How to Fix Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms Audio Not Working or Crackling Sound on PC

Is Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms producing no sound, crackling audio, distorted voices, muffled sound, or random audio cuts on your PC? The problem can come from Windows audio settings, outdated drivers, sound enhancements, connected peripherals, or corrupted game files.

Try these fixes in order before reinstalling the game.

1. Check the Windows Audio Output

First, make sure Windows is sending Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms audio to the correct device.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Output, select your headphones, speakers, or other preferred device.
3. Make sure the volume isn’t muted.
4. Launch Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms and test the audio again.

If you use multiple monitors, Bluetooth headphones, USB audio devices, or a controller with an audio output, Windows may have selected the wrong device.

2. Check the In-Game Audio Settings

Open Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms’s audio settings and make sure:

• Master volume is turned up.
• Dialogue, effects, and music aren’t muted.
• The correct audio output is selected, if the game provides that option.
• Any unusual surround or spatial-audio setting is temporarily disabled.

Restart the game after changing the settings.

3. Disable Audio Enhancements

Windows audio enhancements can sometimes interfere with games and cause crackling, popping, distortion, or missing sound.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Select your current output device.
3. Find Audio enhancements.
4. Set them to Off.
5. If available, also disable Spatial sound temporarily.
6. Restart Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms.

If the crackling disappears, re-enable these features one at a time to identify the setting causing the conflict.

4. Update Your Audio Driver

An outdated or incompatible audio driver can cause sound problems across games and Windows.

1. Press Windows + X.
2. Open Device Manager.
3. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
4. Right-click your audio device.
5. Select Update driver.
6. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
7. Restart your PC.

For the newest driver, check your PC, laptop, or motherboard manufacturer’s support page rather than relying only on Windows Update.

5. Disable Third-Party Audio Software

Apps that modify or enhance sound can conflict with games.

Examples include audio suites such as Nahimic, Sonic Studio, Dolby software, or other manufacturer-specific enhancement tools.

Temporarily disable their effects or close the software, then launch Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms again.

If the problem disappears, enable the features individually to find the conflicting option.

6. Verify Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms Game Files

Missing or corrupted files can sometimes cause game audio problems.

Steam

1. Open Steam > Library.
2. Right-click Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open Installed Files.
5. Click Verify integrity of game files.
6. Wait for the process to finish and launch the game again.

Epic Games Launcher

1. Open Epic Games Launcher.
2. Go to Library.
3. Find Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms.
4. Click the three-dot menu.
5. Select Manage > Verify.
6. Wait until the verification finishes.

This is worth trying before reinstalling the entire game.

7. Try a Different Headset or Speaker

Connect another pair of headphones or speakers and test Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms.

Also play another game or video using your original audio device.

This quickly helps determine whether the problem is caused by Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms or the Windows audio hardware.

8. Disconnect Unnecessary Audio Devices

Temporarily disconnect devices that can take control of audio output, such as:

• USB headsets
• External sound cards
• Bluetooth audio devices
• HDMI/DisplayPort monitors
• Controllers with headphone ports
• Other USB audio hardware

Leave only your preferred audio device connected and test the game again.

9. Change the Audio Format

If you mainly experience crackling or popping, changing the Windows audio format may help.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Select your output device.
3. Open its advanced or format settings.
4. Try another available sample-rate/bit-depth option.
5. Test Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms again.

If one format causes crackling while another works normally, keep the stable setting.

10. Restart Windows Audio

A temporary Windows audio-service problem can also make game sound disappear.

The easiest solution is to restart your PC and test Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms again.

If other applications also have no sound, the issue is probably Windows-wide rather than specific to the game.

11. Check Volume Mixer Settings

Windows can assign different volume levels to individual applications.

1. Launch Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms.
2. Open Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer.
3. Find Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms under the apps section.
4. Make sure its volume isn’t set to zero.
5. Confirm the correct output device is selected.

This is especially useful when system sounds work but the game itself remains silent.

12. Reinstall Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms as a Last Resort

If none of the previous solutions work, reinstalling Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms may fix severely corrupted installation files.

However, don’t start with a reinstall. Verify the game files first, because it can often repair the same type of problem without downloading the entire game again.

What If Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms Still Has No Sound?

If Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms has no audio after trying these fixes, check whether:

• Other games have the same problem.
• Windows itself has sound.
• Your audio driver is correctly installed.
• Another application is controlling the audio device.
• The issue started after a Windows or driver update.
• A recent game update introduced the problem.

If every application is affected, focus on Windows and your audio driver. If only Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms is affected, the problem is more likely related to its settings, files, or a game-specific compatibility issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms not producing any sound?

Check the Windows output device, volume mixer, in-game audio settings, audio enhancements, and driver first. Incorrect output selection is one of the quickest things to rule out.

Why does Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms audio keep crackling?

Crackling can be caused by audio enhancements, third-party sound software, drivers, incorrect audio formats, or problems with the selected output device.

Why does my PC have sound but Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms doesn’t?

Windows may have assigned Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms a different output device or muted it through the Volume Mixer. Check Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer while the game is running.

Should I reinstall my audio driver?

If updating the driver doesn’t solve the problem, reinstalling it can help when the existing driver installation is corrupted.

Do I need to reinstall Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms?

Not usually. Verify the game files and troubleshoot Windows audio first. Reinstalling should be one of the final options.

Final Thoughts

Most Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms audio problems can be narrowed down to incorrect output settings, Windows audio enhancements, drivers, third-party sound software, or damaged game files.

Start with the simple checks, then move to driver and game-file troubleshooting. In most cases, you can identify whether the problem comes from Age of Empires II: The African Kingdoms, Windows, or the audio hardware without reinstalling everything.