Alison E. C.

Q: "No ouput device found" after Sierra update

  I updated my iMac (model 14,2) from OS X El Capitan to macOS Sierra yesterday. The update went smoothly except that once the update finished, the desktop loaded and I logged in the volume icon in the menu bar was greyed out. I immediately opened settings, assuming the update had somehow deselected my default audio-out device (a pair of external speakers in this case). However when I went to the sound menu I was surprised to see "No output device found".

 

  I've looked around quite a bit and haven't found anyone else with this issue yet. I became so desperate to get my audio back that I even tried installing the 3rd party "Voodoo" audio driver, however this only gave me the option for "Digital-out (HDMI)" which is of no use to me, I have the mac connected to a TV via a VGA adapter and don't own an HDMI adapter. One thing this did clarify however is that somehow during the upgrade my AppleHDA driver got deleted and never replaced, or installing an 3rd party driver wouldn't have added any output devices to the list (albeit greyed out and entirely dysfunctional ones). So at this point I am at a loss, I don't know how to replace the driver, nor where or how I would install it so any help is greatly appreciated. Danke!

iMac, macOS Sierra (10.12), 27-inch (Model 14,2)

Posted on Sep 27, 2016 11:06 AM

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Q: "No ouput device found" after Sierra update

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  • by norm123,

    norm123 norm123 Sep 28, 2016 12:30 PM in response to Alison E. C.
    Community Specialists
    Sep 28, 2016 12:30 PM in response to Alison E. C.
    Hi Alison E.C.,


    Thanks for upgrading to Mac OS Sierra! I see that you've lost your audio output device after you upgraded. No worries. Excellent way of trying to get your audio working by using another audio driver. Since this has not resolved the issue, please try to perform the NVRAM reset. 

    What is NVRAM?

    A small amount of your computer’s memory, called “non-volatile random-access memory” or NVRAM, stores certain settings in a location that OS X can access quickly. The settings that are stored in NVRAM depend on the type of Mac you're using, and the types of devices connected to it.
    Information stored in NVRAM can include:
    Speaker volume
    Screen resolution
    Startup disk selection
    Recent kernel panic information, if any
    If you experience issues related to these features, you might need to reset the NVRAM on your computer. For example, if your Mac starts up from a startup disk other than the one you've specified in Startup Disk preferences, or if a question mark icon appears briefly when your Mac starts up.


    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac


    This should have your internal audio device showing as it should under your Sound settings in the System's preferences. Thanks for using Apple Support Communities to post your question. 

    Have a great day. 
  • by Alison E. C.,

    Alison E. C. Alison E. C. Sep 30, 2016 10:56 AM in response to norm123
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Sep 30, 2016 10:56 AM in response to norm123

      Thanks for your reply, this seems to have partially fixed my issue, after the NVRAM reset I proceeded to reboot, and the external speaker made a popping sound. The external speaker was finally in the list of audio output devices, however a soft static sound continually plays from the speakers at all times, and turning down the external volume knob makes no difference. On top of that Whether or not the speakers work on boot seems to be random, some cold boots it works fine, others it doesn't. Some reboots it works fine, other times it doesn't. Even when rebooting to the macOS partition from my Windows partition delivers inconsistent results. Finally, and this last issue may be a problem wit the microphone I was using, but I tried to connect an external microphone to test out Siri when the audio first started working, and when I spoke into it everything I said was echoed through the speakers rather than picked up by Siri. I never had any of these issues with El Capitan, Mavericks, or Snow Leopard (yes, I did jump straight from Snow Leopard to Mavericks ) and the upgrade went smoothly so I am rather confused.

  • by braden85,

    braden85 braden85 Sep 30, 2016 11:41 AM in response to Alison E. C.
    Community Specialists
    Sep 30, 2016 11:41 AM in response to Alison E. C.
    You're welcome, glad I can lend some assistance with your problem. Since the issue seems to be inconsistent, try reinstalling Mac OS Sierra. I would use Time Machine to back up your important data. Although the reinstall does not affect the current data on your Mac, it's always good practice to back it up. If after the reinstall the issue returns, you should contact with Apple chat or phone support for further assistance. The links below can assist you with the backup and reinstall processes. I will also provide a link to troubleshoot the distortion coming form your built in speakers.



    Troubleshooting issues with no audio from built-in speakers on Macs​

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

    How to reinstall macOS​



    These links should help you with getting this resolved

    Take care!