How To Quickly Fix Headphones That Are Not Working On Windows 10

There are four things that can cause headphones not working on Windows 10, and these are physical damage, outdated drivers and software conflicts. Let’s look at each of these factors in detail to come up with some solutions.

Make Sure Your Playback Device is Default and Enabled

Your headphones may not work properly if they are not enabled as the default device. To check this:

• Open Control Panel.
• Change view mode into the Large Icons.
• Select the tab which says Hardware and Sound.
• Pick Sound.
• Beneath Playback, right click and choose Show Disabled Devices, so it will show devices that didn’t show previously.
• Right click the headphones that aren’t working. Choose enabled.
• Now choose the Set as Default option.
• Click OK then restart your computer and test the headphones.

Make Sure Your Sound Drivers are Updated

It is important to keep your sound drivers updated; otherwise this could cause problems with your 7.1 Surround Sound headset. To do this, you’ll want to:

• Click and then hold your Windows key, and press R. This will open your Run app.
• Type “devmgmt.msc” without using quotations, then click OK to open Device Manager.
• Look under Sound, video and game controllers then click the small arrow to expand this section.
• Find your audio driver, right click it, and then choose Update Driver.
• Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
• Should Windows detect the updated drivers, it will download then install it automatically.
• Restart the computer then test your headphones

Change Your Default Audio Format

Sometimes the problem stems from using the incorrect audio format. To correct this, you’ll need to:

• Open Control Panel.
• Switch the view so it shows Large Icons.
• Select the tab which says Hardware and Sound.
• Choose Sound.
• Beneath Playback, double click Default Playback device which will open another window.
• Click on the tab which says Advanced and switch the default audio format.
• Press OK and then restart the computer and test your headphones.

Run the Audio Troubleshooter for Windows 10

Windows 10 has its own built-in audio compatibility troubleshooter. To use it, you’ll want to:

• Open Settings by clicking the Windows and I keys from the keyboard. Another way is to click the gear button which can be seen under your Start menu.
• Select Update & Security.
• Pick Troubleshoot on the menu’s left side.
• Choose Playing Audio beneath Get up and running.
• Wait as the troubleshooter automatically checks for problems. Anything which is detected may be resolved automatically.

If the following tips above don’t work, there is a real possibility that either your headphone jack or headphones have been damaged. Take a look at both to see if there are any physical signs of damage that might interferes with their ability to work, and if you’re unable to fix it yourself it might have to be replaced or repaired.