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Resolved Question

Laptop won't recognize headphones.

Oct 15, 2018 10:04AM PDT

I'm unable to get sound to go to my headphones. They are plugged in but sound goes to the laptop speakers instead. I've scoured the internet and no solutions have worked for me. Up until about a month ago it was working fine.

Dell Inspiron laptop running windows 10.

Please help! Thanks advance!

Discussion is locked

JoeKlipfel has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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Clarification Request
Did you install
Oct 15, 2018 10:18AM PDT

the Latest Windows Updates ? I think I read somewhere that another was having this issue > Maybe Here 

Best Answer

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My thought on this.
Oct 15, 2018 10:35AM PDT

Read https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/how-to-fix-your-pcs-sound-if-windows-update-just-broke-it/ first.

I've been taken to task over my stance we should disable Windows updating of drivers. This issue continues to show up and only reinforces my view that we don't update working drivers.

Also, https://www.howtogeek.com/233115/the-only-way-to-safely-update-your-hardware-drivers-on-windows/

Since you have a Dell, my method is to hit Dell.com, enter my service tag and get the drivers for my PC. I also disable Windows driver updates.

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That did it.
Oct 15, 2018 11:15AM PDT

Thank you for your help. That appears to have fixed it. The parent device name of Realtek was not the same as what the Microsoft article said it would be, but I took a chance and uninstalled it anyway. And now stuff works.

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I'd disable driver updates.
Oct 15, 2018 11:29AM PDT
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Isn't it helpful most of the time?
Oct 15, 2018 11:35AM PDT

I don't think I would remember to periodically update drivers...and I would assume eventually when your driver is outdated stuff quits working?

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Drivers are not like that.
Oct 15, 2018 12:07PM PDT

Drivers don't wear out. An OS change might require an update to the drivers but so far, the track record on driver updaters and Microsoft is poor. Time after time the machine would have been fine without these updates.

Want to update drivers? Sure, but have a good reason such as it's not working.

Also read that howtogeek article.