Headphones Do Not Work On Computer

Microsoft’s new operating system is good. Compared to previous versions, Windows 10 is faster and more stable. You quickly get used to the good, so users react painfully to new problems with this OS. One of these troubles is the lack of sound in the headphones after installing or updating the operating system. Usually the reason lies in the damage or incompatibility of the drivers, so it’s not worth the sin on the developers of the new OS. Consider how to set up headphones on a Windows 10 computer and return music to the headset speakers.

Checking physical connection settings

Sometimes, special actions are not taken to eliminate the problem. It is worth checking the primary causes of the problem. Perhaps the solution lies on the surface.

1. Check the headset. It happens that there is no sound due to a broken headphone wire. Connect the audio device to your phone or tablet and check if music is playing. If the headset is working, move on.
2. Check the connection of the inputs / outputs of the sound card: the contact may have gone away.
3. Try connecting the audio jack to the front and back of the system unit. If there is no sound at the front, but there is at the back, check the connection type of the audio jack: Windows 10 does not support the AC’97 connection standard. Need to use HD Audio.
   
4. Think, did you unpack the drivers for the motherboard? If not, be sure to install.

So, these are the main actions and recommendations for the initial diagnosis. If all else fails, move on to the next step.

Headphone setup methods

There are two methods for setting up the headphones.

Driver update

This is the main way. 90% of all problems with sound reproducibility are associated with a problematic driver package.

1. Press WinR and enter the devmgmt.Msc command in the appropriate field. Confirm the action with the Enter key.
2. In the “Task Manager” we find the sound card, click on it with the PCM and click on “Update Driver”.

Realtek Manager Configuration

If driver updates did not help, go to the second method.

1. Open the “Control Panel” and select “Realtek HD Manager” (maybe Dolby Digital or Sound Booster).
2. In the window that appears, click “Advanced device settings.”
3. Select “Split all output jacks as independent input devices.” Confirm with OK.
4. Disable front panel slot detection.

After performing all of the above recommendations, the sound may not appear for two reasons:

1. Lack of codecs for playing high quality music files. You can download them here.
2. Physical damage to the connectors or sound card. In this case, you must contact the service center.

That’s all. Now you know how to set up your headphones in Windows 10 and diagnose the cause of the problem.

Problems with connecting and working with headphones are quite common. In this article, we will consider some of the most likely reasons why the headphones may not work when they are connected to the computer.

Reason No. 1. Headphones are not connected properly.

If the headphones do not work on your computer, first of all you need to check how they are connected. Headphones are always connected to the jack, which is highlighted in green.

If your computer’s microphone and headphone jacks are not highlighted in different colors, then look at the notation that appears next to the jacks.

Reason # 2. Sound card drivers not installed.

If you do not have drivers installed, then there will be no sound on your computer and as a result, your headphones will not work. In order to check for drivers, open the “Device Manager”. This can be done by executing the command “mmc devmgmt.Msc” or through “Control Panel. Hardware and Sound. Device Manager”.

In the “Device Manager” you need to open the section “Sound, game and devices” and check the presence of a sound card there. If there is no sound card, or it appears as “Unknown device”, then you need to install drivers for the sound card.

If you use an integrated sound card, then the drivers for it can be found on the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard. In the case of a discrete sound card, you need to look for drivers on the website of the direct manufacturer of the sound card.

Reason No. 3. The front panel on the system unit is not connected or incorrectly configured.

A fairly common cause of problems with the headphones and microphone on the computer is the incorrectly connected front panel on the system unit. The fact is that the front panel of the system unit (where the headphone and microphone jacks are located) is connected to the motherboard using a set of single conductors, each of which must be connected to a specific contact. Because of this, it is very easy to make mistakes and mix up contacts.

In addition, it should be noted that there are two different schemes for connecting the headphone jack and the microphone jack on the front panel (AC97 and HD Audio). A situation is possible when the connectors on the front panel of the system unit are connected according to one scheme, and another connection scheme is indicated in the sound card settings. In this case, neither the headphones nor the microphone will work either.

Fortunately, checking for front-panel connectivity issues is very simple. All you need to do is connect your headphones to the connector on the back of the system unit, in other words you need to plug the headphones directly into the motherboard. If with this connection the headphones still do not work, then you need to look for another reason. If the headphones work when connected to the motherboard, then you need to deal with the connection of the front panel of the system unit.

Reason number 4. The headphones are malfunctioning.

If you checked all of the above, but your headphones still do not work, then you need to check whether they are working or not. To do this, headphones must be connected to any other sound source. For example, you can connect headphones to another computer or TV.

In extreme cases, the headphones can be connected to any phone. But, in the case of connecting to the phone, the headphones can work much quieter than from a computer.

The lack of sound in the speakers of the headphones after they are connected to a laptop or desktop computer is motivated by many reasons. They can be divided into two main groups: malfunctions in the program and malfunctions of the equipment itself. What to do if the headphones do not work on a laptop or PC? We offer you several solutions and detailed instructions for resolving such a problem.

We carry out diagnostics

To find the reason why the headphones do not work on the computer, it is necessary to conduct a consistent diagnosis of all systems.

1. First you need to exclude damage to the headphones themselves. To do this, connect them to another device, for example, a smartphone or DVD player. If the headphones normally transmit sound, then continue the diagnosis.
2. Make sure that the headphones have been properly connected to the computer using the correct connector. Some laptop models have identical sockets for connecting recording devices and sound reproducing equipment. Check the connection. There should be an appropriate sign near the input, or the connector is green.
3. Should check volume: Often the level is at zero, and therefore the sound does not work. Also, when you connect the headphones to the computer, it is worth checking the volume control located on the product itself.
4. System Restore. Sometimes the headphones do not transmit sound due to the fact that there was a reinstallation or updating of the operating system (OS). It is necessary to carry out restoration.
5. Update or reinstalling drivers. When restoring the OS did not bring the desired result, and the laptop still does not see the headphones, you need to restart the drivers for the audio card or update them. This technique helps you troubleshoot playback problems or recording sound.
6. Banal reasons. When you use front panel PC to connect, then this connector can simply be disconnected. To fix the problem, go to the Windows Sound Manager (Windows) section and perform simple actions:

If you could not connect the headphones on the front panel of the system unit, then connect them from the back to the outputs of the audio card.

Why Windows 10 does not recognize the headset

If the PC hardware and headphones are working, then probably the OS does not see the headset due to a malfunction in the sound settings or incorrect operation of the sound card driver / adapter built into the motherboard.

In a standard situation, when headphones are connected to the 3.5 jack, sound is automatically reproduced through them, or a window appears prompting you to choose which device is connected to the PC. By specifying a headset, the user transfers the sound to it. However, this does not always happen.

The first thing to do if the headphones do not play. Through the tray icon you need to select “sound options” and see what options are displayed in the playback devices. If the headset is displayed, sometimes it’s enough to switch to it and also activate “use by default”. In this case, after each connection, the audio will automatically play through them.

If this does not help, or if there is no way to change the sound settings in the tray, then the probable problem is outdated, broken, missing driver. In the device manager, you can see the item “audio inputs and output”. If there is a yellow or red icon next to the device name, or in this menu is generally empty, then this confirms a software failure. In such a situation, you need to download the driver from the manufacturer’s website.

How to set up a headset in Windows 7

Sound settings in Windows 7 are no different from newer versions of the operating system.

If the sound does not enter the headphones yourself, you must open the “playback device” through the special tray icon. If among the available devices there is the required headset, switch to it and click on “use by default”.

If the situation has not changed, then software update required. This is best done through the sound card manufacturer’s website. If it is not in the PC, that is, the headphone output is installed on the motherboard, then updating the software is required for the motherboard. The most commonly used driver is from Realtek. You can go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest software, taking into account the version and capacity of Windows.

Why the PC does not see the Bluetooth headset

Despite the fact that the sound quality of wired headphones is still in most cases better than that of Bluetooth models, some users stop using the latter. As a rule, the connection does not cause any particular difficulties, but if synchronization is unsuccessful, then you should know how to deal with it. Instructions are given below.

Checking the connection

Before considering complex troubleshooting options, you should make sure that the pairing is initially done correctly.

1. On the headset, a special button must activate the search mode. Sometimes the switch simply slides to the desired position; in other cases, you need to hold the search / play button for several seconds. The correct option for a particular headset is worth looking in its instructions.
2. Most Bluetooth headphones have an LED that flashes quickly in the search mode for available devices for connection.
3. On the PC, in the tray, click on the Bluetooth icon and open “add Bluetooth devices.” If there is no icon, then you need to open the “settings”. “devices”. “Bluetooth”.
4. Select the desired accessory and pair.

Adding a Bluetooth device

Possible malfunctions

If the execution of the synchronization instructions did not help, then it is worth checking a number of reasons why the failure occurred.

First, make sure that the device is equipped with a Bluetooth module. For laptops, this feature has long been standard; desktop computers have a BT module extremely rarely. To check, go to the device manager and look for the inscription Bluetooth. If it is not, then there is no built-in adapter. An external USB module is required.

The second common cause of failure is driver does not work. In this case, in the device manager, you should look at the name of the adapter and download software for it from the manufacturer’s website. If we are talking about a laptop, you can simply find your model on the company’s website and download all the necessary software for it.

If the above recommendations did not help, then, most likely, the headset and PC version of Bluetooth are not compatible. In this case, you need to choose another accessory.

Finally, one practical advice: if there is no sound in your headphones on a computer or laptop, then do not fuss. Calmly and methodically check all systems. Follow the method from simple failure to a difficult case, and everything will work out. Otherwise, the headphones are just Broke down, and their repair or replacement is required.