Why is the sound coming out of the speakers and not the headphones?

The moment you discover a problem with your computer’s audio is all too often the same moment you need to be online and tuned in to an important webinar or online conference. In many cases, the problem is due to a configuration issue rather than a hardware failure, and there are several common areas to check.

Make Sure Audio is Enabled

1. Double-check that your computer isn’t muted in Windows or in the audio application you’re using. Check the speaker icon in your system tray at the bottom-right and make sure there isn’t a red circle with a slash going through it. If there is, double-click the icon and click the blue speaker icon at the bottom of the volume indicator to un-mute the audio. Click “Mixer” and make sure that the audio is not disabled for applications. Finally, open the audio program you’re using and make sure that audio is not disabled there. In most programs, you’ll find a mute option next to the volume slider. In any case, make sure the volume is set to an audible level.

Double-check the Connection

1. Your headset or speakers must be plugged into the headphone jack or audio-out jack in order to work. If not labeled as such, the audio-out jack is usually green. Depending on the computer, it could be in the front, rear or top of the computer case. If you’re using a laptop, the audio-out jack is usually on either side of the machine, but certain models place the jack on the rear or the front. If the headset or speakers set has its own volume control, ensure that the device is set to an audible level. If your speakers are plugged into a subwoofer, make sure the subwoofer is also turned on. If you’re using a headset plugged into a headphone jack on a set of speakers, ensure the speakers are turned on and plugged into the audio-out jack on the computer.

Check the Speakers or Headset

1. Carefully examine all wires, checking for damage of any kind. Even the smallest kink or fray can prevent audio output. If everything looks good, plug the device into the audio-out jack of a known-good computer. If the unit still doesn't work, the device itself might be broken.

Check the Sound Card and Driver

1. You’ll need to be logged in as a local administrator to work with drivers. When ready, click the Start button, type “device manager” into the Search box (without quotes) and select “Device Manager” from the search results. Expand “Sound, video and game controllers” and right-click your sound card (for example, “Realtek High Definition Audio”). Select “Properties” and review the device status information. If the message tells you that no driver is installed, you’ll need to download a compatible driver from your computer manufacturer’s website or Windows Update. If the sound card did not come with the system, you’ll need to visit the sound card manufacturer’s website. If Windows indicates that the device has malfunctioned, try clicking on the “Driver” tab and then clicking the “Uninstall” button. Afterward, reinstall the driver by clicking the “Scan for hardware changes” icon in the menu area of Device Manager. Even if the status message indicates that no issue is present, reinstalling the driver may resolve the problem. If it doesn’t, check for an updated driver on the computer or sound card manufacturer’s website or through Windows Update.

   My sound on my laptop was working fine until the evening of 7/15/2015, when I plugged in my headphones and noticed that I could not hear anything through them except some faint static sounding feedback (not complete silence). When I turned my volume up, I noticed that sound was coming out of my speakers while the headphones were still plugged in. No notifications pop up when I plug in and remove my headphones like they used to, and they don't show up under playback devices, even when "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices" are checked. My headphones work when I plug them into anything else, and were working fine on my laptop earlier in the day. Trying other working headphones on my laptop gives me the same problem. I have been trying to fix this for two days. During this time, I have restarted my computer multiple times, and have uninstalled/ reinstalled/ updated my audio drivers, among other things. This is very weird, and came out of the blue. I did not drop my laptop or anything before this happened; it was simply sitting on my bed. Could someone please give me some suggestions of what I could do to solve this? 

   A current audio driver for the Inspiron 15 3521 is buggy -- Realtek 6.0.1.6788 A03  --fails to sense headphones plugged in the jack after a restart. The previous version works okay, Realtek 6.0.1.6690

   To install the older driver first remove the current one. Open the Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc into the search box and click the 1st item at the head of the list that comes up), then expand "Sound, video and game controllers".

   Right click on "Realtek High Definition Audio" and select to uninstall. Put a check mark in the option to delete the driver software, and then ok. When you re-start the laptop, Windows will either install its own native driver or another Realtek driver if there were any other versions on the hard drive. So go back to the Device Manager and check for a Realtek driver. Keep uninstalling & rebooting until Realtek no longer appears under Sound Controllers. When you see "High Definition Audio Device" (the native Windows driver) in place of "Realtek High Definition Audio", download and install the older Realtek 6.0.1.6690 driver.

   http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriverDetails/Product/inspiron-15r-5521?driverId=YW1FJ&...

   OR you could just use the native driver. You can switch between the Realtek driver and the native driver without having to remove the Realtek driver:

   Why is sound coming from speakers and headphones?

   This issue may occur due to damaged drivers, incompatible drivers, sound settings, missing updates, and problems with your sound card. I suggest you to try the below steps and check if it helps. Method 1: Let's first run Audio Troubleshooter and check. Press the 'Windows + W' key on the keyboard.

   Why is my phone not playing sound through headphones?

   Check the Bluetooth settings Open Settings, then tap Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth. Turn the Bluetooth switch to Off, or unpair Bluetooth audio devices that are already connected to your phone. Plug your headphones into the audio jack and play something to see if they work.