Windows does not see my headphones

Hello

It sounds like you're having quite a frustrating time with your audio setup on your Dell Inspiron 5521 laptop. Let's try to get this sorted out step by step.

First, let's address the issue with your earphones not being detected:

Check Device Manager: Open Device Manager and look for any yellow exclamation marks under "Sound, video and game controllers". If you see any, right-click and select "Update driver".

Reinstall Audio Drivers: Go to Dell's official website and download the latest audio drivers for your Inspiron 5521. Install them and restart your laptop.

Enable Audio Devices: Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar, select "Sounds", go to the "Playback" tab, and right-click to show disabled devices. Enable your earphones if they appear.

Now, let's try to re-enable your integrated speakers:

Re-enable Speakers in Device Manager: Open Device Manager, expand "Sound, video and game controllers", right-click on your integrated speakers, and select "Enable device".

Check Sound Settings: Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar, select "Sounds", go to the "Playback" tab, and ensure your integrated speakers are set as the default device.

If "Audio inputs and outputs" is completely missing from Device Manager, you might need to:

Scan for Hardware Changes: In Device Manager, right-click on your computer name at the top and select "Scan for hardware changes".

Reinstall Audio Drivers: As mentioned earlier, reinstall the audio drivers from Dell's official website.

If these steps don't resolve the issue, it might be helpful to reset your BIOS settings to default, as sometimes hardware settings can be affected at that level. To do this:

Restart your laptop and press F2 to enter BIOS setup.

Reset to Default Settings: Look for an option to reset to default settings, save, and exit.