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Headphones are recognized by system, but will not work. Sound continues to be played through PC speakers.

Help please.

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As notes the OS already "sees" the headphones, and 's device-selection tip is the right first check. If selecting the device in Windows didn't fix it, the cause is usually one of three things: a driver/soft‑routing problem, a physical jack detection fault, or audio being routed to a different output (HDMI/USB/Bluetooth). The steps below focus on those areas without repeating the playback-device UI steps already mentioned.

First, refresh the audio driver and vendor control panel. Open Device Manager and look under "Sound, video and game controllers" to see which driver is installed (Realtek, Conexant, etc.). Uninstall the audio device (allow Windows to reinstall on reboot) or install the ThinkPad Edge 14 driver package from Lenovo’s support site rather than third‑party sites. After reinstalling, check the vendor audio control panel for jack-detection or front-panel options (some Realtek versions let you disable jack detection or retask connectors).

Second, rule out a hardware/jack issue. Verify the same headphones work on another device and try another pair on the laptop. Inspect the jack for debris and use compressed air; avoid poking metal objects into the socket. A stuck mechanical switch in the jack or a worn contact can make the OS think headphones are present while speakers remain active. A cheap USB audio adapter is a useful temporary bypass if the internal jack is faulty.

Finally, check alternate routing and advanced settings: confirm audio isn’t being sent to HDMI/USB/Bluetooth, disable audio "enhancements" or exclusive mode (which can disrupt some outputs), and run the OS audio troubleshooter. For a clean test that isolates drivers from hardware, boot a Linux live USB—if headphones work there, the problem is almost certainly driver/software. If none of these steps help, the headphone jack or audio codec hardware may need repair through Lenovo service.

Member Avatar for kes166

What OS?


Edit: Vista or 07

In the lower right corner, you should see an icon that looks like a speaker. If you don't, there should be an arrow that will expand the icons that are in the lower right corner near your clock time. Click the expand arrow, then RIGHT CLICK the speaker.

Left click sounds

You should see a dialog box that is titles "Sound" with three tabs: Playback, Recording, Sounds.

Left click Playback.

Make sure that your headphones are located there. Highlight the headphones by left clicking them, and then click the button "Set Default". That should get the sound to go out your headphones.

Edited by kes166 because: n/a
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