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Issue: Whenever I plug in my earphones, my laptop does not immediately recognize it and instead continues playing audio through its built-in speakers.
My workaround so far has been to run the troubleshooter and it'll work after it "unmutes" the device. I don't quite understand what it means by muted device though. I've included in the screenshot how my sound output options look, but it generally never really changes even when I plug in any audio device, it will still always show "Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio)" so I don't really have anywhere to mute it. (IIRC it as the same when I was on Windows 10, but I would at least get a "Which device did you plug in?" pop-up before, that stopped with Windows 11.)
The issue reoccurs when I unplug and plug the device though.
When: This started around a month ago. I don't often use earphones so it wasn't much of an issue, but it is quite a strange, annoying extra series of steps to take whenever I have to.
Other info:
Anyone know why this keeps happening and how to resolve it? Thanks so much!
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
In your case, I think the "Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio)" has nothing to do with the problem.
The driver I suggested to uninstall and reinstall is Realtek(R) Audio. Is this the one you uninstalled and reinstalled?
If you have already reinstalled the Realtek(R) Audio driver, clarify the following:
When this behavior occurs, does the Windows volume go to 0?
Does this behavior occur after doing some specific action?
Example: When using a communication app like Zoom, Discord, etc.
Oh darn you're right. I think I was looking at a different driver when I said it wasn't the same. Will try the reinstall, thanks!
In your screenshot, the driver version on the Asus website and on your computer are the same.
Where did you see that the driver on the Asus website is older?
Even if it's the same version. Uninstalling and reinstalling may help.
Hi! Thanks so much for the response.
The pop-up "Which device did you plug in?" is usually from the audio manager included with the audio driver.
Oddly, I checked the Realtek Audio Console and this function is enabled but still does not pop up.
Therefore, I suggest you download the latest audio driver available from the support area of your device manufacturer's website, uninstall the current driver, restart your computer and install the driver you downloaded.
You should be able to uninstall the current Realtek driver in "Settings > Apps > Apps & features". It should be named "Realtek Audio Driver" or "Realtek High Definition Audio".Preferably, look for the audio driver for Windows 11. But if it's not available, download the latest one for Windows 10.
If you can't find the correct driver or uninstall it, let me know the manufacturer and model of your computer.
My device is an ASUS FX505DT. Let me know if you need more info! Unfortunately it seems that the driver on the support website (https://www.asus.com/us/SupportOnly/FX505DT/HelpDesk_Download/) is an older version compared to the one I currently have installed. Should I proceed with this step?
I also don't have Realtek listed in my Apps list:
Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.
The pop-up "Which device did you plug in?" is usually from the audio manager included with the audio driver.
I know you've already checked that the driver is up-to-date through Device Manager. But in some cases, the latest drivers provided by the computer manufacturer are not available to be updated by the Device Manager.
Therefore, I suggest you download the latest audio driver available from the support area of your device manufacturer's website, uninstall the current driver, restart your computer and install the driver you downloaded.
You should be able to uninstall the current Realtek driver in "Settings > Apps > Apps & features". It should be named "Realtek Audio Driver" or "Realtek High Definition Audio".
Preferably, look for the audio driver for Windows 11. But if it's not available, download the latest one for Windows 10.
If you can't find the correct driver or uninstall it, let me know the manufacturer and model of your computer.
Feel free to ask back any questions.
