Although the HP Pavilion laptop comes with a built-in sound device that delivers sound through built-in speakers, Windows 7 won't detect the device if it's missing vital software. Drivers allow the device to communicate with the motherboard in the computer to deliver sound through the speakers. If Windows 7 can't detect the sound card in your HP Pavilion laptop, Microsoft provides solutions to solve audio problems safely.
Hardware
If your laptop isn't detecting an audio device, in most cases, the sound card isn't setup correctly. To verify whether the sound card on your laptop is working properly, open the Device Manager from the System Security in the Control Panel. If prompted, enter your administrator password to open it. From the "Sound, video and game controllers" section, Windows 7 displays the sound card installed on your computer. If the sound card has a yellow question mark over it, it means the computer isn't detecting it. If you right-click the card and click "Properties," the Device Manager displays the card's status in the "Device status" box on the General tab. If the device is listed with an arrow pointing down, it means the sound card is disabled. Right-click the sound card and click "Enable" to re-enable the device.
Drivers
If the Device Manager determines the sound card isn't working properly, update or reinstall the sound drivers for your computer. You can update sound drivers from the Device Manager or using Windows Update on the Start menu. If you use Windows Update, your computer connects to the Microsoft server and downloads the latest drivers and system components automatically. If you prefer to update the sound driver manually, open the sound card's properties in the Device Manager. From the driver tab, click the "Update Driver" button and follow the guided instructions to install the driver safely. When the process completes, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. If the audio device failed after installing an update, clicking the "Roll Back Driver" restores the previously installed driver.
Troubleshooter
If you're not sure why your HP Pavilion laptop won't detect the sound card, run a troubleshooter to determine the cause of the problem. A troubleshooter is an automated tool that searches for problems and fixes them automatically. Download and run the sound playback troubleshooter from Microsoft's website. When the process completes, download and run the hardware and devices troubleshooter, and follow the instructions to restore audio drivers. Alternatively, run the "Find and fix problems" tool located in the Control Panel.
Other
If you're using an external speaker system, check the connections and volume levels. If the speaker system requires software or drivers to function properly, download and install the latest versions from the manufacturer's website to improve audio. If you're still unable to solve the audio problem, use the Recovery Manager on the Start menu to restore audio drivers.
Tags: sound card, Device Manager, your computer, Pavilion laptop, your Pavilion laptop, audio device, audio drivers