Front headphone jack not working

Damn it

from WinCustomize Forums

Realtek drivers are updated. None of the solutions I found online work. The options I saw for tweaking in the Realtek control panel aren't available in the version I have. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers a bunch of times. The only way the front panel jacks show up is when I uninstall Realtek altogether. I uninstalled Realtek from device manager but then if I go away from the computer like this morning I went and cut the grass but then I came back and Realtek was back! I even stopped the auto update of drivers in control panel. Windows 10 HP computer. Nothing special. It was Windows 8 when I got it but upgraded to 10 and there are no other issues I am aware of. I don't use the front panel jacks much at all but I just don't like that this is happening. I don't understand how Realtek keeps coming back when I get rid of it. Reminds me of a virus.

desktops
5,782 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I have a crazy solution that might work, it works on Win 8 I don't know if it will work on 10. I lost my media card slots uninstalling drivers didn't help so I found if I did this they came back. Turn off the computer and unplug it. Then hold in the power button for 10 seconds. Plug it back in and start it back up. Sounds crazy but that worked for me.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Chasbo first I would try locating the correct Drivers for your Laptop/Desktop directly on HP website.  Since you have an original Windows 8 machine they will have HP's latest Win 10 drivers for your hardware there.

Also check Win 10 settings to set it for Headphones as your sound device. (assuming that's on you intend to use sound) 

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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top


I don't understand how Realtek keeps coming back when I get rid of it.
Windows will keep installing the realtek drivers because it detects realtek hardware. That is normal. I would agree with BigDog that you should get the correct driver straight from HP. If that doesn't work, it is possible that the jack has gone bad.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Also, when the headphones are plugged in, right click the speaker button in the system tray, choose playback devices. Highlight headphones, if windows sees them, and go to properties. Make sure that "enable this device" is checked.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Also, you haven't said. Did the headphones in question work before the upgrade? Have you checked them elsewhere?

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BigDogBigFeet, reply 2

Chasbo first I would try locating the correct Drivers for your Laptop/Desktop directly on HP website.  Since you have an original Windows 8 machine they will have HP's latest Win 10 drivers for your hardware there.

Also check Win 10 settings to set it for Headphones as your sound device. (assuming that's on you intend to use sound) 

HP lists the computer as a win 8 computer. I couldn't find anything there. Good idea but.....

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 5

Also, you haven't said. Did the headphones in question work before the upgrade? Have you checked them elsewhere?

When you right click on the little speaker icon in the taskbar and look at Playback devices the only thing that shows up is speakers. When you go to the Realtek HD Audio Manager the front panel jacks are grayed out. The only thing that works is uninstalling Realtek but it keeps coming back. The computer has sound through the speakers just fine, When the computer had win 8 and win 8.1 it was fine. This has happened since going to win 10. I can live with this. Apparently other people have had the same problem as I have seen a bunch of info about it online. Either Realtek or Microsoft will hopefully fix it going forward.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Did you by chance check the front panel audio connection to the motherboard?

The front panel should also have a speaker port. Did you try it?

Just troubleshooting.....

I currently have a PC that has had the front panel pin header on the mobo bent badly. I could not get sound. I had to install a secondary sound card.