Windows 11 thinks my headphones are an input device

Thank you so much for the confirmation. It's possible that the combo port cannot read the jack properly. But, before assuming that's the case, let's try to update your audio drivers.

Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager.

Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section.

Right-click on the audio device (e.g., Realtek, High Definition Audio) and select Uninstall device.

Confirm the uninstallation and check the box that says Attempt to remove the driver for this device (if available).

Restart your computer to complete the uninstallation.

Upon reboot, Windows will typically reinstall the audio driver automatically.

NOTE: Please make sure to only uninstall the generic audio drivers, not your ASUS Xonar. It could probably be called conexant, realtek audio etc.

Please let me know if this works for you. I'll do my best to respond as soon as possible.

Thank you for getting back to me.

Combo jacks, which combine microphone and headphone functionality, are used to save space, but they can sometimes misidentify devices or suffer from wear if not well constructed.

If the combo jack is faulty, repair options depend on your warranty and hardware type. Since your PC is only two weeks old, you should contact the manufacturer for warranty service or potential repair. If it's a hardware fault, it should be covered under warranty.

This driver typically relates to your graphics card (AMD). It's often responsible for HDMI audio output. You can disable this if you're not using the audio from the HDMI.

Or you can get a splitter, to separate the combo jack's output/input with this

https://www.amazon.com/SOLMIMI-Crystal-Nylon-He...

Please let me know if you have any more questions, I'll do my best to respond as soon as possible.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install.

Hello there! I am Charity, I'm an Independent Advisor. I'm glad to help you today!

I'm sorry that happened to you. May I ask if the front panel ports are pink/green, or a combo jack?

Kind Regards,

Charity

Please note that things might need more than one reply to completely resolve your issue, as it will completely depend on the complexity of the question and the amount of detail that you have provided me.

Hi Charity

Thank you for your reply. I forgot to say in my first post that the headphones worked previously (briefly), before this started happening.

I have tried a different set of headphones in the jack and the same thing happens with them.

Are faults with combo jacks common? Can they be repaired? (My PC is only about 2 weeks old). Is a combo jack a cheap option taken by manufacturers?

Regarding your advice about the audio drivers, device manager shows two audio devices other than my Xonar card: "AMD High Definition Audio Device" and "High Definition Audio Device".

So far, I have only followed your advice with "High Definition Audio Device" - it reappeared after reboot, but the issue was the same. Should I try it with "AMD High Definition Audio Device" too?

Thank you so much for your help!

Edit - there are 2 x USB slots on my PC front panel and I have discovered they do not seem to work properly either. Inserting a USB drive causes a sound effect to occur, but nothing appears in the list of drives. If I use a USB slot at the rear of the PC, the drive does appear. And so it would seem like this is a hardware fault. With the panel itself or how it is attached to the motherboard. Is there any way I can fault find this? Thanks!

Best regards
Graham

Hello Charity,

Thank you very much for your reply.

The front panel port is a combo jack (no colour but showing a picture of both a mic and headphones).

Best regards
Graham