Wired Headphones not working/recognized

Hi Paloma,

Thank you for your response.

I have tried all the methods, my drivers were up to date so I had uninstalled them and restarted the computer which didn't work for me. I had also downloaded the realtek sound driver from the Lenovo page for my laptop in which that did nothing to help the issue as well.

I am trying to use my wired headphones however when I plug them in it is not even being recognized as a seperate headset, rather it plays sound through the "Speaker (Realtek Audio)" channel. I think when I paired my airpods with the laptop it messed something up so that the sound doesn't work. I can hear sound through the headphones however again, it is EXTREMELY low quality and lots of sounds are missing. I tried these headphones on my brothers laptop in which they played perfectly fine, so I don't doubt the quality of the headphones. 

I am not too sure on what to do at this point. I need this to work for my work however it has been a very frustating process.

Best,

Stephen

Hello, how are you?

Welcome to the Microsoft Community!

My name is Paloma B., I'm an independent advisor, I'm here to help you in the best possible way.

Analyzing the information presented, I recommend that you follow the guidelines below, please, to try to solve this problem.

First, based on your equipment model, go to the manufacturer's website and download compatible and updated drivers, and reinstall them. Follow the guidelines on the link below, please.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/402844...

Verify that the problem is resolved.

If the problem persists, please follow the next guidelines.

I recommend that you follow the guidelines on the official link below, please.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/452028...

If the problem persists, proceed to the next guidelines.

Important: at the end of each method, check if the problem has been solved. If it persists, proceed to the next one.

Method 1 - Troubleshoot sound problems

1. Right-click the speaker icon on the taskbar;
2. Select "Solve Sound Problems";
3. Run.

Verify that the problem is resolved.

If it persists, proceed to the next method.

Method 2 - Use Device Manager to fix audio problems in Windows

1. Press WIndows + X, select Device Manager;
2. Expand the "Sound, video and games controllers" tab;
3. Right-click on the "High Definition Audio" device;
4. Access "Properties" and in the "Driver" tab choose the Update Driver option, and Windows 10 will start the process.

If the Update Driver option does not solve the problem, repeat steps 1 to 4, and in the "Driver" tab, select "Uninstall Device".

Then click on the sound icon, and wait for it to detect problems. A new window will open, choose the first option and click Next. Wait for the system to detect problems. The system will ask you to restart the PC.

Verify that the problem is resolved.

If it persists, proceed to the next Method.

Method 3 - Test the audio card

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window;
2. Type

dxdiag

Select Ok.

3. Click Sound and test DirectSound.

The system will test whether DirectX is working, but how you will use the sound card to test it, if it is not working, it will not be detected by the system.

Go to the Sound tab in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. If your sound card does not appear in this tab, it means that it is not working, and you will need to take your computer to a service center for further testing.

I await news.

If these procedures helped you in any way, please click on "I solved my problem" and also mark as an answer, so you can help others users.

We will always be available for whatever you need!