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Fix Headphone Jack Not Working in Windows 10, 8 and 7

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The headphone jack is slowly being taken away from our Smartphones, but luckily, most of the Windows laptops still comes with a headphone jack. A headphone jack is really important for a laptop because most of us use our laptop for media consumption a lot.

Even though the headphone jack is one of the most basic ports in a Windows system, it does at times show some random errors to the users when they try to connect and use the headphones. One of the most common headphone-related errors in the Windows operating system is the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error. The “Headphone Jack Not Working” error can occur in almost all popular Windows versions like Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

No matter which Windows version your systems run on, fixing the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error is very easy and today we are here with a list of solutions that you can follow in order to fix the “Headphone Jack Not Working” in the Windows operating system.

How to fix “Headphone Jack Not Working” Error in Windows?

Before following the solutions mentioned below to fix the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error in Windows, make sure to plug your headphones on a different device and make sure that the headphone hardware is working properly. Also, make sure that the 3.5mm pin of your headphone is completely pushed into the 3.5mm headphone jack of your Windows system.

If the headphones are working perfectly, then you can easily resolve the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error in your Windows system by following the guide below.

Solution #1: Run Windows Audio Troubleshooter

  1. Find the Speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar.
  2. Using your mouse, right-click on the Speaker icon.
  3. From the drop-down menu that pops-up, click on the “Troubleshoot Sound Problems” option.


  4. Wait for the Audio Troubleshoot wizard to check and fix errors.

Solution #2: Update the Audio Driver Installed on your System

  1. Press the R key + Windows key on your keyboard.
  2. When the Run window appears, type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter.
  3. The Device Manager window will now open.
  4. Under the “Sound, video and game controllers” heading, find the audio drivers installed on your system.


  5. Right-click on the driver and from the list of options, click on “Update Driver”.
  6. If any updates are available for the audio drivers installed on your Windows system, it will get downloaded and installed now.

Solution #3: Check the Realtek HD Audio Manager Settings

  1. Launch the Realtek HD Audio Manager application on your Windows system.


  2. In the Realtek HD Audio Manager window, click on the folder-shaped icon located in the top right corner.
  3. In the pop-up box that appears, tick the option that says “Disable front panel jack detection”.
  4. Click on “OK” button.

Solution #4: Set your Headphones as the default device for Audio

  1. Press the S key + Windows key on your keyboard.
  2. Type “Sound” and from the search results that appear, click on “Sound” control panel option.
  3. When the Sound window appears, switch to the “Recording” tab.
  4. Using your mouse, right-click on an empty space of the window.


  5. From the drop-down list that appears, click on “Show Disabled Devices”.
  6. Find your connected headphones in the list and then using your mouse, right-click on the same.
  7. From the list of options that appear, click on “Enable” and then click on “Set as Default Device” option.

Solution #5: Uninstall “IDT Audio Device” from your System

  1. Press the S key + Windows key on your keyboard.
  2. In the search window, type “Control Panel” and click on the “Control Panel” desktop app in the results that appear.


  3. Now, change the “View By” option to “Large” as shown in the above image.
  4. From the list, click on “Programs and Features”.
  5. Select “IDT Audio Driver” from the list and then click on the “Uninstall” option.
  6. Restart your system.

Solution #6: Clean the 3.5mm Headphone Jack of your System

The lint or dust accumulated in the 3.5mm headphone jack of your Windows system might be the reason for the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error that you are getting. First of all, take a look into the 3.5mm headphone jack of your system and check if there is some sort of obstacle or large dust particles that is stopping your headphone pin from getting connected properly.

In order to clean the headphone jack, you can make use of a soft brush or even a cotton swab. Please make sure to slowly clean the jack and also make sure that the brush or swab that you are using to clean the jack is completely dry.

Final Words

The “Headphone Jack Not Working” error is a very minor issue that almost everyone faces. The solutions mentioned above can help you in easily resolving the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error that you are facing.

However, if you are facing difficulty in either following any of the solutions mentioned above or getting the “Headphone Jack Not Working” error resolved, then do leave a comment below with more details about the issue that you are facing and we will guide you in solving the issue.