. Scroll down till you find Sound, video, and game controllers
Select this hardware type and then click the Next button
Now you will need to select the sound card manufacturer as well as model. Once you done that, click the Next button
The device will now be installed. Click Finish when installation completes
Now launch Device Manager and perform the last step given below.

Last Step

If Sound, video and game controllers category was visible in your Device Manager window, you just need to follow this step

Expand Sound, video and game controllers
Right-click the audio device and click the Enable option
Follow onscreen instructions, if any, and then reboot Windows

Solution 3 – Run Windows 10 Audio Troubleshooter

Windows 10 users can run the in-built Windows Audio Troubleshooter.

Here are the steps to follow.

Press Win + X
In the search box, type troubleshooter and press Enter
Now select View all
Next choose Playing audio
Follow the onscreen instructions

If the problem still persists after you’ve ran the troubleshooter, go to the last solution.

Solution 4 – Replace faulty sound card

It is possible that you may be getting the error because of a faulty sound card. If nothing has worked, replacing the sound card might be the only option.

Fix YouTube Slow Issue

By Susan C on January 3, 2019

Is YouTube running unusually slowly for you?

Slow YouTube buffering is a common issue which can occur for many reasons. For instance, you can encounter the problem when there’s an issue with your network connection.

Similarly an overloaded server can lead to this problem. A clogged up browser cache is another reason why this issue can arise. In addition to these, there are other potential causes behind this problem.

However, this is something that you can fix fairly quickly so read on for some tips and fixes.

Start with ensuring the issue is not being caused by something on your network. If you are trying to watch YouTube videos in a business organization, keep in mind that you can face this issue if the data allocation for this is limited. Ensure the internet connection is all good and there’s nothing wrong with your connection.

Once you’ve run all the listed checks and find that YouTube buffering speed is as bad as before, we recommend you to try these solutions.

Solution 1 – Change the Video URL

Try replacing www in the URL of the video you wish to watch by ca. You can also use some other URL.

For instance, if you want to open a video with URL https://www.youtube.com/, you can use instead this URL: https://ca.youtube.com/

Solution 2 – Clear Browsing Cache

Browsing cache allows your computer to open websites that you’ve visited before more quickly. While a useful feature, it can at times cause issues, especially when a lot of temporary data accumulates. This can clog and slow down the computer. Clear browsing cache and check whether that helps improve the streaming.

Here are the steps to follow on Chrome.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Del. This will open the Clear Browsing Data window
You will see two tabs at the top: Basic and Advanced. Click the latter
Now select all checkboxes that you see. Finally click on Clear browsing data

Important: If you want, you can exclude the stored passwords, along with browsing data, here. That said, it is best that you clear the cache completely at least once. Now check whether things improve or not.

End every running application by opening Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Del) and then restart the browser. Check whether YouTube video streaming has improved

Solution 3 – Opt for Lower Quality Settings

The load on the site servers tends to increase at certain hours, known as peak hours. YouTube is no exception. How much traffic a site receives is obviously beyond your control. However, what’s in your control is the video quality settings.

When you change the setting to “Automatically”, the video quality is automatically adjusted as per the internet connection. However, you can change this setting manually if you want. Lowering quality settings have helped some users to fix this issue. We recommend you try it, too.

Here are the steps to follow.

Open the YouTube video you want to watch
Click on Gear button (You’ll find it on bottom right hand side)
Click Quality. Now lower the quality setting

Solution 4 – Check Flash Software

Most web browsers have Adobe Flash Player preinstalled. It is frequently used for embedding videos on a lot of sites. Some users have reported that they were able to fix the YouTube Slow issue by uninstalling Flash Player and then installing the newest version of it from the official Flash site. You can try this solution.

Now by default YouTube switches Firefox users to HTML5 player from Flash Player. If you’re not sure whether your Firefox browser uses HTML5, you check for the same on official YouTube page. That said, several available add-ons on other browsers force Flash when HTML is not working properly.

Check whether the browser you’re using aptly supports HTML5. You should also ensure there are absolutely zero conflicts with installed Adobe software programs. Many users have complained that they cause several issues. Additionally, ensure you’re using the latest Flash version.

Solution 5 – Block 2 IP Address Ranges

When you view a video, typically you watch using Content Delivery Network, or CDN for short. What CDN does is that it helps you view content more easily and quickly by virtually lessening the distance. This, as you may guess, helps improve the performance of a site. It also boosts site rendering.

At times the ISP provider may increase speed between your pc and CDN. This in turn can delay YouTube buffering. This situation may be alleviated if you block 2 IP address ranges. In case the solution doesn’t work, you can use the command listed here to revert the new changes.

Here are the steps to follow to block 2 IP address rangers.

Click the Windows icon in the taskbar and then type command prompt in the Start Search box. In the result list, right-click command prompt and then click Run as administrator to open Elevated command prompt
Now type this command and then press Enter – netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=”AppualsTweak” dir=in action=block remoteip=173.194.55.0/24,206.111.0.0/16 enable=yes
Exit command prompt window. Check whether YouTube video is streaming better or not
In case, the buffering speed is not better than before, undo the changes made by running this command in the elevated command prompt – netsh advfirewall firewall delete rule name=”AppualsTweak”

Solution 6 – Update Graphic Drivers

Outdated drivers can slow down HD streaming. This is exactly what some users have reported. During video streaming, a computer uses the installed Graphic hardware. If the drivers are old, it may not be able to handle the newest optimizations used in YouTube.

You can install drivers via the built-in Device Manager utility or using a fast driver update tool. We will discuss both methods here.

Update Drivers through Device Manager

First you need to boot Windows in the Safe Mode and then delete installed video card drivers. When you reboot Windows, the default drivers will be installed automatically.

You can boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode using the System Configuration tool. You may know it from its filename: msconfig.exe.

Here are the steps to follow to boot Windows in Safe Mode through System Configuration tool.

Open the search field in taskbar, type system configuration and click system configuration shortcut
Click the Boot tab in System Configuration window
Select Safe Boot option in Boot options section
Click OK
You will get a pop-up window stating you will have to restart the computer for the changes to take effect. Click the Restart button
Now Windows will start in Safe Mode directly

Once you’re in Safe Mode, follow these steps to display drivers.

Press Win + R. This will open the Run dialog box. Type msc and press Enter
In the device manager window, expand Display adapters. Then right-click the display hardware, and then click Uninstall device
A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm the action. Click the OK button
Now restart Windows in the normal mode
Go to Device Manager window, select the display hardware and click Update driver
Now click Search automatically for updated driver software

Windows will automatically conduct a search for newest drivers available. It will then install them.

In case the problem is not solved through updating the device drivers, we recommend you download and install drivers manually by visiting the manufacturer’s site. Once you’ve downloaded the latest driver, follow these steps.

Open device manager utility
Expand Display adapters, right-click the hardware device, and click Update driver
Click Browse my computer for driver software
Now go to the folder where you stored the downloaded driver file. Select it and let Windows install the driver.
Reboot Windows and check if the issue is fixed

Update Drivers Automatically

As you can see, updating drivers through Device Manager, besides being technical, is also cumbersome and time-consuming.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

You can update device drivers automatically
The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

Start Download

Solution 7 – Use a VPN

This is the last step in the list. Try if nothing else has worked till now to resolve YouTube Slow Issue.

Because a VPN bypasses CDN servers, it can help you play YouTube videos more quickly. This solution can work if your CDN servers are overloaded. This can delay video streaming considerably. By skipping the CDN server, a VPN may help load YouTube videos faster.

You can find many paid as well as free VPN services. In case you’ve never used a VPN before, it may be best if you start with a free one. If you found it useful in improving video streaming speed, you can jump to a paid one if needed.

Windows 10 black screen with cursor

By Susan C on December 31, 2018

Windows has a habit of throwing up very frustrating errors such as this black screen issue. When it happens, you see only a black screen with cursor. Typically this issue appears after you’ve performed an upgrade. Many users have also encountered this problem when Windows automatically installs updates.

Even though this error looks serious, it is actually quite benign and something that you can fix yourself.

In this post, we’ve listed some common solutions for Windows 10 black screen with cursor error. All of these solutions have worked for Windows users, and we’re sure you will be able to resolve this problem using these workarounds.

Solution 1 – Fix it blindly

Here are the steps you need to follow.

When you get the black screen, wait until the white mouse cursor shows up on your screen
After the appearance of the mouse cursor, simultaneously press the ctrl key and space bar on the keyboard
Now enter your login pin code or password blindly. This will allow you to log into Windows

In case the desktop doesn’t appear when you login and all you get is the irritating black screen, you should press Window + P + Down Arrow Key (Two times) and then type the login details once again.

Solution 2 – Power Cycle

In case you use a laptop with a removable battery, perform the following steps:

Take the laptop battery out
Now unplug power adapter
Then Press and hold laptop’s power button for at least 10 secs
Now release power button
Connect back the charger, insert the battery back and then power on the laptop

In case the problem persists or you are a desktop user, you should try the next solution.

Solution 3 – Update the Graphics Drivers

The black screen error that you’re receiving can also occur if video driver is outdated, incorrect, or corrupt. Because it doesn’t take much to update a device driver, we recommend you try this solution before moving further.

You can use a driver update tool to simplify the task of updating video driver or you can use the Device Manager utility.

We will be discussing both of them. Let’s start with manual method of updating the video driver.

Update Video Driver Using Device Manager

You can allow Windows to update the driver present on your computer or you can download the latest driver from the video card’s manufacturer’s site.

Method 1 – Let Windows Install the Generic Driver

Here are the steps to follow.

Press Win + R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box
Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager window
Right-click the video card and then click Update driver
Click Search automatically for the updated driver software
Follow onscreen instructions

Method 2 – Download the Latest Driver from the Manufacturer’s Website

It is possible that Windows doesn’t have the latest driver for the device. In such a case, you should go to the manufacturer’s website, and manually download the latest driver.

Save the driver file on your desktop or another convenient location and then use the Device Manager to update the driver.

Here are the steps to follow.

Press Win + R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box
Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager window
Right click the video card and then click Update driver
Click Browse my computer for driver software (the second option in the list)
Now browse to the location where you’ve saved the driver file and then click the Next button to install the driver

Update Driver Automatically

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

You can update device drivers automatically
The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

Start Download

Solution 4 – Disable Fast Startup

If the above-listed solution failed to fix the problem, you can try disabling Fast Startup. This step has worked for many users and may very well work for you, too.

Restart Windows in the Safe Mode

First you’ll need to Restart Windows 10 in the Safe Mode. To do this, perform these steps:

Click Windows-button → On/Off
Holding down Shift key, click Restart
Now click Troubleshoot. Then click Advanced Options
In the Advanced Options section, click Start-up Settings
In the Start-up Settings section, click Restart
You will see many boot options on your screen. The options relevant for starting windows in the Safe Mode are options 4, 5, and 6. You can use the Function keys or number keys to select the appropriate option. For instance if you want to select the 5^th option in the list, press F5 or 5 on the number keypad.

Once Windows 10 boots in the Safe Mode, perform the steps listed ahead to disable Fast Startup.

Type Control Panel in the start search box and then click Control Panel in the results
Select Small icons in the View by drop-down menu
Click Power options
In the left-pane, click at Choose what the power button does

In the System Settings window, now you need to click at Change settings that are currently unavailable

Now go to Shutdown Settings and here unselect the box before Turn on fast startup (recommended). Then click the Save changes button.

Solution 5 – Disable integrated graphics card

In case you are using a separate graphics card, it is possible that Windows is assuming that you use a dual monitor. This in turn can lead to the Windows 10 black screen with cursor error.

In such a scenario, you may be able to resolve the issue by disabling integrated graphics card.

First, restart Windows in the Safe Mode (Refer to the steps listed in the Solution 4)
Press Win + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to launch the run box
Now type devmgmt.msc in Run box and click the OK button
Expand Display adapters. Here you’re likely to find multiple graphics card. Right-click integrated graphics card (generally this is an AMD or Intel graphics card). Next, click Disable
Now reboot Windows

In case you don’t know for sure which graphics card is the integrated one, we suggest you disable the first graphic card in the list and check if that resolves the issue. If not, disable the second one and so on.

A corrupt Windows user profile is another reason why the Windows 10 black screen with cursor problem occurs. In case you are able to login to your computer using another user account and use the pc as before, chances are the cause of the problem is a corrupt user profile.

In this case, simply replace the non-working user profile’s folder with the working profile’s folder.

Here are the steps you need to follow.

Restart Windows in the Safe Mode (Refer to the steps listed in the Solution 4)
Login into your PC with the user profile that’s working
Now browse to C:\Users\{working-user-profile-name}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Caches
Next, copy “Caches” folder
Login into your PC with the user profile that’s corrupt
Now browse to C:\Users\{broken-user-profile-name}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Caches
Now replace this folder with working user profile’s folder

In case you have no existing working user account, use the following instructions to create one.

Make sure your user account has administrative rights. That is, it is an administrator account. If the user account doesn’t have administrative rights, we recommend you to activate the in-built Windows administrator. To do this, follow these steps
- In the Start Search box, type command prompt, then right click Command Prompt in the search results and click Run as administrator
- Now in the Elevated Command Prompt, you should type net user administrator /active:yes and then press Enter
- Restart Windows
- Now you can log in with administrator account
- Now follow the instructions listed ahead to create a new user account
In the Start Search box, type “settings” and then click Settings
Now click Accounts
In left pane, click Other people. Now click Add someone else to this PC
Just follow onscreen instructions to create another user account
Now login into Windows with this new account. Check if the problem is fixed

Solution 7 – Reset the PC

This is the last solution. If the problem has not been resolved till now, we recommend you reset the PC. This action will completely reinstall Windows.

In case you don’t think this is something you can do yourself, you should consider contacting the PC manufacturer for assistance.

Restart Windows in the Safe Mode (Refer to the steps listed in the Solution 4)
In the Start Search box, type “settings” and then click the Settings button
Click Update & Security
Now Click Recovery
Now go to the “Reset this PC” section and here click the Get Started button. Now you can reset the PC by following onscreen instructions

We hope one of these solutions do work for you. In case you have any questions, leave us a comment.