How to Fix 'Audio Services Not Responding' Error
Although sound cards aren't part of the modern lexicon of computer or mobile hardware, audio capabilities remain vital to most users and come built into the motherboard by default. Like any hardware, it's in the realm of possibility that the motherboard could die and provoke unresponsive audio service errors. However, users are far more likely to see an 'Audio Services Not Responding' Error from software-based problems and many of them are repairable.
Always reboot after each attempted solution to confirm that it did or didn't work.
As a starting point, check that you're using the appropriate drivers for your audio device. Experts recommend using up-to-date drivers in all cases that don't result in specific compatibility or performance errors. Type 'Device Manager' in the taskbar search and click the result. Double-click the 'Sound, video and game controllers' entry. Right-click each audio device, choose Properties, and click the Drivers tab to see the version, installation date, etc. Preferably, users should download any needed updates from the manufacturer. However, you also should see a Windows-default 'update driver' option, which usually is accurate for Microsoft-supported products.
Users who want to use the Windows driver-updating feature should choose it when they're right-clicking their audio device in the Device Manager. The 'search automatically' option lets Microsoft find the driver without the user's help. The 'browse my computer' option lets users choose a driver, such as a downloaded file that's available locally. The second also is a roundabout way of choosing the default audio driver, which can fix some issues. Click it, then click 'let me pick from a list.' Uncheck the compatible hardware checkbox, and a default 'High Definition Audio Device' should be visible. Choose it and continue according to the instructions.
If dealing with the drivers doesn't correct the issue, try restarting any audio-related services. Open the Services application the same way that you opened the Device Manager earlier. Scroll to the 'Windows Audio' service, right-click, and select Restart. Right-click it again, choose Properties and make certain that the Startup Type is on Automatic. Do the same steps for the 'Windows Audio Endpoint Builder' service. Perform the same procedure for the DCOM Server Process Launcher, Remote Procedure Call, and RPC Endpoint Mapper services, but choose 'Start' instead of 'Restart' if it's available.
Users also can input Command Prompt or PowerShell commands that sometimes solve this issue by modifying inappropriate network or service settings. Open either of these applications, but instead of left-clicking them, right-click and choose to run with administrator privileges. Then type these commands, pressing enter after each:
net localgroup administrators localservice /add
net localgroup administrators networkservice /add
Users without any other solutions left may try using a Restore Point or other, equally-drastic steps that return their computer's state to a previous point. Experts recommend against these solutions for casual problems such as temporarily-buggy audio software, but they can be a last resort.