In some cases, a couple of Windows 10 laptops, especially the newer ones that run the NVIDIA RTX series GPUs have been experiencing some problems, particularly with their headphone jacks which seem to be malfunctioning even though the internal speakers works just fine. And despite having all the drivers updated to their latest versions, the problem still occurs.
According to security experts, this kind of problem occurs on laptop computers that are manufactured by MSI and since there is still no workaround or reliable fix released by the company, in this post you will be guided on how you can resolve the problem with the headphone jack. So if you are using a laptop made by MSI and are experiencing the same issue, then you’ve come to the right place.
There are several potential fixes you can check out to resolve the problem, you can try to force reboot your computer or clean your headphone jack and then plug it back in properly. In addition, you could also try to update your Audio drivers or set your headphone as default. For more information, follow each one of the given options below.
Option 1 – Try to force reboot your computer
The first thing you can do is to force reboot your computer as this simple fix could help in fixing the problem. This option is quite simple, just make sure that before you do it, you have to save all your work.
- First, turn on your computer and press and hold the power button for at least 30 seconds. You might notice the screen flashing or making any changes, just ignore it.
- After that, plug out and plug in your computer and automatically turn it on.
- Once done, check if the headphone jack is now working fine.
Option 2 – Try to clean the headphone jack and plug it properly
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to clean your headphone jack and plug it back in properly. Make sure that you use a cotton swab in cleaning the headphone jack as there are instances where some dust might have settled in the port which results in issues like your headphone jack no working.
Option 3 – Try to update, rollback or reinstall the Audio driver
If the glitch in your audio has something to do with software, chances are it might be related to the audio driver – it could be that the newest version of your Windows 10 does not work well with the old version of the driver. This is why you have to update your audio driver to the newest available version.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in MSC and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
- Expand the section for the outdated device drivers.
- And then select the outdated driver(s) and right-click on it/them.
- From the drop-down menu, select the Update Driver option and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest version of the driver.
- Then also click on the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software.
- Restart your PC after the installation.
Note: If updating or reinstalling the Audio driver didn’t work, you can go to the website of MSI and look for the support section where you can download the drivers for your computer. You just need to take note of your PC’s correct model and model number so you can find the appropriate driver.
Option 4 – Try to set the headphone as the default device manually
There are times when you plug a headphone, it does not toggle the default audio device. Thus, to fix this issue, you have to set the default audio device to the headphones manually. To do that, follow these steps:
- First, right-click on the volume icon located on the system tray.
- Next, select the Open sound settings option to open the Sound section in the Windows 10 Settings app.
- From there, select the Control Panel for Sound on the rightmost column. This will open a new mini window.
- After that, select your headphone under the Playback tab and click on the Set default button.
- Once done, click on Apply and then OK buttons to save the changes made.
Option 5 – Try to run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter
Since the Windows 10 operating system has the Playing Audio Troubleshooter, you can use this troubleshooter to try and fix the problem with the headphones. You can access this tool in the Control Panel or in the Taskbar Search and even on the Troubleshooters page of Windows 10.