Microsoft Windows 10 has been released for a while and is still getting daily updates. Although Windows 10 is a pretty stable operating system, certain bugs can crop up from time to time. One of the bugs is no sound after unplugging headphones in Windows 10.
Windows 10, with the latest plug-and-play feature, doesn’t need any 3rd party software or driver to run headphones or any other audio devices. You must plug them into your PC’s sound card or headphone space. Sometimes, removing headphones mutes the windows. Here, we will discuss this issue.
How To Fix No Sound After Unplugging Headphones In Windows 10?
There can be various reasons for this issue, like incorrect audio settings, outdated sound drivers, unsupported speakers, and registry or hardware issues. All these reasons can mute your Windows 10 after unplugging the headphones. There are a few quick solutions, but first, learn the issues.
Incorrect Audio Settings: Default audio settings are best if you don’t want to face any issues. These settings are best for the plug and play devices. You might get this no-sound issue if you accidentally wrongly configured any audio settings.
Outdated Sound Drivers: Updated sound is a must to run your Windows smoothly. Outdated drivers lead to a lot of issues in Windows. Sometimes, that must produce sound after unplugging the headphones and need to get the command right to start functioning. To fix this, you need to update your sound drivers. You can either do it manually or automatically.
Unsupported Speakers: If you are using external speakers with your PC and have connected them via the 3.5mm audio jack, they don’t work, then the issue is with your speakers.
Corrupted Registry Files: Due to several reasons like virus infection, malicious programs, etc., the registry files of your Windows can get corrupted. These files are responsible for the smooth functioning of your Windows. Any change or damage to these files can result in different issues in Windows.
Hardware Issue: A major hardware issue that may cause the no sound after unplugging headphones in Windows 10 is the input pin or pinhole (Female headphone jack). Sometimes, pin metal or other materials get stuck in the female headphone jack and don’t let the audio pass through it.
Audio Troubleshooting
Audio troubleshooting is a built-in tool, and it might be the best option as it detects and removes issues and bugs automatically. If these issues are directly related to your operating system, then troubleshooting will surely fix them. Here’s how to troubleshoot your audio,
- Go to the start menu, type “Troubleshooting settings, ” and click open them.
- Then scroll down to “Troubleshoot” and navigate to “Additional Troubleshooting.”
- Click on “playing audio” and then “Run the troubleshooter.”
- Similarly, scroll down the same list, select “Speech, “ and run the troubleshooter again.
- Hopefully, it will resolve the issue, and you will get the sound in your speakers.
Windows 10 Audio Settings
There are many different audio settings in Windows 10, and it’s important to get them set up correctly so you don’t experience any problems with no sound after unplugging headphones. The following section will review the most important of these settings.
Audio Output
This setting determines where audio will be played back. It means if your playback is not set to the output speakers, you won’t be able to hear the sound from them after unplugging the headphones. There are two options in the playback:
Speakers: This is the default option; audio will be played back through the computer’s speakers if you have any. So, these speakers must be enabled in the playback section. Otherwise, you are not going to hear the sound from them.
Headphones: Audio will be played back through headphones or earbuds plugged into the computer. If you were using multiple headphones at a time, the other headphone’s settings might be causing the issue. You have to disable them. Here’s how to set both speakers and multiple headphones.
- To change this setting, open the Start Menu and type “Settings.” Click on “Settings” to open the main Settings window.
- Then, click on “System.” On the System window, click on “Sound.”
- On the Sound window, under “Output device,” select the option you want. The names of your speakers will be connected to your computer in the list. Select the speaker you want to get output from. These are your playback devices.
Note: If you use multiple devices simultaneously, keep switching these options.
Reinstall or Update Audio Drivers
If you are still not getting any audio through your external speakers after unplugging the headphones in Windows 10, it’s time to reinstall or update your audio drivers. The updated drivers will have the latest firmware, allowing you to resolve this issue for good. Here’s how to reinstall or update audio drivers,
- First, open Device Manager by searching it in the start menu.
- Now, navigate to “Sound Video and Game Controller” and expand it.
- Here, you will find the list of all devices connected to your computer.
- Find your default drivers, like Realtek or Intel, and right-click on them. Select “Uninstall from the list.”
- Once the driver is uninstalled, click “Sound Video and Game Controller” again and “Scan for Hardware.” It will scan and detect the missing driver.
- Windows will automatically install this driver.
- Similarly, to update the audio driver, you need to click on the driver and click “Update.”
- Windows will search for the latest version of the driver and will automatically install it.
Note: To follow this method, ensure your computer is connected to the internet the whole time. Otherwise, you won’t be able to install any updates or new drivers.
Roll Back Audio Drivers
Sometimes, your updated or manual drivers must be fixed as they should be. In this case, it is better to roll back to the old drivers and see if that helps you fix this issue. Here’s how you can rollback audio drivers in Windows 10:
- Open Device Manager by searching for it in the start menu.
- Click on “Sound Video and Game Controller” to expand it.
- Locate your audio driver here, right-click, and select “Properties.”
- Click on the “Driver” tab and “Roll Back Driver.”
- Click on “Yes” when prompted.
- It will roll back the previous version of your audio drivers.
Note: It is important to consider the rollback option if the updated driver needs to be fixed. Otherwise, the older driver could have more bugs and issues.
Use Audio Repair tools.
If you cannot find the fault, this might be a damaged audio driver file. Damaged files are hard to find and repair by yourself. You will need a proper tool to do that. There are several tools like Driver Talent.
- Download and install Driver Talent from their official website.
- Run the application. Here, you will find the “Tool” option.
- Click the option to access tools. Here, you will have the “Audio repair” option.
-
- Click to scan for the errors and repair them.
Modify Audio Registry Files
Modifying the audio registry files is also considered a Modifying the audio registry files is easy. It can also help resolve some common audio problems. To modify the audio registry files, you’ll need to know where they are located and how to edit them. Here’s how,
- Open “Run” from the start menu or press “Win key + R” to open it directly.
- Now type “Regedit.exe” and hit enter. Give admin permission to access the program.
- Now navigate to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility\Soundsentry\]
- You will find a file named “Default.” Right-click on it and select “Modify” from the list.
- If its value is 0, make it 1 and hit OK. It will enable the default sound file and will resolve the issue.
Resolve Hardware Issue
What can you do if all the above methods don’t work? In this case, the issue is most likely with your hardware. Make sure to check your speakers on other devices to see if they are working or not. If the speaker is not working on any other device, it is most likely damaged. You will need to replace it with a new one.
If the speaker works on other devices, the issue is with your computer. In this case, you should open your CPU and check whether the audio jack is properly connected. If it is not, then connect it properly and restart your computer. It should fix the issue.
You can also try to reconnect the audio jack if it is loose. You should replace the audio jack or sound card if that doesn’t work. Also, check for any physical damage to your audio jack or sound card. If there is, then you will need to replace it.
Realtek Sound Manager
If your default Windows drivers are causing issues while switching between the devices (Headphones to speakers), then you can use Realtek HD Sound Manager. This software is free, and you can get it from the official website of Realtek. This software will help you manage your sound options easily without any issues.
Realtek sound manager can detect all the input and output devices attached to your computer and customize the settings of each device. It will ask you which device to select for output each time. So, there is no chance of getting stuck with no sound after unplugging headphones in Windows 10.
Conclusion
There can be several reasons your audio is not working after unplugging headphones in Windows 10. But you don’t need to worry, as there are several ways to fix this issue. Try the methods mentioned above, and you will likely be able to fix the issue. If you are still having issues, then make sure to check your hardware for any damage.
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Hey, I’m Hammad. I have been writing for several years now and have amassed a wealth of experience within my field. My focus is on technology and gaming, two areas that I am highly knowledgeable about. Also, I’m writer for iPhonEscape.com and CPUGPUnerds.com as well and where I have written over 350 articles.