No audio, speaker icon turns on and off

Suggestions:

Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sound settings → Under Output, make sure Speakers (Realtek / Surface Audio) is selected.

If it shows ZoomAudioDevice, Headphones, or Bluetooth, switch it to the built-in speakers.

Settings → System → Sound → Scroll down and click Troubleshoot

In Start Search type services.msc → Locate Windows Audio → Right-click → Restart

Open Device Manager → Expand Sound, video and game controllers → Look for:

Realtek Audio

Surface Audio

Do you find yellow warning icon against. If you see a yellow warning icon, right-click → Update driver.

Try these steps in order on the Surface Laptop; several go beyond what was already tried (restart and uninstalling devices):

1. Confirm the correct output device and that nothing is muted
   • Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
   • Select the arrow to open the list of audio devices and choose the built‑in speakers or the desired device.
   • Right‑click the Speakers icon → Open Volume mixer and make sure none of the sliders (including apps) are muted or at 0.
2. Check sound settings and that devices are not disabled
   • Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   • Under Output, select the Surface speakers (or the device wanted) and choose Device properties.
   • Make sure the Disable checkbox is cleared for both output and input devices.
3. Verify hardware and connections (if using any external audio)
   • If headphones, USB, or HDMI devices are connected, unplug them and test again.
   • If using external speakers/headphones, confirm cables are firmly plugged in and the device’s own volume/power are on.
4. Run the Windows audio troubleshooter (Windows 11)
   • Use the audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app: Run the troubleshooter in Get Help from the audio support article.
   • Let it run diagnostics and apply any fixes it suggests.
5. Update or reinstall the audio driver
   • Open Device Manager (search for “device manager” from Start).
   • Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
   • Right‑click the Surface audio device (for example, Realtek or similar) → Update driver → Search automatically for drivers and follow the prompts.
   • If that does not help, in the same place choose Uninstall device, check Attempt/Delete the driver software for this device, confirm, then Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
   • If still no sound, in Device Manager again right‑click the audio device → Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer, select the generic Windows audio driver, and install it.
6. Check Windows Update and restart to apply updates
   • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
   • Install any available updates, then restart.
   • If Update and restart or Update and shut down appears under Start > Power, choose one of those so audio‑related updates are applied.

If after these steps there is still no sound and the speaker icon continues turning on and off, the issue may be hardware‑related (for example, the internal audio device or connector). In that case, contacting the retailer or Microsoft Support for hardware diagnostics and possible repair is appropriate.

Zoom itself is unlikely to permanently break the speakers; it may have changed the default audio device or muted specific app volumes, which is why checking the output device and Volume mixer is important.

References:

• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows – Step 5. Check sound settings
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows – Step 7. Verify that all Windows Updates are installed
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows – Step 9. Update or reinstall audio drivers (Windows 11)
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows – Step 1. Check your speaker output in Windows settings