No audio after coming out of sleep

JeffLeites · Mar 14, 2026

New problem today. When my Dell Insipron Notebook, running Windows 11 comes out of sleep, there is no audio. I've tried all the fixes I can find, stopping and resetting certain service, uninstalling the sound driver, I even downloaded and installed the driver from Dell. I also tried a system restore. No luck. HELP?

glasskuter · Mar 14, 2026

You do not list your device specification in your system specs section of your forum profile. Since you have Dell, I am assuming you use Realtek Audio.
Please answer some questions as you don't give enough information.

After coming out of sleep, does the sound work when you restart or cold boot the laptop?

Are you referring to sound through your browser such as a youtube video? If that is the case, first try another browser. If sound works properly in a second browser, that proves the issue is in the browser you are currently using, so go to step 3.

If you have no sound in another browser when waking from sleep:
1.Disable fast startup. Control Panel>Power Options>Choose what the power buttons do>Uncheck turn on fast startup

2. Run sound troublshooter settings>system>troubleshoot>other troubleshooters>audio>run.

If you do have sound in another browser, try these suggestions. Test after each step by putting the system to sleep and waking it. It will be a proess of elimination.

3. Make sure the sound is not muted for the browser in settings. Make sure your device volume is turned up in the sound settings for your browser.

While a video is playing, launch Settings. You will not see this setting unless there is active sound through your browser.
Navigate to System > Sound. Make sure your speakers (Realtek Audio) is set as default device
Open Advanced sound options.
Select App volume and device preferences. Find your browser in the list.
Adjust the volume and output levels for whatever browser you are using. Make sure sound is not muted for the browser denoted by a tiny x across the speaker icon to the right of the browser name.

4. Disable browser add-ons.

5. Clear browse cache and cookies

6. Reset the browser. Here is how to do it for Edge. If you use another browser, you will have to query the web for your particular browser.This will reset the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.

JeffLeites · Mar 15, 2026

Thanks for trying to help.

This is a Dell 3501

Same results with Firefix, Edge, and Media Player

Rebooting restarting the system restores the audio until it's been in sleep mode for several seconds.

Fast startup does not appear on Choose what the power buttons do on my computer
Te
Troubleshooter didn't find a problem

Sound muting is not set

My current driver is Cirrus Logic Superior High Definition Audio. I thought I saw Realtek there before, but not now. I tried downloading and installing both from the Dell Driver web site, they were both listed as Installed at various times. My last attempt was installing Realtek which took a few minutes, but Device Manger is still showing Cirrus. Cirrus is also shown as the default speaker.

Browser sound is not muted

I ran an in-place Windows repair update. No change.

New Observation:

Some 3501s were shipped with RealTek and some some with Cirrus. Mine is obviously Cirrus so I uninstalled the Realtek app.

If I plug in a headset before Sleep mode, the Headset appears as an output option, after sleep, it disappears and won't come back without a reboot.

The sound meter works even though the sound is not coming out.

"Windows Sounds" also doesn't work after sleep.

EB2XR6 · Mar 15, 2026

glasskuter said:
If you have no sound in another browser when waking from sleep:
1.Disable fast startup. Control Panel>Power Options>Choose what the power buttons do>Uncheck turn on fast startup

glasskuter said:
You do not list your device specification in your system specs section of your forum profile. Since you have Dell, I am assuming you use Realtek Audio.
Please answer some questions as you don't give enough information.

After coming out of sleep, does the sound work when you restart or cold boot the laptop?

Are you referring to sound through your browser such as a youtube video? If that is the case, first try another browser. If sound works properly in a second browser, that proves the issue is in the browser you are currently using, so go to step 3.

If you have no sound in another browser when waking from sleep:
1.Disable fast startup. Control Panel>Power Options>Choose what the power buttons do>Uncheck turn on fast startup

2. Run sound troublshooter settings>system>troubleshoot>other troubleshooters>audio>run.

If you do have sound in another browser, try these suggestions. Test after each step by putting the system to sleep and waking it. It will be a proess of elimination.

3. Make sure the sound is not muted for the browser in settings. Make sure your device volume is turned up in the sound settings for your browser.

While a video is playing, launch Settings. You will not see this setting unless there is active sound through your browser.

Navigate to System > Sound. Make sure your speakers (Realtek Audio) is set as default device

Open Advanced sound options.

Select App volume and device preferences. Find your browser in the list.

Adjust the volume and output levels for whatever browser you are using. Make sure sound is not muted for the browser denoted by a tiny x across the speaker icon to the right of the browser name.

4. Disable browser add-ons.

5. Clear browse cache and cookies

6. Reset the browser. Here is how to do it for Edge. If you use another browser, you will have to query the web for your particular browser.This will reset the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.

Disable Fast Startup will only be visible if Hibernation is enabled.

JeffLeites · Mar 15, 2026

EB2XR6 - I don't see Fast Startup in Control Panel>Power Options>Choose what the power buttons do

I don't see a place to enable Hibernation either, although it is an option in Settings Choose wht the power buttons do (but not the control panel).

EB2XR6 · Mar 15, 2026

JeffLeites said:
EB2XR6 - I don't see Fast Startup in Control Panel>Power Options>Choose what the power buttons do
I don't see a place to enable Hibernation either, although it is an option in Settings Choose wht the power buttons do (but not the control panel).

As I understand it, if Hibernation is disabled in Windows 11 then the Option to disable Fast Startup is not visible when you select "chose what the power buttons will do"

Edwin · Mar 15, 2026

Just my 2¢, but, will Windows ever get Sleep right, across hundreds of thousands of devices!?
Don't do Sleep, just close the lid.
My power settings are set to Never/Do Nothing etc..., the display turns off when I close the lid, my battery lasts all day, and that's on Ultimate Performance power plan!

spapakons · Mar 15, 2026

With today's SSDs hibernating takes a few seconds and restoring from hibernation takes a few seconds as well. So I would avoid sleeping and use hibernation instead.

JeffLeites · Mar 15, 2026

Edwin - "Don't do Sleep, just close the lid." NO WAY! I had an HP notebook. I closed the lid when I wasn't using it and over night.The hindges broke. Now I never close the lid unless I have to take the notebook some where, and I do it very carefully with one hand one either side of the lid.

Edwin · Mar 15, 2026

JeffLeites said:
I had an HP notebook... ... The hindges broke.

Bummer! HP's are notorious for that, or, used to be, anyway!

S0C9 · Mar 15, 2026

Check your audio format output settings.. since the last update when I reboot, audio will often default to 24-bit 48,000 Hz vs 24-bit 44,000 Hz ND NO sound! Changing one to the other usually resets the audio and I get sound!

jvickers · Mar 15, 2026

Try the CTRL+Windows Key+V to make sure the correct output device is selected.

JeffLeites · May 13, 2026

I've been working with a user from the Dell Community forum on this problem and he found something today that worked. FWIW, our computers are Dell 3501 with a Cirrus Audio Driver. The fix is to go into Device Manager, Sound Video and Gave Controllers and DISABLE the Intel Display Audio driver. Don't uninstall it, because it will reinstall on the next boot up. I tried it and it works. That driver appears to be for HMDI audio, and maybe video output, so my guess is that feature will be disabled without enabling the driver again.

No audio after coming out of sleep

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