Z
Zack_L-P
I have an incredibly bizarre headphones issue on my ASUS Zenbook 15 UX533FD. I'm running Windows 10 Home, version 1809, build 17763.615, and windows update says I don't have any updates to install at this time.
Basically, if I ever unplug a pair of headphones and then plug them back in (it doesn't matter if I switch to a different pair of headphones or not), the computer refuses to play any sounds from the headphones, and will only play sounds through the laptop's onboard speakers. After restarting the computer, headphones will usually work the first time they're plugged in, but unplugging them causes them to once again stop working. (I haven't quite nailed down how reliably the headphones work the first time you plug them in after restarting; sometimes they seem to just work without any hassle, sometimes I have to really fight to get them to start playing sound, and I can't tell exactly what I'm doing to affect that.) This problem first appeared for me yesterday, and I can't think of anything that happened that could have caused it. I didn't install any updates or change any settings. It just magically happened out of nowhere.
When I opened up the sounds menu (from right-clicking on the speaker icon on my taskbar) to try and troubleshoot the issue, I noticed that only one playback device is ever visible, and that is a device called "speakers". This is the same no matter if sounds are being played through headphones or the laptop's built-in speakers. I've restarted my computer at least a dozen times, I've tried updating and/or uninstalling my Realtek audio drivers several times, both through the automatic driver update tool, and by manually downloading the audio driver directly from Realtek's website and running the install wizard from there. I've also tried disabling the "allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" setting in the audio device properties menu. I've also done every single one of the standard audio troubleshooting suggestions (such as updating drivers through the device manager, switching audio formats under the device playback options, etc.) Nothing has had any effect on the problem whatsoever.
I have, however, discovered a temporary fix. If I open the Realtek Audio Console app, and click on the "Device advanced settings" menu in the bottom left corner of the app, then look under the "Connector Retasking" section of the page, there is a dropdown menu titled "ANALOG" with options labeled "Mic In", "Headphone", "Speaker Out", and "Headset". If I simply switch this dropdown option between "Headphone" and "Headset", that will always temporarily fix the problem. Unfortunately, unplugging the headphones again immediately causes them to stop working, and I have to reopen the Realtek Audio Console and switch between "Headset" and "Headphone" again. It doesn't matter which of those options is currently selected, because both seem to behave exactly the same way (at least for me), and switching to the other one always has the same effect, regardless of which option was selected in the first place.
This is extremely frustrating, because having to dig through several menus in obscure applications just to (temporarily!) regain the use of your headphone jack, is approximately as enjoyable as pulling teeth, and I am quite tired of it. Please help. Thanks in advance!
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Basically, if I ever unplug a pair of headphones and then plug them back in (it doesn't matter if I switch to a different pair of headphones or not), the computer refuses to play any sounds from the headphones, and will only play sounds through the laptop's onboard speakers. After restarting the computer, headphones will usually work the first time they're plugged in, but unplugging them causes them to once again stop working. (I haven't quite nailed down how reliably the headphones work the first time you plug them in after restarting; sometimes they seem to just work without any hassle, sometimes I have to really fight to get them to start playing sound, and I can't tell exactly what I'm doing to affect that.) This problem first appeared for me yesterday, and I can't think of anything that happened that could have caused it. I didn't install any updates or change any settings. It just magically happened out of nowhere.
When I opened up the sounds menu (from right-clicking on the speaker icon on my taskbar) to try and troubleshoot the issue, I noticed that only one playback device is ever visible, and that is a device called "speakers". This is the same no matter if sounds are being played through headphones or the laptop's built-in speakers. I've restarted my computer at least a dozen times, I've tried updating and/or uninstalling my Realtek audio drivers several times, both through the automatic driver update tool, and by manually downloading the audio driver directly from Realtek's website and running the install wizard from there. I've also tried disabling the "allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" setting in the audio device properties menu. I've also done every single one of the standard audio troubleshooting suggestions (such as updating drivers through the device manager, switching audio formats under the device playback options, etc.) Nothing has had any effect on the problem whatsoever.
I have, however, discovered a temporary fix. If I open the Realtek Audio Console app, and click on the "Device advanced settings" menu in the bottom left corner of the app, then look under the "Connector Retasking" section of the page, there is a dropdown menu titled "ANALOG" with options labeled "Mic In", "Headphone", "Speaker Out", and "Headset". If I simply switch this dropdown option between "Headphone" and "Headset", that will always temporarily fix the problem. Unfortunately, unplugging the headphones again immediately causes them to stop working, and I have to reopen the Realtek Audio Console and switch between "Headset" and "Headphone" again. It doesn't matter which of those options is currently selected, because both seem to behave exactly the same way (at least for me), and switching to the other one always has the same effect, regardless of which option was selected in the first place.
This is extremely frustrating, because having to dig through several menus in obscure applications just to (temporarily!) regain the use of your headphone jack, is approximately as enjoyable as pulling teeth, and I am quite tired of it. Please help. Thanks in advance!
Continue reading...