# Enabling sound on Windows VPS
Source: https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/enabling-sound
Last reviewed: 2026-07-02
Summary: Windows Server VMs ship with audio disabled. Enable it from the volume icon prompt, or start the Windows Audio service manually, then reconnect your Remote Desktop session. Sound plays through RDP, but not in the browser Console.

## What this is

Windows Server, and therefore your Windows VPS, ships with **audio disabled by default**. Turning it on takes a minute, and sound then plays through your Remote Desktop connection.

## The easy way

1. Right-click the **volume icon** (the one with the red X) in the system tray, then click **Sounds**.
2. Windows asks whether to enable the **Windows Audio service**, accept.
3. **Close and reopen your Remote Desktop connection.**

Sound should now work.

## If that didn't do it: enable the service manually

1. Right-click the **Start** button and open **Computer Management**.
2. Expand **Services and Applications**, then click **Services**.

![Computer Management with the Services list open](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/images/sound-1-services.png)

3. Scroll to **Windows Audio**, double-click it, set **Startup type** to **Automatic**, and click **Start**.

![Windows Audio service properties set to Automatic and started](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/images/sound-2-windows-audio.png)

4. Click **OK**, then **close and reopen your Remote Desktop connection**.

## Two things to keep in mind

- Whichever method you use, sound only starts working after you **reconnect the RDP session**, the audio device is provided by Remote Desktop, and it's negotiated at connection time.
- **Sound does not work in the browser Console** in your client area; it comes through RDP only.

## Still need help?

You can [open a support ticket](https://vpsdime.com/open-ticket/). So we can help on the first reply, it's worth mentioning:

- the VPS hostname or IP,
- whether the Windows Audio service is running and set to Automatic,
- whether you reconnected the RDP session after enabling it.

## Related questions

- "Why is there no sound on my Windows VPS?"
- "How do I enable the Windows Audio service?"
- "Does audio work over RDP?"
- "Why is there no sound in the Console?"