How to Fix the Headphone Jack Not Working in Windows 10

Rick Akura on
Why aren't my headphones working when I plug them in my PC? There are so many reasons. Use this guide to troubleshoot and easily fix the issue.

There are many instances when your headphones or headphone jack isn’t working in Windows 10. Anything from faulty hardware to a system issue can cause audio problems. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at how you can fix them, no matter what caused the error.

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Why is my headphone jack not working?

Windows 10 is a complex operating system with complex issues. Tracking down what exactly caused your headphones or headphone jack to stop working requires some guidance. You can find some of the most common causes of this error in the list below. Use this information to diagnose your problem and apply the most effective solution from our article.

  • Physical damage. If your headphones or the headphone jack are damaged, it’s most likely not going to work. Examine both and see if there’s any physical harm on the devices that could interfere with its functions.
  • Software error. If an application installed on your device is interfering with your headphones or headphone jack, you might not be able to use it properly. To fix this, simply remove or configure the problematic application.
  • Outdated drivers. Your drivers allow your devices to function with Windows 10. If sound and audio drivers are outdated, you might run into issues with using headphones or the headphone jack. Updating your drivers is the best fix for this.
  • System issues. When Windows 10 itself is having issues, you might not be able to use your headphones or the headphones jack. You can use the methods below to troubleshoot these errors and fix the problem.

Related: How to fix the "No speakers or headphones are plugged in" error

Watch: Windows 11 Not Detecting Headphones After Plugged in || Quick Fix

Solved: Headphones not working in Windows 10

Now that we’ve taken a look at some possible causes, it’s time to get fixing. Use any of the methods below to start working on the issue with your headphones or the headphone jack on Windows 10.

Method 1. Plug your headphone in and restart your computer

  1. While your computer is still powered on, plug your headphones into the headphone jack.
  2. Wait for a few seconds before restarting your computer:
    • Open the Start menu and click on the Power button.
    • Select Restart.
    • Wait for your computer to finish restarting.
  3. Once your device has restarted, see if the headphones are working after completing this simple method.

Method 2. Disable front panel jack detection

If you have a Realtek sound card, you can attempt to fix this issue by disabling the detection of the front panel jacks.

Don’t worry - this doesn’t necessarily mean that the front panel jack will be unable to use anymore. In some cases,  it’s quite the opposite. This method is capable of fixing the issue of your front panel jack not working.

  1. Search for the Control Panel in your search bar, then open the application from your results.
  2. Change your view mode to Large icons using the drop-down menu in the top-right of the window.
  3. Scroll down and click on the Realtek HD Audio Manager. If you don’t see this option, you most likely don’t have the right drivers or use a different brand sound card.
  4. Click on the Connector Settings icon.
  5. Turn on the Disable front panel jack detection option, then press the OK button.
  6. Restart your computer. After doing this, try plugging your device into the headphone jack and playing some audio.

Method 3. Change the default sound format

  1. Search for the Control Panel in your search bar, then open the application from your results.
  2. Change your view mode to Large icons using the drop-down menu in the top-right of the window.
  3. Click on the Hardware and Sound tab.
  4. Select Sound.
  5. Under the Playback section, double click on the Default Playback device. A new window should open up.
  6. Switch to the Advanced tab. Here, change the default sound format from the drop-down menu to something else.
  7. Click the OK button and restart your computer. Test if your headphone or headphone jack is working properly.

Method 4. Enable the playback device and set as a default playback device

  1. Search for the Control Panel in your search bar, then open the application from your results.
  2. Change your view mode to Large icons using the drop-down menu in the top-right of the window.
  3. Click on the Hardware and Sound tab.
  4. Select Sound.
  5. Under the Playback section, right-click anywhere and select the Show Disabled devices option. This will display your device even if it previously wasn’t showing up.
  6. Right-click on the headphone device that isn’t working. Select Enable to make sure it isn’t blocked from playing audio from your computer.
  7. Click the now available Set as Default button.
  8. Click the OK button and restart your computer. Test if your headphone or headphone jack is working properly.

Method 5. Run the Windows 10 Audio Troubleshooter

Windows 10 comes equipped with some pretty useful troubleshooters. Luckily, there is even one for audio and sound issues.

Note: These troubleshooters are easy to run and are accessible to everyone. It’s not guaranteed that the Sound Troubleshooter will successfully find and resolve your issue, it’s worth giving it a shot!

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing down the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click on the gear icon in the Start menu.
  2. Click on the Update & Security section.
  3. Choose Troubleshoot from the left-side menu.
  4. Click on Playing Audio under the Getup and running category.
  5. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.
  6. Wait for the troubleshooter to look for issues. If anything is detected, you have the option to fix it automatically.

After the troubleshooter attempts a solution, try and play some audio on your headphones. Don’t worry if you still can’t hear anything - we have several other methods for you to try!

Method 6. Update your audio and sound driver

Regularly updating your drivers is something you should do all the time. Outdated audio drivers can cause more trouble than you’d think.

  1. Press and hold the Windows key, then press R. This will launch the Run application.
  2. Type in “devmgmt.msc” without the quotation marks, and hit the OK button to bring up the Device Manager.
  3. Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section by clicking on the arrow icon.
  4. Right-click on your audio driver and select Update Driver.
  5. Click on Search automatically for updated driver software.
  6. If Windows can find an updated driver, it will automatically download and install the update to your computer.
  7. Restart your PC and test if the headphones or headphone jack issue is solved.

Final thoughts

We hope this article assisted you in fixing your headphones and the headphone jack on Windows 10. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our IT experts at SoftwareKeep.

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Tags: How To