Use system sound as a narrow comparison
Hearing a Windows notification proves that some sound reached an output at that moment. It does not prove that the affected browser or player is using the same device or volume level. Windows supports application-specific mixer levels and output choices. That gives a silent application a different investigation from a computer that produces no sound anywhere.
Begin with the application's own mute and volume controls, then inspect its entry in Windows Sound settings and Volume mixer. Microsoft documents that an application can use a different output from the system default. Keep the media selection unchanged while checking this. Otherwise a new soundtrack and a new output setting become two changes whose effects cannot be separated.
A hypothetical display change
Suppose a laptop previously played through a desk monitor's speakers. After the monitor is disconnected, system notifications are audible through the laptop, but a player remains silent. In this hypothetical case, the useful question is whether that player still has a different output assignment. The symptom does not require a new subscription, and it does not establish that the soundtrack has disappeared from the source.
Record the output device names shown for the system and affected application. Device labels may resemble one another, so use the actual names rather than laptop sound or HDMI sound. Select the intended available output through the normal settings and repeat a short section of the same media. Avoid turning every volume control to maximum; start at a comfortable level.
Do not make an application fault a whole-system reset
If the mixer entry is muted, changing that one setting is a useful bounded intervention. If the application is already routed correctly, preserve that result and compare another authorised item in it. One silent file may involve its selected audio track or decoder, whereas every item silent in one application keeps the investigation focused on that application and output path.
A restart can be a later documented step, but record the settings first. Driver changes, service restarts and reinstallations alter more of the system than a per-app selection. Use the platform's current support guidance when those steps are actually needed. Do not remove unrelated audio devices merely because their names appear in an output menu.
Confirm the route after reconnecting
When the original monitor or headset is reconnected, check whether the application follows the output you intend. A useful solution remains understandable after the hardware arrangement changes again. Save a short note identifying the working application-to-output assignment, especially on a shared computer with several displays or headsets.
The support report can now be precise: system sounds work on the laptop speakers; the player was assigned to another output; selecting the laptop output restored sound on the same sample. If it did not restore sound, say that instead. Either result is stronger evidence than reporting that Windows audio is broken.
Questions answered
Do audible notifications prove the player's audio output is correct?
No. The application can have its own mixer level or output assignment. Check the affected application rather than relying on the system-volume icon.
Should I reinstall the player first?
Preserve the current evidence and check the application's mute, mixer level and selected output first. Use broader repair steps only when the narrower checks do not explain the problem.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.