Jun. 24, 2022 / Updated by Daphne to Windows 10
Sound not working is one of the awful problems you may encounter while working remotely from home. Many users reported that their Windows 10 computers played no sound after they unplugged headphones from the jack port. After the Windows 10 upgrade, you are able to hear sounds from the headphones as it should be. But when you unplug the device, there’s no sound playing from the internal speakers of your laptop or other speakers connected to the computer. You may just see the active green bar, but you need to restart the PC to hear the sounds back from speakers normally.
Today, let's take a close look at how to troubleshoot such no sound problem after using headphones.
There are various factors that cause sound not working in Windows 10 when you unplug your headphones from the jack port. The no sound issues may be caused by some software or programs, incorrectly audio configuration, disabled services, faulty sound drivers, etc.. You can read the content below for solutions to fix your no sound issues in Windows 10.
Firstly, you need to check hardware related to such no sound issue on either your desktop or laptop.
Step 1. Connect the external speakers to another computer. Make sure the device is able to work as usual.
Step 2. Check if the sound card is in its right place. You can unplug it and then plug it back to the port. Also, clean the dust from both the sound card and the port.
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Then,go to the Playback devices to check if there are muted or disabled devices. Some incorrectly configured sound devices can result in no sound when the headphones are unplugged.
Step 1. Unplug the headphones form the jack port and then right click on the speakers icon on the task bar.
Step 2. Select Playback devices.
Step 3. Double click on the speakers you’re going to use to play sounds. Choose General tab and go to the Device usage to see if this device has been disabled. If so, select Use this device (enable) from the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Click Apply and OK to close the box and back to the original box.
Step 5. Highlight the speakers and click on the Set Default button below if you want it to be your default audio device.
If you’re not sure whether there’re audio configuration problems, you can make Windows 10 detect the problems automatically by clicking Troubleshoot sound problems.
Most of the sound not working issues are caused by audio or sound drivers. The drivers help Windows OS keep communicating with hardware like Bluetooth speakers, headset, headphones, etc.. Some users reported that they’ve fixed the no sound problem by using Driver Talent, the professional driver download and update utility.
You can click the button above to have Driver Talent directly and follow the steps to reinstall or repair the audio drivers and troubleshoot the no sound issue after unplugging headphones.
Step 1. Select Uninstall Drivers from the left column. Choose the Audio device and click on Uninstall to remove the audio driver.
Step 2. Select Driver Status. Choose the audio device and the proper version. Click on the Download button. Driver Talent will download the driver automatically and help you install it.
Step 3. Restart your computer to make the audio driver updates take effect properly.
Note: It is recommended to back up drivers before any driver changes on your computer.
There is a useful tool specially designed for audio issues on Driver Talent, which is called Audio Repair. To get rid of the no sound issue after unplugging headphones in Windows 10, you can also have a try on it. Take these steps.
Step 1. Launch Driver Talent and get to the Tools section. Find Audio Repair on the right and click on Try Now.
Step 2. Wait a moment for the Audio Repair tool to detect sound issues.
Step 3. After the detection, select the Playback device you are using and click on Fix It Now.
Step 4. The Audio Repair tool will automatically repair the issue for you. Please wait for a while.
Step 5. When the repair is done, play music to check if it works.
If it doesn't work, you can click on the Need help button below to ask for help. You are welcome to share it with your friends on Facebook if you find it useful.
Step 1. Use Windows shortcut keys Win + R to launch Run. Type into regedit and hit the key Enter.
Step 2. Find Beep in the Registry Editor via the path below:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound
Step 3. Value it from no to yes and then click OK.
Step 4. Close the dialog box and restart the PC to see if the no sound problem has been resolved.
Note: Don’t change other entries in the Registry Editor in case serious system problems like endless reboot, Windows 10 VIDEO DXGKRNL FATAL ERROR BSoD error, slow boot, etc. annoy you suddenly.
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If you still fail to fix the no sound issue after unplugging headphones in 2017 Windows 10 updates, don't hesitate to comment below to let us know. We'll try our best to help you. If you have any other Windows 10-related issues, you can check for the solutions in our Windows 10 Issues and Fix section.
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