[dba-Tech] No Headphone Output

Hi again,

Okay, I got an email message from the tech supervising my case, asking 
me to test external speakers on the jack, and to send a picture of the 
headphone plug I am using.  So, I tried.  No joy with the external 
speaker, either.  Both the external speaker and the headphone are using 
3-ring stereo plugs.  The tech has come back to me, saying that I need a 
4-ring plug for this audio card. Hello, this is news.  I called my 
friends at Radio Shack to see if I could get a 4-ring plug - they 
answered that they didn't have anything in the shop with 4-rings.  The 
tech linked me to an article showing a picture of the kind of plug she 
said I need. Interestingly enough, the article is complaining that 
Windows 8.1 refused to recognize a 4-ring plug.  Oh dear, now things are 
not looking right to me.

Well, we'll see how things work out.

TNF

Tina Norris Fields
tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com
231-322-2787

On 3/14/2014 9:47 AM, Tina Norris Fields wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I'm working with the Dell tech people to try to solve the problem, and 
> I'm exploring the online discussions on the same topic, but I also 
> want to ask this gang for help.
>
> I have a new Dell Inspiron 15R, came with Windows 8 (64-bit) - since 
> upgraded to Windows 8.1.
>
> When I plug in headphones, nothing changes - the speakers continue to 
> sound and no sound comes through the headphones.  The mixer does not 
> show headphones, only speakers.  The Sound properties dialog does not 
> show headphones, only speakers.  All sound tests show the speakers 
> working well, and do not recognize headphones at all.
>
> After a long online chat with a Dell tech, the decision was to replace 
> the motherboard.  That was done Wednesday evening.  Upon completion of 
> the replacement, the initial problem remained exactly the same.
>
> I have done all the driver updating I could find, both through the My 
> Dell Drivers support and from the manufacturer Realtek Semiconductor 
> website.  Results continue to be exactly the same.
>
> So far, the online suggestions all point to setting the headphones 
> option in the Sound properties dialog to be the default.  My problem 
> is that there is NO headphones option in the Sound properties dialog 
> box - none at all.  I do have the "Show disabled devices" and "Show 
> disconnected devices" check boxes ticked.   I have uninstalled and 
> reinstalled several times to no avail.  The first time I uninstalled, 
> when I rebooted the system it did claim that no sound device was 
> installed.  The last time I uninstalled, when I rebooted the system 
> the existing device had already been installed.
>
> The sound card is called Realtek High Definition Audio.  I'm thinking 
> the sound card is defective, or, if it's truly a motherboard problem, 
> then the replacement motherboard has the same defect as the original 
> mortherboard.
>
> Any ideas about a solution?  Thanks.
>
> TNF
>