What to do if headphones do not work

The vast majority of existing personal computers today are digital multimedia systems. Even models with a relatively low performance are able to play video and audio files. This possibility has become quite natural: no one now thinks that it can be somehow different. Having integrated the sound codec chip on motherboards, the producers finally left in the past the famous division into a multimedia and non-multimedia class of computer systems (in the absence of a sound card). Thus, almost every home computer is purchased sound reproduction systems - speakers and headphones. The second is simply irreplaceable when listening to any songs, for example, at night, when the rest of the household is already asleep.

It's hard to convey all that storm of emotion when it suddenly turns out that headphones do not work. Especially if everything was fine yesterday, and today, after their next inclusion, there is a lot of news from where the problem arises. Often it can be quickly resolved independently, so there is no special reason for panic. Although, of course, if headphones do not work, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the main reasons, to make sure that it is not in them. And only then use the famous method of "trial and error."

So, here it is, a list of possible malfunctions:

- problem with the driver;

- damage to the cable coming from the headphones to the plug;

- incorrect configuration of the BIOS, which leads to the fact that the headphones do not work;

- errors in the driver settings.

Let us dwell on each point in more detail.

Headphones are a device that converts electrical signals generated by a sound card into air vibrations perceived as sound. Therefore, if headphones do not work, you do not need to immediately buy new ones. It is necessary to determine the model of the installed sound card: for embedded solutions, the name can be found in the instructions to the motherboard, and a discrete card will require the launch of the information utility (SiSoft Sandra) or careful examination of the box (or stickers on it). Further all is simple: it is necessary to come on a site of the developer and to download the driver of the card intended for used operating system. Obviously, in the case where the headphones of Windows 7 do not work, you should not download the control program under Windows XP, and you should select it for the "Seven". After downloading and installation, sound may appear.

In 70% of cases, the problem of inoperability lies in mechanical damage. Sometimes it is enough to accidentally touch the cord or pull it to make the entire system unusable: the conductors in the cable break and cease to conduct the current normally.

In addition, it is impossible to exclude the presence of a factory defect: a particularly painful place is the area of the soldering of the wire and the plug. The best way to check the guess is to connect the headphones to the known good audio output of another computer. Works - we search for the reason in "hardware and software", still silence - "ears" are faulty. Sometimes users notice that the headphones on the front panel do not work, and when turned on in the connector from the back, everything is fine. This connector is connected to the motherboard by means of a loop inside the system unit. Errors with its connection - and there is no sound.

Do not connect the headphones to the front panel. This can be done with the help of a simple 3.5 mm tee-splitter, which allows simultaneous switching of the plugs of the two devices.

For integrated solutions in the BIOS ("Del" button after power on), you can select the AC97 and HD Audio modes. Now the second one is more relevant, although for problems you can put AC97 to check. By the way, sometimes there is no sound in the headphones because of an incorrectly selected connector - you need to check everything carefully.

In the driver settings of the built-in sound solutions, there is a point to turn off the definition of the jacks for the front panel. Alas, sometimes the mechanism works with an error. Therefore, the "tick" (the default is on) must be removed. This recommendation is intended for owners of embedded solutions for HD and AC.