computer doesn't recognize headphones windows 10

Getting difficulty while using headphones on Windows 10 computer, Such as computer not recognizing headphones, headphones not showing up in playback devices, laptop not recognizing headphones but still audio plays through speakers. Or especially After upgrading to Windows 10 (or performing a Windows Update), you now can’t hear any sound through your headphones. If you are windows 10 headphones not working after windows update probably it’s an audio driver problem. Again incorrect settings or faulty devices may also cause headphones not working windows 10. Here in this post, we have listed few effective solutions apply to fix if windows not detecting headphones or the headphone jack not working on laptops.

Headphones not working windows 10

First of all, connect your microphone to another computer running any operating system other than Windows 10 to check and make sure your headphone is working correctly.

If you’re using a desktop computer try to connecting your microphone or headset to the back panel of the PC.

If you have a dedicated sound card, please install the correct drivers for it. In the event that you encounter this problem on a laptop, visit the manufacturer’s download website and download all audio drivers that are recommended for your particular model.

Run Audio Troubleshooter

Whenever you face any Windows 10 sound, related problems, we recommend to run the build in Audio troubleshooter and let first windows to diagnose and fix the problem itself.

  • Open Settings app,
  • Click Update & security then troubleshoot.
  • On the middle panel scroll down and look for playing audio and run the troubleshooter.
  • This will check for the problems which may prevent headphones from working properly.

Run Audio Troubleshooting Tool

Set As Default Device

  • Right-click on the speaker icon in the bottom-right part of the screen and choose  Sounds.
  • Move to the Recording tab, this will A list of recording devices will appear.
  • Try speaking into your microphone, and see if there are any green bars rising next to one of them while you talk.
  • Right-click on it and select the default device.

green bars

Change the default sound format

Now under playback Double-click on the default playback device, a new window will open. Here In the “Advanced” tab, you will see under “Default Format” the sample rate and that you should change to the highest value. Click on “Apply” and “Ok” and then check the sound with a click on “Test”.

Change default sound format

Updating to the latest audio drivers

Some affected users report reinstall the audio driver with the latest version help them to resolve the issue as computers start to recognize their headphones. If you have installed an older audio driver version this may fail to recognize your headphones because Windows is not using the correct audio drivers or the drivers where corrupted after a bad installation. Let’s try to update or reinstall the audio driver.

  • Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box.
  • Then, type “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
  • Inside Device Manager, expand the Sound, video and game controllers drop-down menu and see whether your headset is listed here. If it is listed, right-click on it and choose Update Driver. Then, click on Search automatically for updated driver software and see whether there’s a new version available.

Change default sound format

If you manage to install a new driver version, reboot your computer and see if the issue is resolved at the next startup.

If your headset is not visible inside the Sound, video and game controller menu, then See whether any of the entries in Device Manager have a yellow exclamation point in the icon. Most likely, they can be found by expanding the Unknown Devices drop-down menu.

  • If you find any device listed under Unknown devices, right-click on them and choose Update Driver. If the updating component doesn’t manage to find a driver, double-click on the entry and go to the Details tab.
  • Use the drop-down menu to select Device Instance Path, then copy the value and paste it in an online search. You should get an idea which driver you need to install.

Device Instance Path

  • Download and Install the latest driver and reboot your computer. At the next restart, see if the issue has been resolved.

Did these solutions help to fix “Headphones not recognized (Not working) on windows 10”? Let us know which options work for you

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Steve Ballmer
With over 7 years of experience in the IT industry, I have experience in IT support, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. Certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.