Fix Could Not Start The Windows Audio Service

It's really annoying when you boot your machine with Windows and you find that there is no audio. Upon startup, you will notice a red cross on the volume mixer located in the right corner of the taskbar.

The reason you see a red cross in the volume mixer is because the Windows Audio service has stopped. Windows services ensure the functionality of different aspects of your operating system and therefore if the Windows Audio Service is not running, you will not have any audio on your system.

You might think that the workaround here would be pretty easy and as simple as turning on the Windows Audio service. That is correct, however, if you simply try to start the Windows Audio service through the Windows Services window, you will be met with the error message “Windows could not start the Windows Audio service on Local Computer«.

This happens when the audio service does not have sufficient permissions to run on your machine, which can be really strange. Since this is a system service, it requires proper permissions to be able to function properly. So, in case the permissions are denied, the service will not be able to start, and as a result, you will be left with no sound on your system.

That being said, there are some really easy solutions to the error message in question that you can implement to get the audio service up and running again. The gist of all these solutions is to simply provide the service with the necessary permissions so that it can start and continue running smoothly. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

How to fix Windows could not start the Windows Audio service on Local Computer

In order for the Windows Audio service to work properly on the local computer, it is important that you try the following methods:

Change the Windows Audio Service login settings

It turns out that one way to bypass the error message is to change the service's login settings. These settings define which user account the service is started under. In essence, it reflects how the service runs on your system. Here, we'll configure the service to log on as the local system account, which should help you resolve the issue on your own. To do this, it's important that you follow the instructions outlined below:

• First, open the Run dialog box by pressing the combination of the Windows key + R.
• Once the Run dialog box has opened, type services.msc and press the key Intro. This will open the window of Services.
• In the Services window, you will be able to see a list of all the services that are on your system. Here, you will need to find the service windows audio. To do this, press the key W to jump to Windows Services and then look for Windows Audio.

• After you have located the Windows Audio service, open the window Properties by double clicking on it or by right clicking on the service and selecting Properties option from the drop-down menu.
• In the Properties window, switch to the tab Log InBy default, the option This account must be selected.
• Here, you must select the option of local system account. Also, make sure to check the option identified as Allow the service to interact with the desktop.

• Finally, click on the button Apply and then press Accept.
• Once you've done that, open the window Properties again for the Windows Audio service and click the button Home to start the service. See if the problem persists.

Change audio recording permissions

If changing the login account for the service does not fix the problem, it is possible that your user account does not have the proper permissions for audio logging. In such a scenario, you will need to change the audio logging permissions by granting your user account full control permissions. It is not normally recommended to make changes to the Audio Log. Windows because incorrect modifications can cause various problems in the system. So, make sure to follow the given instructions carefully and you will be good to go. Let’s get started.

• First, open the dialog box Run pressing the Windows key + R.
• Then in the Run dialog box, enter regedit y press the key Enter. When you are prompted with the User Access Control screen, you must click on the option Yes.
• This will open the Windows Registry window. Now, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices simply by copying and pasting it into the address bar of the Windows Registry.

• This will take you to the folder MMDevices. Right click on the folder and then select where it says Permissions in the drop-down menu.

• Here, we will have to grant permissions for Full Control a all. For that, we first have to add it. Click on the button Add.
• After that, you have to click on the button Advanced and then click the button Search now.

• This will display a list of all the users and groups on your system. From the list, select All and click OK. Next, you must click on Accept once again.

• Then in the Permissions window, you have to select All en Group or user names and allow the Full Control by clicking the checkbox below Allow.
• Once you have done that, you need to click on the button Apply and then press Accept.
• Now, close the Windows Registry window and open the Services looking for her in the start menu.
• Locate the Windows Audio service again and try starting it to see if the problem persists.

If you follow each of these steps, you will be able to solve the problem with the Windows audio service. In case you know another effective method, remember that you can share it with everyone in our comments section. See you in a next guide where we will share information of interest to you.