How to Fix: The Audio Service Is Not Running Windows 10

When you see a red X mark on the Speaker icon from the taskbar, and you place the mouse pointer over the Sound icon, you may notice “the audio service is not running” error message appearing on the device. 

A lot of users have encountered this error message on their device after upgrading to Windows 10. 

This error message can appear due to several reasons including an older version of the Audio driver, corrupted or missing audio driver, incorrect audio service settings, corrupted registry files, etc.

How To Fix The Audio Service Is Not Running on Windows 10

Below, we have provided some easy and effective fixes to solve “the audio service is not running” error message from the Windows 10 device. Follow and implement them as instructed below:

Fix 1 # Restart the Windows System

First, restart the device. Sometimes, restarting the device can fix various problems that you encounter. After restarting the device, check if the problem is still there or not. If the error message persists then you can try moving to the next fix. 

Fix 2 # Restart the Windows Audio Services

If the Windows audio service is stopped from running then you may encounter “the audio service is not running” error message on the Windows 10 device. Therefore, you should restart the service by following the directions below.

1. Press the Win + R keys together to launch the Run dialog box.
2. Type services.msc and then hit the Enter button or click on the OK button.
3. From the Services window, look for the Windows Audio service, right-click on it and then select the Restart option from the menu list.
4. Again, right-click on Windows Audio and then choose Properties.
5. When the Properties window opens, set the Startup type to Automatic from the drop-down menu list.
6. Next, click on the Apply button and then click on the OK option to save the changes. 

Fix 3 # Install the Latest Version of the Audio Driver

If you are using an older version of the audio driver on the device, you may face this problem on the system. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the driver up to date. The following directions will help you do that.

1. Press the Start key and choose Device Manager.
2. When you are in the Device Manager window, look for Sound, video, and game controllers, click on it to expand the section.
3. Right-click on the Audio driver and then select the Update Software Driver option to begin the update process. 
4. After the update completes, restart the system and then check if the Audio works properly or not. 

Fix 4 # Change the Registry Key

Changing the registry key can also help you get rid of “the audio service is not running” error message on Windows 10. For that:

1. Press the Windows Home button and R key at the same time to open the Run box.
2. Type Regedit and then press the Enter key or click on the OK button. 
3. When you are in the Registry Editor window, go to the following path: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AudioEndPointBuilder\Parameters.
4. Find the ServiceDll and double-click on it.
5. After that, set the value data to %SystemRoot%\System32\AudioEndPointBuilder.dll and then click on the OK option to save the changes.
6. Once you are done, reboot the system and then check if the audio problem is gone or not. 

Fix 5 # Uninstall the Third-Party Antivirus Software

The third-party security software that you are using can also be responsible for this error message. Therefore, you should remove the security software as soon as possible. Follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key and X button together to open the WinX Menu list and then choose Control Panel.
2. When you are in the Control Panel window, navigate to the Programs & Features section and then locate the third-party security software that you are using.
3. Select it and then click on the Uninstall button to remove it.
4. After removing it, reboot your Windows 10 PC. 

Fix 6 # Start the Windows Audio Components

Starting the Windows audio components can fix “the audio service is not running” error on Windows 10. To do that:

1. Open the Run box, type services.msc and then press the Enter key or click on the OK option.
2. On the Services window, locate the Windows Audio service, right-click on it and then choose Properties. 
3. When the Properties window opens, move to the Dependencies tab and check all the components listed under “This service on the following system components”.
4. Ensure that all the components are Started and Running in the Services window.
5. Then restart the computer and then check if the error message still arises or not. 

Fix 7 # Run Windows Audio Troubleshooter

Sometimes, running the Windows Audio Troubleshooter can eliminate this error from the Windows 10 device. 

1. Press the Windows Home key and then click on the Settings icon.
2. Once you are in the Settings window, go to the Update & Security section and then select the Troubleshoot tab.
3. In the Troubleshoot tab, scroll down the page and find the Windows Audio section, select it and then click on the Run the troubleshooter option. 
4. The troubleshooter tool will now find the problem and you can then solve it automatically by clicking on the Apply fix option. 
5. After completing this process, restart your computer and then check if the audio works correctly or not. 

Fix 8 # Reinstall the Audio Driver

If the above fixes do not work in fixing the issue, then you can try reinstalling the audio driver on your computer. If you do not know how to do that, follow the steps cited below:

1. Press the Windows key and the R button together to launch the Run box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and then click the OK option or hit the Enter key.
3. When the Device Manager window opens, locate Sound, video, and game controllers, click on it to expand the section.
4. Find the Audio driver, right-click on it and then select the Uninstall Device option to remove it. 
5. Once the uninstallation process completes, restart the Windows device and then reinstall it.
6. To install it, go back to the Device Manager window and then click on the Scan for hardware changes icon at the top of the menu bar. 
7. Now the device will find the available driver and then install it automatically.
8. Once the driver is installed, reboot the computer and then check if the problem is resolved or not.