The audio jack on your new laptop is no longer functioning properly.
The audio jack on your new laptop is no longer functioning properly.
Hello everyone! I recently purchased an ASUS Vivobook laptop and everything seemed normal until suddenly the headphone jack stopped functioning. All updates were applied, no settings changed, yet no sound came through. The speakers worked, but Windows didn't recognize the headphones. I tried plugging them in and out, reinstalling drivers, using troubleshooters, adjusting audio settings after YouTube videos, testing new headphones, rebooting multiple times, and even formatting Windows—still nothing. Now I’m considering it a hardware issue and thinking about returning it. Could anyone help explain what might be going on? I’d really appreciate your advice. Thanks.
Welcome to the fascinating realm of Bill Gates... Based on real-world use, this also applies to desktop setups. When you connect an audio device to your PC, Windows should route the main audio input and output to it. However, a mistake at Microsoft has caused this feature to behave unpredictably at best. The situation worsens when Bluetooth devices are involved. Plus, many automatic updates from Windows can disrupt your default audio settings. This is quite frustrating. If you face sound issues, open Windows settings and navigate to the Sound section. Verify that your device appears in both the Output and Input dropdowns (for microphones). You can press the volume slider to hear a standard beep. If it’s not listed, click the link beneath the slider (Audio Peripherals manager) to check if your device shows up. Sometimes disabling unused devices helps reduce confusion. For a more reliable test, try using a Ubuntu live USB and play some YouTube videos. This avoids Windows complications and confirms whether your hardware is functioning properly. Good luck!
Thank you for your feedback @Sawa Takahashi! I’ll remember this if the issue arises again. The setup of the devices and their settings was perfect—no problems with listing or configuration. However, when using the headphones, there was no sound at all, only a faint static noise. This suggests a possible driver or software problem. It’s puzzling that everything functioned normally until the headphone jack stopped working after formatting Windows 11, then suddenly came back online. It’s challenging to figure out what’s going on without further testing.