9 Ways To Fix “No Speakers Or Headphones Are Plugged In” Error

No Speakers or Headphones are Plugged In error occurs when Windows fails to find any connected audio devices in the system. This means that your device cannot produce any sound even when an audio output device is plugged in.

The error can be related to a number of causes, the most common being damaged hardware, outdated audio drivers and mismanaged settings. This error can also occur when the system files required to detect the audio devices become corrupted or no longer support the installed audio peripheral.

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Fixes for No Speakers or Headphones are Plugged In Error

To fix this error, users can try inspecting the hardware components for visible damage, updating the driver files, using the hardware troubleshooter and re-enabling Windows services in the system.

Uninstalling third-party audio applications which can potentially interfere with the system can also help fix the issue. Other solutions that may help fix the error are described in detail here.

Check Hardware for Damage

The first solution is to inspect the hardware for any physical damage. Check the device and the wires carefully to look for any breakages, kinks or tears. If any damage is not visible from the outside, the device may be damaged from the inside.

To test this, connect the audio device to another computer and check to see if the error occurs there as well. If error occurs, disassemble the audio device and repair any loose or broken connections.

Perform the same check on your computer as well. If there is any physical damage in the connection port, repair or replace the damaged components.

If the device has a valid warranty, repairing the device or exchanging it for a new one can also be done.

Run the Troubleshooter

On the software side, the first fix is to try and resolve the problem from Windows troubleshooter. The troubleshooter will detect and attempt to fix any problems found during the scan. If it cannot resolve the issue, it will suggest some solutions and manual troubleshooting steps. To run the troubleshooter

Press the Windows key + I to open Settings
Click on the System tab and scroll down to select Troubleshoot
Inside, click on Other troubleshooters
Now on Playing audio, click on Run to start the troubleshooter
Follow the on screen prompts and perform fixes as suggested by the troubleshooter

Manage Sound Settings

Sometimes the error can also be caused by mismanaged sound settings. Allowing the audio device to be used by other applications or resetting the settings to default can help solve the issue.

Open Settings and on the System tab, click on Sound
Click on Choose where to play sound and select the audio device
On General, click on the Allow button to enable the audio device

To reset the audio settings,

On the Sound window, scroll down and click on Volume Mixer
Scroll down and click on the Reset button to reset the sound devices in your system

Enable Headphone Jack Detection

Note: this fix is applicable for devices having Realtek audio console/ realtek audio drivers only

If you have disabled headphone jack detection from the Realtek audio console, then this can cause your system to not identify any peripherals when connecting to the 3.5mm jack. To resolve this, you will need to re-enable the headphone jack detection from Realtek audio console.

Press the Windows key + S to open Windows Search
Type Realtek audio console in the search box and press the Enter key
In the audio console, click on the Device advanced settings
On Connector Settings toggle the jack detection switch to On
Close the audio console and reconnect the audio device

Change Output Source

Another fix is to change the audio output source from default to your headphones or speakers. If the output/playback source has been disabled, you will need to re-enable them from here as well.

Press the Windows key + R to open Run
Type control to open the Control panel
Click on Hardware and sound and select Sound
On the Playback tab, right click on the audio output source and select Enable
Check to see if the problem is solved

Enable Audio Card

Sometimes due to changes in the system like updates or settings can cause the sound card to become disabled. This can cause the device to post the error and not allow audio to output from your device. Enabling the sound card from the device manager can help fix the issue.

Open Run and type devmgmt.msc to open the Device manager
Double click on the Sound, video and game controllers label to expand it
Locate the sound card driver and double click to open it
On the Driver tab, if the device is enabled, click on the Disable Device button and again click on the button to enable the device
Click on OK to save changes

Enable Windows Services

Another fix for this issue is to check if the Windows audio services have been disabled. These services are responsible for managing the audio devices in the operating system.

If the services are disabled, the OS will fail to detect any audio device and post the error. To fix this re-enabling the audio services will solve the error

Open Run and type services.msc to open Windows services
Here, scroll down down and look for services labelled Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
Right-click on the services and click on Start to re-enable the service
Again, right-click on the service and then click on Properties
On the General tab, click on Startup type and from the drop down menu, select Automatic
Connect your audio device and check to see if the error still appears

Check for Incorrect/Outdated Drivers

If the sound drivers in your device become outdated or if they are incorrect for any reason, this can cause your device to not detect any audio peripheral and post the error. To fix this, you will need to search for any incorrect or outdated drivers and reinstall/update them.

First we’ll look for any incorrect audio drivers in the device

Open Run and type dxdiag to open the Windows DirectX diagnostics
Click on the Sound tab and look for the driver details on the Drivers section
Compare the displayed information with that of your device’s audio card documentation. The information can be found on the instruction manual or the product information website of your device
If the information do not match, go to Device manager
Right click on the audio driver and select Uninstall device
Restart your device after the process is complete

After restarting, if the audio drivers are not automatically installed, you will need to manually install the proper audio driver to solve the issue. To do this

Go to your device’s driver and support page and download the compatible driver files
After downloading, launch the setup file and follow the onscreen prompts
Let the process finish and then restart your device to complete the installation

After the audio drivers have completed installing, check for any available updates from the Device manager.

Update BIOS

Note: Always connect a charger when updating the BIOS on a portable device as a failed BIOS update can potentially render the device useless.

The final solution to fix this issue is to update the BIOS of your device. BIOS detects and connects the operating system to the hardware components of your device. If the audio peripheral is not supported by the BIOS, it may cause the operating system to not detect the device and then post the error.

First, check the BIOS version in your device by opening Run and then typing msinfo32 in the dialogue box
After checking, go to your device’s support page and download the latest version of BIOS for your device
Perform the update as instructed by the manufacturer
For best results, booting in Safe mode and then performing the update is recommended
After updating, connect the audio device and check if the error is solved