Audio not playing.

Hello. Run the Quick Audio Check in the ePSA diagnostic utility. If you don't hear the test tones then the speakers are dead or the connection is loose. It's possible that a loose connection could manifest as an intermittent failure.

Thanks for the advice! I went to the guide you provided, then went to the headphone jack FAQ.

Unfortunately, a new problem has arisen. Before, I could listen using earbuds or headphones, or change the volume, even if it didn't help. Now, whenever I mouse over the audio sign, it says that no audio output device is installed, and realtek audio no longer shows up under Playback. Can you help me with that?

Thanks for the advice! I went to the guide you provided, then went to the headphone jack FAQ.

I have a couple of questions.  On your initial post attachment, the Speakers/Headphones show:

2 - Realtek Audio instead of just Realtek Audio.   Could this be some second installed device?  Do you have your system set to show disabled and disconnected devices?

The volume level on the level meter is very high.  My systems rarely get over 5 bars.

Do you have any special software on your system which might be related to sound playback, possibly something installed by YouTube?

Waves operates normally and allows you to choose your actual device?

Do you have the latest Dell driver available?

In Device Manager do you show an unknown or a Hidden device you might be able to use to reinstall the drivers?  If you don't show a device, in some form, in the Device Manager, it is not being picked up during boot.  The device may have been failing and finally failed completely.

If it doesn't come back you might try disabling the sound in the Biios and reboot a couple of times then re-enable it.

You did not address the any other software question ....

I don't know about the 2-realtek Audio. At the moment of the screenshot, I don't believe there was anything installed. In anycase, apparently my computer no longer has realtek audio for some reason. I hope to get it back soon, somehow, if it helps.

The volume level was probably higher than normal due to me cranking up the volume to try and hear if anything came out. In fact, now that I think about it, I think that when I took the screenshot the bar was unusually high due to a peak in the music or something, cause when getting ready for the screenshot the bars seemed much lower on average. It shouldn't be a problem.

I don't believe I've installed any hardware.

Is waves that thing where you plug in something and it asks you what it is? I used to have it, but for some reason it didn't show up today. Not sure why.

As of today apparently "no audio output devices are installed" so now I can't use headphones or earbuds. When searching up realtek audio for windows 10, there's a site that say they can install it for free. Should I do so? Might that help a bit?

Thanks for the advice! I went to the guide you provided, then went to the headphone jack FAQ.

Did you run the Quick Audio Check? It doesn't matter whether or not you are getting a message about no audio device, or if the Realtek driver is missing. The test has its own driver.

About whether you should allow another site to install an audio driver, I would caution against it, as it might install the wrong driver. Here is the Realtek 6.0.1.8158 you had. If it won't install, and if the Quick Audio Check fails, then it would look like audio  hardware failure.

No, I don't think there is any software. I did get something installed for my printer, but other than that I don't remember downloading anything.

I've checked devices in the settings and playback devices/recording devices, and there doesn't seem to be anything there.

The quick audio test won't work, the ePSA does work, the installation doesn't appear to work, so yeah, its probably an audio hardware failure. Does this mean I'll have to go somewhere to get this fixed?