HP has an article titled HP PCs - No sound from speakers, and Microsoft's audio guide gives the order for any Windows desktop: run the audio troubleshooter in Get Help, check the right output is chosen (select the speaker icon on the taskbar and pick the speakers or headphones you want), then update the audio driver and check what changed after a recent Windows update. On a desktop the usual reasons for silence are physical:
the speakers are plugged into the wrong jack on the back (green for output), the monitor's own speakers are the chosen output over HDMI or DisplayPort, or a USB headset has grabbed the output. The TP01 and TE02 ship with no speakers, so sound comes from a monitor, a speaker set or a headset you supply, and the TE02 with a graphics card has its own HDMI audio device that can take the output.
Differential
Likely causes of “HP desktops has no sound or distorted audio”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Sound is going to another device
What separates it The speakers are silent but a monitor or headset is connected
How to confirm Select the speaker icon on the taskbar and choose the speakers you want, as Microsoft says
- 2
The speakers are in the wrong jack or unpowered
What separates it Nothing plays from the desk speakers although the sound settings look normal
How to confirm Use the green output jack on the back of the tower and check the speakers' power and volume
- 3
A monitor's speakers or a graphics-card audio device is the output
What separates it Sound plays from the monitor or not at all
How to confirm Choose the intended device in the taskbar list; a TE02 with a graphics card has its own HDMI audio device
- 4
A driver problem after an update
What separates it Sound stopped working right after Windows installed an update and was fine before it
How to confirm Microsoft has an article for audio that stops after a Windows update; update or roll back the audio driver
- 5
A failed jack or audio chip
What separates it No sound on any output after a driver reinstall
How to confirm Run HP's hardware diagnostics; a failed jack needs service
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether it is a Pavilion TP01 or an ENVY TE02 and its product number from the label
- What speakers, monitor or headset are connected and to which port
- What Windows sound settings list as output and whether the audio device shows in Device Manager
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedRun the audio troubleshooter
ReversibleOpen Get Help, run the audio troubleshooter and follow its suggestions, then test sound again in a different app.
Check the output device
ReversibleSelect the speaker icon on the taskbar, open the device list and choose the speakers or headphones you want.
Check the jack and power
ReversibleUse the green output jack on the back and check the speakers are on with the volume up.
Try HDMI or headset
ReversibleTest sound through the monitor's speakers or a USB headset to separate the tower from the speakers.
Update the audio driver
ReversibleUpdate the audio driver, by using HP Support Assistant, Windows Update or Device Manager on the desktop.
Roll back if it began after an update
ReversibleIn Device Manager, roll back the driver to the previous version, or use System Restore to return to a point before the update.
Restart
ReversibleRestart the desktop, and test the sound again after it comes back on, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The two desktops
- Pavilion Desktop TP01 is the mainstream tower (Core i3-14100 to i7-14700, up to 32 GB DDR4-3200, compact case and power supply). ENVY Desktop TE02 is the larger, more capable tower (Core i5-13400 to i9-13900K, up to 64 GB DDR5-4000 over four slots, more power supply and room for a graphics card), per HP's specification pages.
- No speakers included
- Neither tower includes a screen, keyboard or mouse, so a picture, sound from speakers or a webcam depends on what you plug in. Test with headphones in the front or back jack to separate the tower from your speakers.
- Product number instead of a part number
- No part number is involved for you. HP identifies a desktop by its product number and serial number, printed on the label on the tower and shown in the HP Support Assistant app.
- Tools and supplies
- A flashlight to look into the case and ports, a dry towel for the desk, a second known-good cable, a USB stick if you need recovery media, and for an internal look only, a Phillips screwdriver and an anti-static wrist strap. The tower should be switched off and unplugged before the side panel comes off.
- Repair cost
- A sound fault is usually a driver, cable or output setting and costs nothing. A software diagnosis at an independent shop is $89 to $129, per BadgerLayer's 2026 PC repair guide.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the ENVY Desktop TE02.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a known-good headset fails in every jack and USB port, contact HP Support
- !If the front and rear jacks are loose or damaged, book a repair
- !If the tower has been opened or moved and a cable inside may have loosened, have a technician check it
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Repair figures are typical independent-shop ranges from BadgerLayer's 2026 PC repair guide; the price of one repair depends on the shop, the part and how far the fault has spread, so they are given as ranges.
The TE02-1000i processors, DDR5-4000 memory and slots.
Get Help audio troubleshooter, choosing the output device, drivers and updates.
HP's device-agnostic no-sound and distorted-audio article, cited by title.
The HP Pavilion line.
The HP Envy line.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is there no sound from my monitor?+
The monitor's speakers work only if the monitor is chosen as the output device and the cable carries audio (HDMI or DisplayPort). Choose it in the taskbar list and check the monitor's volume.
Which jack do speakers go in?+
Analogue speakers normally use the green output jack on the back of the tower. Front jacks depend on the case wiring and are worth testing separately.
Why does my TE02 with a graphics card play sound from a different device?+
A graphics card adds its own HDMI or DisplayPort audio device. If a monitor is connected to the card, Windows can choose it as the output; pick the speakers you want in the list.