Your NVIDIA outputs are grayed out and listed as Not plugged in? Fail to enable your HDMI sound? Don’t panic. You’re definitely not alone. Many Windows users are reporting exactly the same issue. But most important of all, you can fix it quickly and easily.
- Check NVIDIA Output Port Settings
- Update NVIDIA Graphics Driver
- Rollback your driver
- Use the generic high definition audio device driver
Fix 1: Check NVIDIA Output settings
If you can’t enable sound for HDMI output. First, you need to check if you’ve set the NVIDIA output correctly.
- Right-click your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Go to Display > Set up digital audio. Make sure you’ve selected your connected device for HDMI.
- Click Open Windows Sound Settings.
- Under the Playback tab, right-click the blank area and check Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices. Your device should not be grayed out anymore.
- Select your device and Set Default.
If this simple method solved your connection problems, then congratulations! But if not, don’t worry, you can go ahead to the next fix.
Fix 2: Update NVIDIA graphics driver
In most cases, if this error persists, you may have faulty or outdated NVIDIA drivers installed. To fix it, you should update your NVIDIA graphics driver to the latest version. Although it seems like a sound card driver issue, many users solved the issue by updating their NVIDIA graphics driver.
There are two ways you can update your NVIDIA drivers: manually or automatically.
Option 1: Manually
To update your NVIDIA graphics driver manually, you’ll need to go to NVIDIA Driver Downloads of NVIDIA official website to download the latest & correct driver and install it manually.
- After NVIDIA automatically detects your system and graphics card, click Search. (If not, you need to enter all required information.)
- Click the DOWNLOAD button.
- Double click the downloaded file and follow the onscreen instructions to extract it to your computer.
- After performing the system check, select only NVIDIA Graphics Driver. Then click AGREE AND CONTINUE.
- Select Custom(Advanced) > NEXT.
- Be sure to tick the box next to Perform a clean installation, then click NEXT.
(You can uncheck the software you don’t need.)
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
NVIDIA outputs should be showing normally now. If not, you can try the next fix.
Option 2: Automatically
If you don’t have the time or patience to play with drivers manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find all the correct drivers for your device.
You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy handles it all.
All the drivers in Driver Easy come straight from the manufacturer.
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click the Update button next to your sound card driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version. You will get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
- Go to Playback devices and see if the issue has been solved. Your audio output devices should be “ready” instead of “not plugged in” now.
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.
Fix 3: Rollback your driver
If you have recently updated your driver or updating the graphics driver failed to solve your issue, you can roll back the graphics driver.
- Right click the Start menu and select Device Manager.
- Double click Display Adapters, then right click your graphics card driver and select Properties.
- Go to the Driver tab, and select Roll Back Driver if the option is not gray.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed.
Fix 4: Use the generic high definition audio device driver
If working on your graphics card driver has no effect, you should try switching to the generic audio driver that Windows offers, especially for Intel-based computer users.
- Go to Device Manager.
- Double click Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right-click your NVIDIA High Definition Audio and select Update driver.
- Click Browse my computer for driver software.
- Click Let me pick from a list of available driver on my computer.
- Select High Definition Audio Device. Then click Next.
- Click No if you’re prompted for a restart.
- Go back to Device Manager and click Action, then select Scan for hardware changes.
- Check if the issue still persists.
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Many users are troubled by the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue when using HDMI to stream audio or video to other screens. Don’t worry. This post of MiniTool summarizes several effective fixes to the problem.
What causes NVIDIA audio not working? According to a survey, the issue often occurs after the default audio output device was changed accidentally. Moreover, faulty or outdated audio drivers and the disabled Onboard sound device are responsible for the NVIDIA sound not working problem. Don’t worry. Here are several effective methods to fix it.
Fix 1. Set the Default Audio Output Device
Many users have proven that setting the default audio output device can fix the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound problem. Let’s have a try.
Step 1. Right-click the Volume/Sound icon from the notification area and select Playback devices.
Tip: Also, you can open Control Panel, and then change View by type to Large icons and select Sounds to access the same window.
Step 2. Stay in the Playback tab, and then right-click the desired audio device and select Set as Default Device.
Step 3. Right-click the Digital Audio/Monitor/HDMI Output device and select Disable from the appeared menu.
Step 4. Click on OK to save changes.
Now, you can check if the NVIDIA HDMI audio not working issue gets resolved.
Fix 2. Roll Back or Update or Reinstall the Audio Driver
The NVIDIA High Definition audio not working Windows 10 issue can be caused by corrupt or outdated audio device drivers. To fix it, you can try rolling back, or updating, or reinstalling the audio driver.
Step 1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the context menu.
Step 2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers category, and then right-click Realtek HD Audio driver and select Properties.
Step 3. Go to the Driver tab, and then click on Roll Back Driver and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the operation.
Step 4. If the NVIDIA audio not working problem still occurs, you can click on Update Driver and select Browse my computer for driver software. Then click on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer in the pop-up window.
Step 5. After a while, tick the checkbox for Show compatible hardware and select a correct driver version from the list and click on Next. Then wait for the update to complete.
Step 6. Once done, restart your computer and check if the problem is solved. If not, you can try reinstalling the audio driver by selecting Uninstall Device in Step 3 and follow the on-screen prompts to complete it. Then Windows will install a default audio driver automatically next startup.
Fix 3. Reinstall NVIDIA GPU Driver
In addition to the audio driver, the outdated or corrupt GPU driver can trigger the NVIDIA sound not working issue. Here you can try reinstalling the NVIDIA GPU driver.
Step 1. Open the Device Manager window again and expand the Display adapters category.
Step 2. Right-click the graphics card driver and select Uninstall device. Then follow the on-screen prompt to complete this uninstallation.
Step 3. Restart your computer and then Windows will automatically install a default graphics card driver for you.
Once done, you can see if the NVIDIA HDMI audio not working issue is fixed.
Fix 4. Enable the Onboard Sound Device in BIOS
According to some user reported, the onboard sound device gets disabled automatically when an external sound device is connected or a new graphics card driver is installed. In this case, you can follow the steps below to enable the onboard sound device in BIOS:
Step 1. Restart your computer and press the Delete or F2 key when the startup screen appears to enter BIOS. This may vary from different configurations and it depends on your motherboard. So, make sure you press the correct BIOS key.
Step 2. Go to the Advanced > Onboard Sound Device tab and change its status to ON.
Step 3. Press F10 or Enter to save the change and exit BIOS.
Fix 5. Disable NVIDIA HDMI Sound Adapter in BIOS
If you encounter the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound issue after installing NVIDIA HDMI sound adapter, then the issue could be related to your BISO and its settings. In this case, you can try disabling the NVIDIA HDMI sound adapter in BIOS.
Step 1. Enter BIOS by following Step 1 in the above fix.
Step 2 Navigate to the Advanced tab and then select Onboard Devices.
Step 3. Change the status of the NVIDIA HDMI Sound Adapter to Disabled, and then press F10 to save the change.
After that, exit BIOS and see if the “NVIDIA High Definition Audio driver Windows 10 no sound” problem is gone.
Fix 6. Perform a Clean Installation of NVIDIA Driver
If the NVIDIA High Definition audio no sound problem persists after trying all the above fixes, you may consider performing a clean installation of the NVIDIA driver. Here’s how:
Step 1. Open the installation of the NVIDIA installer and double-click the setup file to run it.
Step 2. Go to the Installation options menu, and then select the Custom (Advanced) option and click on Next.
Step 3. Select the checkbox for Perform a clean installation and click on Next. Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
The problem is related to the NVIDIA audio output which appears as unplugged when viewed in the Playback tab of the Sound settings inside Control Panel. Besides that, users are unable to enable sound for their HDMI output.
There aren’t many different methods to pull off when troubleshooting this problem but the ones we provided below were confirmed as successful by users online. Make sure you check it out below!
Even though this problem appears inside the Sounds section of your computer’s settings, its real cause is the NVIDIA graphics driver and you should consider replacing it. Some users managed to resolve the problem by installing the latest one and others rolled back their driver. Either way, it should resolve the NVIDIA audio output issue.
Alternatively, you can check the NVIDIA Control Panel to see whether all settings are set up properly. There is an option which prevents HDMI sound from being broadcast and you need to make sure to disable that. Good luck in resolving your problem!
Solution 1: Update Your NVIDIA Graphics Driver
This problem can be caused both by outdated drivers which can’t work well with your device or by the newest drivers, as reported by some users. Even though some users are skeptic about updating graphics drivers to resolve audio issues, you should check out this method as is has helped plenty of users resolve their problem.
- Click the Start menu button, type in “Device Manager” afterward, and select it from the list of available results by simply clicking the first one. You can also tap the Windows Key + R key combo to bring up the Run dialog box. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the dialog box and click OK to run it.
- Since it’s the video card driver you want to update on your computer, expand the Display adapters section, right-click on your graphics card and choose the Uninstall Device
- Confirm any dialogues or prompts which may ask you to confirm the uninstallation of the current graphics device driver and wait for the process to complete.
- Look for your graphics card driver on NVIDIA’s Input the required information about the card and your operating system and click on Search.
- A list of all available drivers should appear. Make sure you scroll down until you reach the required entry, click on its name and the Download button afterward. Save it to your computer, open it, and follow the instructions on-screen.
- When you reach the Installation Options screen, choose the Custom (Advanced) option before clicking Next. You will be presented with a list of components which will be installed. Check the box next to the Perform a clean installation box and click Next and install the driver.
- Check to see if the problem has been resolved and if NVIDIA output still shows up as unplugged!
Alternative: Rollback the Driver
For the users for which the problem started to appear after they have installed the latest drivers for their graphics card, there is a different method they can use. It involves rolling back the graphics card driver.
This process will look for backup files of the driver which was installed before the most recent updates and that driver will be installed instead.
- First of all, you will need to uninstall the driver you currently have installed on your machine.
- Type “Device Manager” into the search field next to the Start menu button to open the device manager window. You can also use the Windows Key + R key combination to open the Run dialog box. Type devmgmt.msc in the box and click OK or Enter key.
- Expand the “Display Adapters” section. This will display all network adapters that the machine has installed at the moment.
- Right-click on the display adapter you want to rollback and select Properties. After the Properties window opens, navigate to the Driver tab and locate the Roll Back Driver
- If the option is grayed out, it means that the device wasn’t updated recently or it has no backup files remembering the old driver.
- If the option is available to click on, do so and follow the instructions on-screen to proceed with the process.
Solution 2: Enable it in the NVIDIA Control Panel
If correct settings have not been set up in NVIDIA Control Panel, your HDMI port may be set up to not broadcast audio which will display the NVIDIA audio output as unplugged when viewing playback devices connected to your computer. Follow the steps below to resolve the NVIDIA output not plugged in on Windows!
- Right-click your desktop at the blank side without icons and select the NVIDIA Control Panel entry from the context menu which will appear. You can also double-click the NVIDIA icon in the system tray if you see it. NVIDIA Control Panel can also be located in the Control Panel by switching to the Large icons view and locating it.
- From the navigation menu, click the + button next to the Display section to expand the dropdown list. Under that, choose the Set up digital audio option.
- Under the first screen, navigate under the name of your graphics card and look for the HDMI entry in the list. Make sure you choose the device you are connected to in the dropdown list.
- Right-click on the Volume icon located at the bottom right part of your screen and choose the Playback devices An alternative way would be to open the Control Panel on your PC and set the View by option to Large icons. After that, locate and click on the Sounds option to open the same window.
- Stay in the Playback tab of the Sound window which just opened up.
- You should now be able to see the NVIDIA output device you want to set as default. If that is not the case, right-click anywhere in the middle of the window and check the boxes next to the Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices Your device should now appear.
- Left-click on the newly appeared device and click the Set Default button below which should switch the sound to them as soon as it’s connected. That should resolve the problem you have with NVIDIA output audio!
If none of these methods shown above helped you at all, double-check that you are using the correct port for your audio and your speakers are connected to the ports on Graphics Card, not on the ports of Motherboard.
Kevin Arrows
Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
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Are your NVIDIA outputs grayed out and listed as “Not connected”? Can’t get HDMI audio to work? No need to panic. You’re certainly not alone. Many Windows users report the exact same problem. But most importantly, you can quickly and easily fix the situation.
NVIDIA is one of the leading suppliers of excellent graphics cards for your high-end games. While the company makes great products, there can be some problems, which we’ll cover today on IR Cache. In this final installment of our troubleshooting series, we’ll take a look at the “Nvidia Output Not Plugged In” error on your Windows PC.
Table of Contents:
What causes the “NVIDIA Output Not Plugged In” error on Windows 10
Even if this problem appears in the “Sounds” section of your computer settings, the root cause is the NVIDIA graphics driver and you should consider replacing it. Some users have been able to solve the problem by installing the latest version of the driver, while others have reinstalled the driver. Either way, this should solve the problem with the NVIDIA sound.
You can also check in the NVIDIA control panel to make sure all the settings are correct. There is an option that prevents HDMI audio, and you should make sure it is disabled. Good luck with solving your problem.
Updated: May 2025
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Update the NVIDIA graphics driver
This error may be caused by outdated drivers that don’t work well with your device, or by the latest drivers. You can try updating the NVIDIA graphics driver to fix this error.
- Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to start the Device Manager.
- Expand the Display Adapters panel, right-click on the graphics card, and select Uninstall Device to uninstall the graphics card.
- Look for any dialog boxes or prompts that might ask you to confirm the removal of the current graphics device driver, and wait for the process to complete.
- Find the drivers for your NVIDIA products in the NVIDIA driver download section. Enter all the necessary information and click SEARCH.
- Click the entry you want and click Download. Save the file to your computer, open it and follow the instructions.
- In the Installation Options window, select Selective (advanced), check the Perform a clean installation checkbox, and click NEXT to install the driver.
Now make sure that the “NVIDIA output not connected” error is resolved.
Resetting the driver
If the “NVIDIA Output Not Connected” error occurs after installing the latest video card drivers, you can try to reset the video card driver.
- Uninstall the driver that is currently installed on your computer.
- Press the Windows + R key combination to open the “Run” dialog box.
- Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager.
- Expand Display Adapters, right-click the display adapter you want to reset, and select Properties.
- Click the “Drivers” tab and look for “Rollback Driver”.
- If this option is grayed out, it means that the device has not been updated recently or that there are no backup files storing the old driver.
- If the option is not grayed out, follow the instructions to continue the process.
Enable the NVIDIA output port in the NVIDIA control panel
If you have not set the correct settings in the NVIDIA control panel, the HDMI port may not be configured to transmit audio. When viewing playback devices connected to your computer, you will see an “NVIDIA output not connected” error.
You can try enabling the NVIDIA output port in the NVIDIA Control Panel to resolve this issue.
- Right-click on a blank desktop with no icon and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Expand the Display section and select Configure Digital Audio.
- Find the name of your video card and look for HDMI in the list. Select the device you are connected to.
- Right-click the volume icon in the lower right corner of the screen, select Sounds, and then click the Playback tab.
- The NVIDIA output device that you want to use by default will appear.
- If it does not appear, right-click on an empty area and check the Show Disconnected Devices and Show Unconnected Devices boxes. Your device should appear on the screen. Left-click on the newly appearing device and click Set Default.
- Make sure that the “NVIDIA Output is not connected” error has disappeared.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Go to View -> Configure Digital Audio.
- Click the Open Windows Audio Settings button.
- On the Playback tab, right-click an empty area and select Show Disconnected
- Devices and Show Unconnected Devices.
- Select your device and set it as the default.
If the correct settings have not been made in the NVIDIA control panel, your HDMI port may not be configured for audio transmission. If this is the case, the NVIDIA audio output will appear disabled when you view playback devices connected to your computer.
- Change the audio output device.
- Reset the audio driver settings.
- Update or reinstall the audio drivers.
- Reinstall the GPU drivers.
- Enable the built-in audio device in the BIOS.
- Perform a clean installation of the Nvidia drivers.
- Disable the Nvidia HDMI sound adapter in the BIOS.
- Update your BIOS.
Right-click on your Windows desktop and select «NVIDIA Control Panel». Go to the Help menu and select Updates. The second way is through the new NVIDIA logo in the Windows system tray. Right-click on the logo and select Check for Updates or Update Settings.
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- Solutions to Fix the NVIDIA Output Not Plugged in Error
By Echo |
Last Updated
If you meet the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error on Windows, you need to read this post. It will show you two scenarios in which the problem occurs and the corresponding solution in each scenario. Right now, you can get these two useful solutions from the MiniTool website.
Solution 1: Update the NVIDIA Graphics Driver
This error may be due to outdated drivers that do not work well with your device or due to the latest drivers. You can try updating the NVIDIA graphics driver to resolve this error
Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys combination to open the Run dialog box. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to run Device Manager.
Step 2: Expand the Display adapters part, right-click your graphics card and choose Uninstall device to uninstall your graphics adapter.
Step 3: Verify all dialogs or prompts that may require you to verify the uninstallation of the current graphical device driver and wait for the process to complete.
Step 4: Find drivers for your NVIDIA products in the NVIDIA Driver Downloads part. Type all required information and click SEARCH.
Step 5: Click the required entry and click the Download button. Save it to your computer, open it, and follow the instructions.
Step 6: In the Installation Options window, choose the Custom (Advanced) option, check Perform a clean installation and then click NEXT to install the driver.
Now check to see if the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error has been resolved.
Alternative: Roll Back the Driver
If the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error occurs after you have installed the latest drivers for the graphics card, you can try to roll back the graphics card driver.
Step 1: Uninstall the driver you currently have installed on your machine.
Step 2: Press the Windows + R keys combination to open the Run dialog box. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager.
Step 3: Expand the Display adapters section, right-click on the display adapter you want to rollback and choose Properties.
Step 4: Switch to the Driver tab and find Roll Back Driver. If this option is grayed out, it means that the device has not been updated recently or has no backup files to remember the old driver. If the option is not gray, follow the instructions to proceed with the process.
Solution 2: Enable NVIDIA Output Port in the NVIDIA Control Panel
If you don’t set the correct settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel, the HDMI port could be set up to not broadcast audio. When you view playback devices connected to your computer, you will see the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error.
You can try enabling NVIDIA Output port in the NVIDIA Control Panel to fix this error.
Step 1: Right-click on the blank desktop with no icon and click NVIDIA Control Panel.
Step 2: Expand the Display section and choose the Set Up Digital Audio option.
Step 3: Find the name of your graphics card and find the HDMI entry in the list. Choose the device you are connected to.
Step 4: Right-click the volume icon in the bottom right corner of the screen, click Sounds and switch to the Playback tab.
Step 5: The NVIDIA output device that you want to set as default will appear. If it does not show up, right-click a blank area and check Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices. Right now, your device should appear.
Step 6: Left-click the newly appeared device and click the Set Default button.
Check if the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error disappears.
Further Reading: Update Your NVIDIA GPU Display Driver Now to Fix Five Vulnerabilities.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, this post has shown you how to fix the NVIDIA Output not plugged in error on Windows with 2 workable solutions. If you encounter the same error, you can try the methods in this post.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Echo is a technology enthusiast, has published many professional technical articles. She previously specialized in backup and recovery of data, files, disk partition, and system. Now she writes mostly about YouTube expertise.
As an enthusiastic technical writer, Echo believes that technology makes our life better and she has been trying to make her technical articles easier to understand and help more people. You must benefit a lot from reading her article.
On her spare time, she likes listening to songs and hiking.