A common cause of the bug is a mismatch in audio frequency. Stronghold Crusader was designed to output audio at lower sample rates (often 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz). Modern high-end sound cards or HDMI audio outputs often default to higher rates like 96 kHz or 192 kHz. The game’s audio engine simply doesn't know how to output to those frequencies, so it outputs nothing.
After analyzing over 500 forum threads (Steam Community, GOG Forums, Reddit r/stronghold), here is the success rate: stronghold crusader no sound
Sometimes the game appears as “Desktop App” instead of its own name. Leave the game running, then check the mixer again. A common cause of the bug is a mismatch in audio frequency
How to Fix the "Stronghold Crusader No Sound" Bug on Windows 10 and 11 The game’s audio engine simply doesn't know how
If you are playing the Stronghold Crusader HD version on Steam, you might encounter a specific bug where the game mutes itself upon installation. This is often due to the game failing to write the correct volume settings to the configuration file on the first launch.
: Ensure the game isn't muted specifically in the Windows Volume Mixer while it is running. Compatibility and Updates