How to fix a Dell computer not detecting headphones

Are you facing problems with headphones or earphones on a Dell computer? This article will help you fix headphone detection-related issues on Dell computers.

I had a similar problem with my Dell Vostro 15 3000, operating on Windows 11. When I plugged in my headphones, the laptop did not detect the headphones, but rather it detected them as a microphone.

How to fix this problem

For a visual step-by-step process of fixing the issues, watch the YouTube video below to fix the problem.

Follow the steps below to solve this problem or any similar headphone/earphone detection-related issues.

1. Open the Device manager by searching ‘device manager’ in the search box next to the start menu.
2. In the list of devices that appears, expand the sound, video and game controller section by clicking on the arrow next to it.
3. In the list, right-click on Realtek (K) Audio option and choose update driver.
4. On the ‘How do you want to search for drivers?’ window, select Browse my computer for drivers.
5. Next, click on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
6. In the dialogue box that appears next, check the box that reads show compatible hardware. The list of drivers may reduce and you will select the latest driver among them.

Note: Ensure you have the latest driver, otherwise this process will not work. Click here to update the drivers.

7. Select the driver and click Next.
8. The next dialogue box will indicate that Windows has successfully updated your drivers. Click Done.
9. You will be prompted to restart your computer for the hardware changes to take effect. Click yes to restart your device immediately.
10. After restarting your device, check to see if your computer has detected the headphones/earphones. This is done by clicking on the volume icon and the arrow next to the level of volume. Plug in your headphones and confirm that they appear in the list of audio devices.
11. If your headphones were plugged in during the process but you can’t locate them in the list of audio devices, unplug and plug them back in for your computer to successfully detect them.

Your problem should be fixed and you can now use your headphones or earphones as you please. In case the above Solution does not work, update drivers by following the steps below.

In case above solution does not fix your problem, watch below video. It is my latest video with more detailed solutions with advance tips and tricks.

How to update drivers on Dell computers?

1. Download and install SupportAssist on your computer.
2. Open SupportAssist and run Get drivers & downloads. Install all drivers using this option.
3. Follow the steps above shown in How to fix this problem.

In case this does not work, you can update your driver by following the below steps.

Update Dell Computer driver by updating Operating Systems

When user updates computer’s operating system, its drivers also get updated in the same process. It can be motherboard, graphics card, sound etc. If you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, follow steps below to update your computer.

• Go to Settings.
• Choose Windows Update from the left side of your screen.
• Click on Check Update.
• Restart your computer once it shows your computer is up to date.

Note: If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 is pirated, this updating process can slow down your computer so make sure your operating system is genuine.

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